A History and Guide to Laco

Jacob Van Buren

Sept 12, 2025

Located in the southwest of Germany in Baden-Württemburg, Pforzheim is built at the confluence of three rivers. In the eighteenth century, the city became a hub of jewelry making, with watchmaking experiencing a pronounced revival in the early twentieth century, resulting in Pforzheim's nickname of the “Goldstadt,” or “Golden City.”

Founded by Frieda Lacher and Ludwig Hummel in 1925, Lacher & Co., today known as Laco Uhrenmanufaktur GmbH, played a significant role in this expansion of German watchmaking. Their aim was simple — produce watches of quality and reliability. The pair split a few years later, with Hummel remaining with the watch production side. While many German watchmakers relied on Swiss movements, Hummel chose a different direction. He founded Deutsche Uhren Roh Werke (Durowe) in 1933, dedicated to the manufacture of movements to become independent from Swiss calibers.

By the outbreak of the Second World War, Durowe was manufacturing 30,000 movements per month. Many of these ebauches found their way into Laco watches produced for the German Luftwaffe. Laco was one of just five companies producing these highly accurate pilots’ watches known as Fliegers, from the German for ”flyer” or “pilot.” A. Lange & Söhne, Stowa, Wempe, and IWC all met the strict requirements set by the Reichsluftministerium.

Type A and B Fliegers, also known as Beobachtungs-Uhren or B-Uhren (observation watches), were the most unique of the watches issued to aviators during the Second World War. Where many Allied nations simply issued higher-grade versions of their standard field watches, the Flieger featured a significantly larger case with two unique dial layouts focused on legibility for the sake of navigation. These designs have highly influenced pilot watch design in the years following the war.

Their Pforzheim manufacturing facilities were decimated by Allied bombing. Under the Marshall Plan, Laco was able to rebuild and resume manufacturing. The Laco Sport featured Durowe’s first automatic movement and became a popular model as movement production rose to over 80,000 new calibers monthly.

In February 1959, Laco and Durowe were sold to US Time Corporation, a company better recognized under the name it adopted in 1969 —Timex. US Time was specifically interested in the electric movement technology they had developed. Durowe was split from Laco in September 1965 when Timex sold it to movement manufacturer ETA SA, today the main movement arm of the SWATCH Group.

The Quartz Crisis of the 1970s saw Laco turn to promotional watches to stay above water. It saw them through a decade where many established brands withered and died due to the inability to compete with the rapidly changing industry. In the 1980s, Horst Günther took over leadership at Laco and relaunched it with a focus on high-quality, German-made watches using Swiss and Japanese movements. The brand relaunched the Flieger to celebrate its 75th anniversary, with the design becoming a catalog staple in the early 2000s.

Unfortunately, trouble sprang up again by the end of the 2000s, with Laco facing insolvency in June 2009. Kienzle, AG took over, but this partnership dissolved in early 2010. Laco regained independence that spring and has since focused further on launching new models paying tribute to its aeronautical heritage.

FEATURED LACO WATCHES

In its current incarnation, Laco produces a series of pilot watches inspired by the Fliegers of World War II. The brand has re-engineered the case dimensions to better suit durability and modern preferences, ensuring relevance for the next century. Laco’s marine watches have also made a comeback, paying tribute to the deck watches made by Laco and other German manufacturers during the war.

Laco has not been content to sit on its historic laurels, however. The branch launched its Squad line of tool watches in collaboration with first responders and military units to create a German-made tool watch designed to perform under the most trying conditions. Laco has also revived its Sport moniker for a sports watch made for the 21st century, taking lessons from the previous decades and bringing them together in a thoroughly modern and German design. 

Modern Resurgence

2025 marks a century of Laco. With renewed interest in German watchmaking, the brand shows no sign of letting up. From early innovation to the skies of Europe during the Second World War to economic downturns, the brand has endured its share of hardship. With its unique heritage, it remains an immense value proposition for enthusiasts looking for their own pieces of history. To see more of our favorite Laco watches, check out the brand page on the Windup Watch Shop. As always, the Windup Watch Team is available via consultation to answer any questions you have. In addition, many of the products shown are eligible for free domestic shipping across the US.

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