When speaking of Flieger watches, Laco should come to mind for most. Founded in 1925, the brand is still based in their original home of Pforzeim, Germany, where they design, assemble and even manufacture some of their line of pilot-inspired watches. Known for their high quality German-made timepieces, Lacos start at surprisingly affordable prices. Today, we’re happy to welcome a set of handsome 39mm pilot’s watches that meet both of those criteria — the 39mm Augsburg and Aachen with a limited edition taupe dial.
At their core, both watches share the same case and specs. A finely brushed 39mm stainless steel case that is simple and straightforward, with an onion-shaped crown at 3 o’clock and lightly flared lugs. Their proportions are well suited to a wide range of wrist sizes thanks to the 39mm wide x 46.5mm lug to lug measurement, further enhanced by the 11.55mm thickness. They are waterproof up to 5ATM, which is more than enough for daily splashes and the occasional dunk.
Powering the watches is the automatic Laco 21 movement, visible through the display case back, which is based on the Miyota 821A. It features a beat rate of 21,600, an engraved rotor, hacking seconds hand, and will tick for 42 hours when fully wound.
Laco Augsburg 39 Taupe
The Augsburg features a standard Flieger-style dial with Arabic numerals running around the outside of the dial. At 12, there’s a triangle with double dots to help orient the watch, a signature of the classic Flieger. Laco’s logo sits just above the set of sword hands, rendered in a simple cursive script. Hash marks fill the space between each hour marking. All of the dial markings are treated with Swiss SuperLuminova C1 Blueline that gives off a strong blue glow when the lights go out. Of course, this is all printed on top of the limited edition taupe dial. The dial is a warm gray/tan with a subtle sunburst effect that changes with the angle of the light. Laco’s chosen shade of taupe is warm and pleasant, and can be dressed up or down with ease.
Laco Aachen 39 Taupe
The Aachen features the same shade of taupe on the base dial. Instead of standard numerals, this “Type B” Flieger features minutes around the outer track and hours running around the inner track. At 12, you’ll find an upwards pointing arrow, followed by 5-55 minutes. The inner hour track is bound by a slim circle. Instead of the long sword hands, the Aachen features a stunted hour hand that corresponds with the inner hour markings. The minutes hand is significantly longer, reaching the outside of the dial. Again, all of the dial markings are treated with the SuperLuminova C1, making for an especially impressive show in dark conditions. The result is a much busier dial, yet it still remains easy to read at a glance.
Both the Augsburg and the Aachen ship on a brown distressed leather strap that features two large rivets near the strap attachment point. They’re finished with signed buckles and are sure to look even better with age. The Augsburg and Aachen 39mm Taupe Limited Editions are each capped at 200 watches, with the individual number engraved on the case back. You can check them out and secure one for yourself right here at the Windup Watch Shop, while they last.
