Laco

Brand history

Founded in Pforzheim (the German 'City of Gold and Jewellery') in 1925. Laco is one of the last German brands producing authentic Flieger pilot watches to the original Luftwaffe-specification Type A and Type B designs.

Founded 1925 in Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg, by Frieda Lacher, the "La-Co" acronym comes from "Lacher & Co." One of the five brands (alongside Stowa, Wempe, Lacher's Durowe, and IWC) contracted by the German Luftwaffe in 1939 to produce the Beobachtungsuhren and Fliegeruhren issued to navigators and pilots; the original Flieger specifications (oversized case, onion crown for gloved hands, matte dial, Arabic numerals) remain the template for the modern Pilot Original series. Laco was issued a new production contract in 1941 for an improved navigation watch. The modern brand uses ETA movements in faithful recreations of the WWII-issue cases, the Augsburg (original case name) is the reference most directly descended from the 1940 contract pieces. Priced at CHF 600–1,200; the best-documented Flieger provenance of any brand at the price point.