Patrik Zdvíhal When people hear the term “pilot’s watch,” most think of large dials, bold hands, and excellent readability in all conditions. Surprisingly, however, these features are not lost even in a smaller case.
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Back to the Days
The brand is a true legend in this regard. As early as the 1930s, it was one of the five manufacturers of original B-Uhr navigation watches for Luftwaffe pilots. Those manufacturers were IWC, A. Lange & Söhne, Stowa, Wempe, and Laco.
From the very beginning, pilot watches were divided into two types—Type A and Type B.
Type A, reborn today as the Augsburg, was minimalist, featuring large numerals from one to eleven and the characteristic triangle at the twelve o’clock position. Pilots could immediately tell which way was up on the dial, even when they were upside down in the cockpit or shrouded in fog. It was basically a little navigation cheat code right on the watch.
Type B, i.e., the Aachen model, also featured an inner ring with hour markings and an outer scale with minute markings—because pilots and navigators needed to read times quickly and accurately. Laco has carried on this tradition in a modern design with an attractive green dial.
The Same, Yet Different
Laco Augsburg and Laco Aachen Grün. At first glance, they look like twins, but when we take a closer look at the dials, we see that they have two distinct personalities.
Video Review: Laco in Aachen and Augsburg
The Augsburg Grün 39 stays true to Type A—that is, a simple, clean dial with large Arabic numerals, a triangle with dots at the 12 o’clock position, and exemplary readability. It’s the perfect choice for those who want a classic pilot’s watch in its most straightforward form.
The Aachen Grün 39, on the other hand, builds on Type B. It features an inner ring with the numbers 1 through 12 and a minute scale from 5 to 55 around the circumference. It looks more technical, more complex, and has a more “navigator-like” feel. This gives the watch a different character—it’s still a pilot’s watch, but with a more technical look.
Qualities of a Good Pilot
Both models feature a 39-millimeter stainless steel case. With lugs measuring 46.5 mm in length and a thickness of 11.5 mm, they fit perfectly even on smaller wrists. They look well-balanced on the wrist—large enough to be easy to read, yet compact enough not to look clunky.
The dial is protected by a sapphire crystal. You can also pay extra for a version with anti-reflective coating on both sides. This means that the watch remains perfectly legible even in direct sunlight, and you don’t have to worry about everyday wear and tear causing scratches on the crystal. It’s water-resistant to 50 meters, so in this case, it’s best to avoid getting it wet.
Inside is a Laco 2S automatic movement, which is a modified Miyota 82S0. It offers approximately 42 hours of power reserve, so even if you take the watch off for a day, it will still be ready to go. For those who need a longer power reserve, the watch can also be ordered with the Laco 31 movement, which is based on the Miyota 8315 and offers a power reserve of about 60 hours.
Thanks to the transparent case back, you can even see the watch’s movement in action. This is a practical feature that lets you quickly check whether there’s any unwanted moisture inside the watch. Don’t expect any eye-catching designs here, though. It’s more along the lines of—here’s a soldier’s watch, here’s another one.
The Laco Augsburg and Aachen Grün 39 are great new additions that prove tradition can be combined with modern style. Whichever one you choose, you’ll have a piece of history on your wrist that you’ll enjoy wearing every day.
A gray leather strap with green stitching holds them on the wrist, and I have to give Laco credit because this combination is absolutely perfect and comes together beautifully as a whole. The typical rivets were left out in this case, and that’s a good thing. I can’t really imagine them on this watch.
And now for the most important part—the dial. Both have a gorgeous matte green hue that will go with anything, even if it might not seem that way at first glance. The dials differ in layout, as we mentioned earlier.
Both are also equipped with Super-LumiNova. In practice, this means that if you expose the watch to light, it will glow like a runway after dark, and you’ll be able to read the time without any trouble, even in the middle of the night after a hard-fought battle.
Laco won’t let you down
This is a watch you can comfortably wear every day—to work, on a trip, or for a night out on the town. Thanks to its compact size, it pairs well with a casual shirt or blazer. And the green dial gives it a touch of flair—it’s neither boring nor overly flashy.
When you wear a Laco on your wrist, you’re carrying a piece of history—a reminder of a time when watches were a matter of life and death, when pilots had to rely on them in the cockpit of a bomber. Today, you don’t need them to navigate over Europe, but they still embody that aviation spirit—freedom, adventure, and courage.
Which one should I choose?
If you’re looking for a pilot’s watch in its purest form, go for the Augsburg Grün. If you’re drawn to a more technically sophisticated style, the Aachen Grün is the one for you. In either case, however, you’ll get a durable steel case, sapphire crystal, an automatic movement, a comfortable strap, and most importantly—the iconic pilot’s design that Laco has been crafting for nearly a century.
The Laco Augsburg and Aachen Grün 39 are great new additions that prove tradition can be combined with modern style. Whichever one you choose, you’ll have a piece of history on your wrist that you’ll enjoy wearing every day.
Specifications
- References: Augsburg Green 39, Aachen Green 39
- dimensions: 39 mm x 46.5 mm x 11.5 mm
- Movement: Laco 2S automatic (Miyota 82S0)
- Water resistance: 50 m
- glass: sapphire
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