The Laco Aachen | family history
Laco makes German pilot watches that do not pretend to be Swiss. The Aachen is the brand's Type A B-Uhr interpretation: triangle at 12, high-contrast lume treatment, 42mm case, and ETA 2824-2 movement. Clean and honest at its price point.
Laco's Type A flieger: clean Bauhaus dial, prominent triangle at 12, and onion crown at an accessible price point.
1925-1990s · Laco's Pforzheim heritage
Laco (short for Lacher and Co.) was founded in Pforzheim, Germany, in 1925 and produced pilot watches for Luftwaffe use during World War II. The original B-Uhr (Beobachtungsuhr, observation watch) format was standardized across multiple German manufacturers: 55mm case, high-contrast dial, central seconds, wire lugs. Laco was one of those manufacturers and has maintained the B-Uhr aesthetic as its brand cornerstone.
No references from this era in the catalog yet.
2010-present · The modern Aachen
The contemporary Aachen 42 interprets the Type A B-Uhr format (triangle with dot at 12 o'clock, no arrow variant) in a modern 42mm case with the ETA 2824-2 automatic. The dial is high-contrast with strong lume application; the hands are the large cathedral or baton shapes associated with the pilot watch genre. At its price point, the Aachen is the most direct implementation of the original B-Uhr aesthetic in current production.
How to read this family
Two questions for Laco Aachen buyers:
- Type A vs. Type B: what is the difference? Type A B-Uhr watches (like the Aachen) have a triangle at 12 o'clock with a small dot inside. Type B watches (like the Augsburg) use the same triangle but omit the central dot and feature a larger crown for ease of use with gloves. The functional differences are minimal; the distinction is aesthetic and historical.
- Is the ETA 2824-2 an acceptable movement at this price? Yes. The ETA 2824-2 is the Swiss industry standard automatic movement; it is accurate, well-understood, and has a broad independent service network. At Laco's price point, it is the appropriate movement choice. The alternative would be a Sellita SW200, which is effectively identical in architecture.
Related families: Laco Augsburg · Tutima Grand Flieger · Fortis Flieger
References in this family
Which ref to buy
Laco is a German brand with documented Luftwaffe supply history and direct lineage to the original Type A/B pilot watch specification. The Aachen is their field-watch interpretation of the pilot brief: smaller, more portable than the 55mm aviation originals.
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Laco Aachen 42mm: field-watch-proportioned pilot case, ETA 2824 automatic, German brand with genuine Luftwaffe supply history.
- The case for it:
- Laco's Luftwaffe provenance is documented and real. The Aachen size is the correct choice for wearability: the 55mm originals are museum pieces, the 42mm is a watch. For buyers who want a German pilot watch with authentic historical grounding at accessible prices, Laco is more honest than most competitors.
- Consider instead if:
- Laco secondary market is thin. The Sinn 556 and Hanhart Pioneer have stronger German-pilot-watch collector communities and better service networks. The Laco is the provenance argument at the accessible price tier.
Rankings last reviewed 2026-06-18. Editorial perspective only. Not financial advice.