A Brand's Story : Laco by Extropian
Who is Laco?
Laco is one of these rare watchmakers in the watchworld that can tick almost every box that we like. They have heritage and know-how going back to 1925. They have survived the quartz crisis and by adapting to new technologies, they are now crafting high quality timepieces at prices that are unheard of.
Why Laco?
Laco is mostly known for their pilot watches which have stood the test of time, they are easily recognizable with an appeal that might be hard to resist. The pilot line is wide in terms of offering and precision and legibility are the main pillars to their recognizable design. That said, Laco has diversified as a watchmaker and now covers almost every segment of the market from divers to dress / casual pieces, all of them created with the same degree of attention.
How do they work?
Based in Germany, more precisely in Pforzheim, Laco brings almost every aspect of watchmaking in house. From case finishing, movement regulation, bracelets and strap pairing, the manufacture should be an interesting tour to do. Despite their long-standing history, the quest for precision is always something that they are constantly striving for. All the watches feature ‘Made in Germany’ in the logo which reflects the testing and assembling of the final product, these are activities that the brand is proud of and at the end, this is key for customer success, there is a human element to all of this process that in our opinion is not reflected in the final price.
What are their key design elements?
When you are discovering a Laco you immediately think about long sword hands, onion crowns and matte dial surfaces but in the past few years, not only they have gone back to those classy elegant pieces from the 30’s, they have also looked in the future with models like the Atacama UTC, their DIN series and their Sports Collection. All those watches have different design elements between themselves but when you see them as a whole, they have robustness as a key denominator.
The strong lugs always make an appearance and orange palettes to differentiate complications are also widely used. Subtlety also comes as standard in their Marine and dress watches line, with soft curves and syringe handsets, the simplicity and restraint of their more elegant pieces stand out in the current lineup.
Who are they for?
Laco is a brand that has something for everyone. Not so long ago it was not as diverse in terms of offerings, but they understood that they have a strong name and although big pilot watches are still the bread and butter for them, there are also some hidden gems in the catalogue.
Laco watches are crafted with professionals, emergency bodies and police forces in mind but also are made for those who enjoy outdoor activities, they are not exclusively to extreme situations but they could easily survive them.
The purist will be very satisfied with period correct designs and products which mimic the past into the most minute detail, but Laco also satisfies those who are new into the watch hobby with entry level offerings. The non-professional models provide the same design characteristics at much lower prices.
Latest Releases
This is the brand bread and butter, you could say that it is where they got their DNA from. Their pilot watches are well known worldwide and now they are developing more and more their current Pro line.
The design
Their Pro collection is a new way to configure 2 of the most iconic pilot designs of all time: the A dial or B dial. This can be done with different watch case sizes, dial colours and finishing. It is a joy to embark on the process as the results are unique, not only as a watch but also for you.
What we enjoy about the Pro built feature is that normally pilot watches can be a bit intimidating, this is mostly because of their size, but with Laco you have the ability to choose from a 37mm, a 40mm and a 43mm. This provides great versatility on what already is a good design. Regarding the case finish, the ‘Fliegers’ can be brushed or sandblasted, either choice will make this look as a proper tool watch.
One of the biggest novelties of this collection are the dial variations. Not only the layout can be changed but now there is a new dark blue available, looks great and would be our personal choice.
The movement as you can imagine is something that can be also modified. From a non decorated manual winding movement to a top grade decorated caliber with or without date, everything is possible. In our opinion, the non date manual with a blue dial at 37mm would be the pick, it just looks as a perfect everyday watch.
Laco will always be known for their pilot watches and that is a good thing, they have new offerings outside their heritage pieces which we enjoy, but the constant refinement of their core offering is something that we applaud quite a bit. Maybe a blue matte dial on the making?
Laco is coming strong with their Squad Collection. Made for those government bodies in mind, the newest stand out of the lineup is the Atacama UTC. It is a do it all purpose build watch that feels indestructible. With a countdown rotating bezel, second time zone complication and screw down crown, this all-black watch is the ultimate tool watch from the brand.
The design
The Atacama UTC is large at 46mm but wears well on a smaller wrist due to its flexible end links making it easier to pull. The legibility with a large diameter matte dial and fluorescent markings its outstanding. The conical case starts smaller so it can sit better on any wrist, the crown is protected at 12 o'clock to avoid any accidental knocks and then, it has one of the most precise bezels we have tried this year, no back play whatsoever. The Atacama UTC (as the name suggests) gives you the ability to track a second time zone, the watch is also powered by a Swiss Ronda quartz movement which in our opinion makes it more reliable and ready to go.
The strap is also made to be flexible, completes an all black look with a PVD stainless steel buckle, all coherent and very tactical.
Variations
There are several models in the Squad collection, the Atacama 2 which is a time and date variant which includes an automatic movement. This is followed by their Seven Seas model, which could be considered one of their most robust Laco to date, it adds antimagnetic capabilities, flank protectors and a plastic case.
No brand is complete without a good diver. In this collection Laco is offering 2 different case sizes with different color accents. The divers can be bought accessorized with a rubber strap, a rubber nato or a stainless-steel bracelet. They all come with an automatic movement as standard and 30 ATM of water resistance.
The design
The design of the Sport collection is unique. It looks like no other diver out there. The lugs are long, and the case rounded with brushed finish, the bezel has large square openings for a precise grip and the different color hands against the matte dial, it makes this watch very legible.
Another design cue that stands out is the rounded but pointy ‘’beak’’ crown guards, not only they protect the large and signed crown but, also seems to be the only vintage nod in what can be considered a very modern watch.
Variations
As mentioned this collection comes in 2 sizes: a 42mm and a 39mm. The differences are in the colors, they all come with a matte black dial while the accents are the ones that provide the name. The green one is Amazonas, the orange Mojave, then we have the blue: Atlantik and lastly the black, which is called Himalaya.
All the watches can be modified by adding external AR coating on the sapphire crystal, a top-grade movement and a different variety of straps, buying a Laco is quite a cool experience and we would be keen to try the process.
Conclusions
Laco watches not only come with heritage as standard, but they also come with a great level of quality, unique design and a price proposition that is really tempting. The amount of originality from the watches in the past few years has changed the perception for the brand, Laco is no longer a mono product pilot manufacturer, it is a real player that is approaching its centenary and we are keen to see what it is coming next.
Created the 2024-08-15
Modified the 2024-09-02