I have a lot to tell you about Lōcī Watch Company. It’s a new brand with an exciting debut model, an environmental ethos, and a table at the District Time Show (March 2-3, 2024, Washington, DC) where you can win the Lōcī Pacific Coast Highway, which I’m reviewing today. But first let me tell you about the name.
Lōcī is pronounced exactly as it is spelled, with a long “o” and a long “i”, so it is not the Norse god of mischief, but the Latin one placesthe plural of Locationwhich means place, e.g. b. local, Locationor Locality. This is significant because it reflects the brand’s mission to protect fragile environments. Founder Trip Henderson was previously an executive and frontline support worker at Team Rubicon, the veteran-led disaster response organization. He brought the same spirit to Lōcī. The watches are designed, assembled, inspected and tested in the United States. Additionally, 10% of profits are donated to trusted conservation organizations. In the case of the Pacific Coast Highway, the beneficiary is the Surfrider Foundation, a California-based nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the oceans and coastlines so that everyone can benefit.
The name also refers to the clocks themselves, as they are intended to evoke a sense of place. Their first model is inspired by and named after the Pacific Coast Highway, a magnificent stretch of road that winds along the California coast. Three dial variations represent three attractions on the route: the Surfrider Beach features a sunburst textured dial with a light brown gradient, the Monterey Bay is blue with a wave pattern, and the Bug Sur celebrates the road itself, which leads to the rugged region in which it is located the mountains are carved meet the sea. Each is available with either a Swiss Sellita SW200-1 automatic (28.8k bph, 26 jewels) for $1,050 or a Swiss Ronda 715 5-jewel quartz watch for $675. For this review I had a Big Sur quartz.
I usually start my reviews with a description of the case, but that will have to wait since the Big Sur’s split dial is so impressive. There is hardly a more literal representation of a highway than an asphalt black background with double yellow stripes. I love how the stripes darken as they approach the edge of the dial, giving the impression of wear and distance. Other tasty details include the Lōcī shield logo on the counterweight of the yellow second hand, a black date at 6 o’clock that doesn’t interfere with the hour marker, and the fact that “Pacific Coast Highway” has been rendered in the same font as a California road sign . It may just be my own association, but when I read the 60 minute/second markers printed in increments of five, I think of the posted speed limits.
Perhaps the most dramatic element is the ring of hour markers that extends beyond the main dial, whose chisel-tipped brushed surfaces are polished to match the long, faceted hands.
Swiss X1 Grade Super-LumiNova adorns all of these elements.
The Pacific Coast Highway case is 39.5 mm wide, 48 mm long and 10.8 mm thick from case back to sapphire crystal. It’s a sensible size, especially since the shape tends to add a phantom millimeter or two. I found it balanced well on my 6.75-inch wrist and fit well under a buttoned cuff.
The large crown is surprisingly mechanical and automotive-like, reminiscent of a belt on a pulley. For a watch named after a highway, that makes sense. There isn’t much fiddling with the quartz, but it feels good and screws down to seal the watch and ensure 100m water resistance.
I recognize a major influence from the sports watches of the 1970s in the tonneau case and the sharp-edged lugs. Longitudinal brushes with pronounced grain decorate the top and side surfaces as well as the outer edge of the fixed bezel. Bright polish on the lugs, top of the bezel, crown and beveled top edge on the case sides provide a sharp contrast. The overall workmanship is first-class and has clean edges and clear transitions.
I know that integrated bracelets are back in style and would look just right in this case, and yet I’m relieved that the designers at Lōcī resisted the urge. I’m much happier with a standard 20mm lug spacing like we have here, so I can swap out my own strap at some point in the future – a process made easier by the drilled lugs. Not that I’m in any particular hurry. The Pacific Coast Highway is equipped with a practical and cleverly designed FKM rubber strap. Did you notice the shield logo on the lugs? It has fitted ends, quick release pins and tapers to 18mm at the signed buckle.
However, I wouldn’t be mad if they released a strap for the watch. It could work well with this case, and the attached end links that fit the case surface would line up exactly with the vertical lines carved into the case from the inside edges of the lugs to the bezel.
The caseback is secured with four Torx head screws and decorated with an image of the California coast. I appreciate the deep engraving and two-tone finishing to highlight the land and sea.
Finally we come to the box. I’m sure you all know that I find it almost impossible to get too gushing about packaging and that I also despise waste (see my rant here). I only call out a box if it is particularly good or particularly bad. This is one of the good ones. It is safe and simple cardboard. It offers more than adequate protection and excellent presentation, but doesn’t put any pressure on you to stay close. If you dispose of it, it will break down relatively quickly and will not return to future generations as a microplastic plague. I completely agree.
The Lōcī Pacific Coast Highway is a beautiful, practical and brilliantly executed watch that clearly reflects the brand’s mission statement. It’s a powerful start for this new venture and I believe it will go far.
If you’d like to explore Lōcī’s collection, visit lociwatch.com, or if you happen to be in Washington, DC on March 2 and 3, 2024, you can see it in person at the District Time Show, where you can win this very look to (I promise I took very good care of it for you). However you do it, I recommend you pay attention to the brand.
