Timeless Passions

The last edition of Vicenzaoro, in March, saw the launching of the Locman Montecristo OISA 1937, a line of mechanical, Italian-made watches that feels like a pleasant return to the past, both in terms of technological content and the philosophy behind it.

The project’s foundations were laid five years ago with the encounter between Marco Mantovani, founder of Locman, a historic watchmaking company on the island of Elba, and Carlo Boggio Ferraris, third generation of the prestigious OISA 1937 brand which specializes in mechanical movements.

Locman's owner began the discussion: «First of all, I would like to thank IEG, which, even in these difficult times, decided to invest in a sector that has been lacking at Vicenzaoro for many years. An entrepreneurial courage like that of Carlo and I when we set out on this adventure with the passion that has always distinguished our companies, and which, in a time like the one we are currently experiencing, has a rather heroic quality.

More than 50 years have passed since a new, totally Italian-made, mechanical movement has been launched onto the market, and for my brand, it is an honor to collaborate with someone who, in the past, marked a golden era in our watchmaking industry, producing 10,000 movements a month, all original calibers for watchmaking companies in Italy and around the world.»

Carlo Boggio Ferraris continued with the details: «The mechanical, hand-wound OISA Calibre 29-50 Cinque Ponti movement has a handmade Côtes de Genève finish on the bridges, which enclose the gear train, and a Perlage finish, also handmade, on the main plate. It is 29.5 mm in diameter and 3.5 mm high.»

An exceptionally sophisticated system, with maximum reliability, designed for enthusiasts, who responded to these precious inputs by already ordering the first 1,000 movements, the first of which is now on display in a case at Locman's headquarters in Marina di Campo. The second? On Mantovani’s wrist.

Lorenza Scalisi, Editor VO+