Created by the SIO – Italian School of Watchmaking

[Dubai, March 2014] The engineers at LOCMAN have upgraded the Montecristo and given it some extra competitive edge, making it the first mechanical self-winding chronograph. To make this possible, the SIO Italian School of Watchmaking, part of the LOCMAN group, partnered with DePa Swiss Movements, an enterprise of Swiss artisans specialised in movement concept and development. LOCMAN watches, known for their amazing attention to detail, flawless mechanical precision and revolutionary designs, are exclusively available at Paris Gallery and Watch Gallery.

The SIO – Italian School of Watchmaking was founded by LOCMAN in 2006 with the intention of establishing a research centre and constant monitoring the quality of their watches. Over the years, SIO has certified and also developed the mechanisms of its major collections, partnering with companies for special projects.

Marco Mantovani, LOCMAN Spa chairman, says: “We were able to develop a completely reliable, sturdy self-winding module. Our engineers also focused on the rotor weights so as to optimise the bidirectional winding stored by the self-winding mechanism for an average of up to about 50 hours.”

The oscillating weight is enhanced with a bright yellow shade and personalised with the LOCMAN ITALY logo. The calibre reference – SIO/DPch 88 – is indicated on the movement main plate. The dial features sunray-pattern enamelling, the minute counter is placed at 3 o’clock and the small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock, while the tachometric scale – absent in the quartz version – appears around the inner bezel ring of this model. The AISI 316L steel and titanium case is made of exclusively non-allergenic materials usually found in surgical instruments, and is topped by a flat glass with a special sapphire treatment to give the material a hardness comparable to that of natural sapphire as well as an exponential increase in its transparency. Tested water-resistant to 10 atmospheres, the Montecristo chronograph case is attached to the silicon or hi-tech Lorica strap by the distinctive triple-bar lugs.

About Paris Gallery: A leading luxury retailer in the Middle East, Paris Gallery is the eponymous flagship brand of Paris Gallery Group, with over 3 million sq. ft. of luxurious shopping space and 50 stores located in prime retail addresses spanning across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. The stores offer a premium collection of over 500 international brands across several product categories including perfumes, skincare, makeup, watches, jewelry, fashion apparel, sunglasses and accessories.

With nearly two decades of expertise of keeping customers’ interests at its core, Paris Gallery’s opulent shopping environments, innovative retail concepts, service standards and its signature Arabic hospitality practices sees the brand stand out as an unequivocal shopping and gifting destination in the Middle East.