In Review: Locman Mare 300MT

When we were contacted by Locman about doing some reviews, our initial instinct was yes. I mean, that’s what we want to do, is bring your attention to watch brands that you may not be familiar with, and highlight the variety that is out there. The question was just settling on what from their catalog would be intriguing. And what better way to start out than with an affordable mechanical diver, which is precisely what the Locman Mare 300MT is.

If you couldn’t tell from the looks, the name of the watch should tip you off to it’s intended use. Mare is Italian for sea, and the 300MT means it’s got a 300m WR rating. Add in that chunky, easy-to-grasp 60-minute bezel, and yes indeed, this is a dive watch. And what about those Italian connections – are those just a clever marketing ploy?

For that, I checked in with our friend, Barbara Palumbo (aka WhatsOnHerWrist), as she’s been in the jewelry and watch worlds, and has Italian roots as well. Turns out, she’s actually met the folks behind Locman, and let us know that they were totally legit. So, rest well that the Italian flag on the dial and Italian movement inside is more than just mere window dressing. Is it a critical part of the design? No, not necessarily. That said, if a watch brand is going to say they’re representing a specific country, we like to see that there are roots there.

What drew us to the Locman Mare 300MT, of course, were those classic dive watch looks. Here, though, they get tweaked a few different ways. On the dial, we’ve got the classic bars and pips with the triangle at 12 o’clock. The handset is partially skeletonized, though still quite legible against the dial (wide handsets will do that for you). The dial has an ombré finish to it, going from the deeps of the sea at the top of the dial to the light greenish-blue at the top of the ocean. Against that, the white indices and hands pop, as does the red-tipped seconds hand.

Wrapped around the mineral crystal, the Locman Mare 300MT of course has a timing bezel, but it’s not a style we’re used to seeing. Normally, timing bezels are steel, and then have some sort of an insert (usually a colored aluminum, or as of late, ceramic). For the Mare, we’ve got a one-piece bezel that curves down from the crystal to the case, with scalloped edges around the outer edge. This gives things a very smooth look at the top, and really makes the watch feel like it’s an “all dial and bezel” design, as you don’t see much of the case.

Of course, from the side, you do see the case on the Locman Mare 300MT. While the exhibition caseback is titanium, the remainder is steel. As you can see in the photos above (click to embiggen), we’ve got an inverted lug design. There are tabs coming off of the case, which the end links (which your eye thinks are the lugs when viewed from on top) are attached to. These angle down pretty quickly, making for a snugger fit onto your wrist. You do have the protruding fasteners, but they really don’t get in the way, and become more of a style statement.

Adjusting the bracelet on the Locman Mare 300MT was simple, and once fit to the wrist, things were quite comfortable. Just enough flex in the links that it can conform to the wrist, but not so much that it felt loose. I also rather liked that the majority of the bracelet is brushed (hiding smudges and scratches), with the polished portions bringing a bit of sparkle, and tricking the eye into seeing it as a 5-link bracelet.

Frankly, there is a lot to like with the Locman Mare 300MT. You’ve got a few different dial color options, you can go for a silicone strap instead of the bracelet, and you can even swap the automatic movement for a quartz chronograph if you want to. For the version we had in on loan – automatic movement, blue dial, steel bracelet – pricing comes in at a quite reasonable $865. If you’re on the search for a dive watch that isn’t just a clone of something that came before, you’ll want to check it out over at locman.it

Tech Specs from Locman

Movement: Mechanical Three Hands with Automatic winding S.I.O (Italian School of Watchmaking) movement with date or quartz chronograph with three counters

Case: 44 mm – Steel and Titanium also with Total Blue or Total Black Pvd treatment. Water resistant up to 30 atm / 300 mt
Dial: Enamelled sunray effect luminescent hands and hour markers
Glass: Mineral with sapphire treatment