Flying High With Several New Laco Pilot Watches - Now Available From The WatchGecko Store

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve now expanded our range of Laco watches to offer you even more choice.

Laco is a German watch company with an enviable reputation. Established in 1925, they have an authentic and true heritage and are particularly famed for their pilots’ watches (otherwise known as Fliegers), originally made for pilots during the Second World War.

In fact, they were one of only a small handful of watch companies making ‘observation’ watches for the German Air Force, based on strict criteria laid down by the Ministry of Aviation.

Fast forward to 2021 and watches from Laco’s ‘Pilot Watch Original‘ collection remain very faithful to their origins, with the most noticeable differences being the size (originals were 55mm and had very long straps so they could be worn over uniforms) and the inclusion of modern, reliable movements.

Watches within this premium range have a ton of character and are immediately recognisable as Laco thanks to the straight lugs which echo those of the original pilots’ watches, and the inclusion of ‘FL23883’ which is stamped on the left-hand side of the case in reference to the military issue number.

Other characteristics include the oversized onion crown (originally a feature so pilots and navigators could easily change the time when being gloved up!)

All of the watches featured in this article are powered by the fantastic tried and tested Swiss ETA 2824-2 ‘Elabore’ grade automatic movement.

So, without further ado, let’s take a quick look at the watches:

Laco Münster Blaue Stunde and Paderborn Blaue Stunde

The Münster and Paderborn are both staple models of Laco’s Pilot watch range. The Münster uses an exceptionally clean Type A dial configuration, whereas the Paderborn has a Type B dial, which separates out the hours and minute registers. This Type B dial is in reference to the time when it was more important for navigators to be able to quickly see minutes elapsed, rather than hours.

However, in a break from tradition both models come in a “Blaue Stunde” version, meaning they have stunning blue sunburst dials. This adds a welcome pop of colour to the pilots watches, and gives them a much more playful feel.

Like their regular black dial versions, the Münster Blaue Stunde and Paderborn Blaue Stunde have sandblasted finished cases, thermally blued hands, and C3 Super-LumiNova on the hands and markers for great legibility in low light. And let’s not forget domed sapphire crystals with anti-reflective coating, to keep those dials easy to read in any conditions.

To read more about these two great watches, check out the Münster Blaue Stunde and Paderborn Blaue Stunde product pages.

The Laco Wien & Venedig

Both the Laco Wien & the Venedig are nearly identical, however the Wien has a Type B dial configuration, whilst the Venedig uses a Type A. Both watches have a pure white dial, with matte black hands and markers for the ultimate in contrast and legibility.

Add in fully-lumed dials and you’ve got a pair of watches that have a very different personality to the traditional black dials on other Laco watches. As with many of the other watches featured here, they have sandblasted cases and iconic big onion-shaped crowns.

If you’re the sort of watch enthusiast that loves lume, then either of these pilot watch will take your obsession to another level!

You can see more pictures of the Venedig here, and more of the Wien here.

The Laco Havanna Chronograph

The Havanna is a stunning and well-priced 44mm chronograph, featuring a ETA 7750 automatic movement and a sporty, technical look thanks to its crisp monochrome palate and fully-lumed dial.

Matte black, alpha style hands, and a simple printed minute tack only enhances the legibility further.

The feature-packed Havanna allows you to time all manner of activities thanks to its tri-compax layout. There is a running seconds counter a the nine o’clock position, a 30-minute register at 12 o’clock and a 12-hour counter at six. Of course, the central chronograph counter is perhaps the most important and allows you to count the seconds precisely with the simple press of the crisp pushers.

In addition to the chronograph functions, a useful day/date display sits underneath the Laco 1925 logo at the three o’clock position, printed in black on white.

Other top features include a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, a sapphire display case back so you can see the movement in all its glory, and 50m water resistance.

One thing is for certain, the Laco Havanna is one for lume-lovers with larger wrists!

You can get the Havanna's full specifications here.

The Erbstück Collection

Laco has recently introduced Erbstück versions of many of its classic models. The word Erbstück translates as “heirloom”, and this collection are meant to mimic the rare and expensive vintage Fliegers that are so coveted by collectors.

Each individual watch is artfully aged by hand, including the case, dial and hands and even the strap, making the watch you buy truly unique. In addition, it features aged C3 Super-LumiNova and a crown design that is executed to precisely replicate that of the original Laco pilots watch, the Beobachtungsuhr.

Strap an Erbstück watch to your wrist and you’ll feel like you’re wearing a vintage watch that has many stories to tell, but with all the benefits of a modern reliable movement and tighter manufacturing tolerances.

Laco really has gone the extra mile here. The time-intensive ageing process results in a watch that could have been handed down from your grandfather.

The Erbstück watches we’ve recently added are:

The Laco Paderborn Erbstück

Get the full lowdown on the Paderborn Erbstück here.

The Laco Münster Erbstück

Read everything you need to know about the Münster Erbstück here.

The Laco Venedig Erbstück

Explore why the Venedig Erbstück is so special here.

The Laco Wien Erbstück

See why the Wien Erbstück is one of the best retro pilot's watches here.

And with that, we've covered all our latest additions to our Laco range! We have many more models than these available, so don't forget to check out the full range of Laco watches here.