Laco and Circula team up on the ProLab, a two-watch collaboration celebrating their shared German roots
Jason LeePforzheim is often overshadowed by Glashütte in watch conversations about Germany, but the Baden-Württemberg city’s “Goldstadt” identity is older and more industrial: the local watch-and-jewellery story is commonly traced back to 1767, when production was established in an orphanage as part of a broader push to train workers and build industry. From that same town comes Laco, founded in 1925 as Lacher & Co. by Frieda Lacher and Ludwig Hummel, and later tied to Durowe (Hummel’s movement company). Laco’s pilot watch credentials aren’t just styling either: it’s regularly listed among the five original B‑Uhr (Beobachtungsuhr) manufacturers.
Circula has a different arc: founded in 1955 and still family-run, it’s been reshaped in the modern era under third-generation owner Cornelius Huber, with an enthusiast-facing focus that includes community-influenced projects—its ProTrail field watch, for example, was developed through over 6,500 votes from the watch community. Put those two trajectories—Laco’s aviation-rooted legibility and Circula’s contemporary tool-watch pragmatism—together, and the new ProLab release by the pair starts to make sense as a very Pforzheim kind of collaboration: a two-watch set conceived as a deliberate duo, rather than a single co-branded one-off.
That “two watches, one idea” approach is the whole point here. ProLab is framed as a complementary pair that’s meant to be read side-by-side, with coordinated details and a shared tool-watch ethos. It’s also an anniversary marker with a tidy bit of maths: Circula turns 70 in 2025, and Laco turns 100. ProLab’s name even leans into the blueprint: “Pro” nods to each brand’s Pro line (Circula ProTrail and Laco Flieger Pro), while “Lab” is positioned as a small “experiment” carried out together.
The swap is the cute part. Circula delivers the Flieger—minutes outside, hours inside—while Laco builds a field watch using the Circula ProTrail as its foundation. It’s an intentional crossing of streams: the pilot-watch specialist interprets a field platform, and the modern tool-watch brand tackles a classic aviation layout. The two dials are double-signed as a reminder that neither is trying to hide behind the other.
The cases
The Circula ProLab features a stainless steel case with a stated scratch resistance of up to 1,200 Vickers, in a 40mm diameter with 11.1mm thickness without the crystal. Water resistance is rated to 150m, and you get a screw-down crown plus a sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating. The case is in a compact, faceted tool shape with crisp planes that suit the instrument vibe.
Then there’s the Laco field watch with the sand-coloured dial. The case is stainless steel with a dark sandblasted finish, again 40mm across, but a touch slimmer at 9.8mm without the crystal. The water resistance steps up to 200m, and it keeps the same practical framework of a screw-down crown and sapphire crystal.
The dials
The Circula ProLab’s dial treatment is one of the quiet links between the two watches, featuring circular graining on the inside and a matte finish on the outside. That plays nicely with the Typ‑B layout, where the outer minutes ring is the star and the inner hours are there for orientation rather than decoration. Luminous material is specified as Super‑LumiNova BGW9 on the numerals and indexes, which should deliver the familiar blue glow in low light. The hands are thermally blued, with BGW9 lume on the hour and minute hands.
The Laco ProLab’s dial is sand-coloured, with the same circular graining on the inside and matte finish on the outside, but it adds a twist through lume colour: the outer area uses old radium-coloured Super‑LumiNova for a warmer glow. The hands, however, stay in BGW9. It’s also the watch that best illustrates the field intent at a glance: a bold 1–12 scale around the periphery, with a 13–24 readout tucked into the centre. Add the small blue accents and thermally blued hands, and it threads the needle between desert utilitarian and designed object.
The movement
Mechanically, both watches stick to a sensible and serviceable base: the Sellita SW200‑1 in Elaboré grade—which beats at 4 Hz and offers 38 hours of power reserve—with a solid engraved caseback, which features a graphic map of Pforzheim at its centre, flanked by two gold‑toned markers that pinpoint the homes of Laco and Circula. Around it, the engraving spells out the watch’s origin and commemorates the shared milestone with the inscription “170 Years Laco & Circula”.
The straps
The Circula comes on a black sailcloth strap with genuine leather lining, quick-release spring bars, and a scratch-resistant buckle.
Conversely, the Laco is paired with a sand-coloured sailcloth strap with genuine leather lining and quick-release spring bars, paired with a dark buckle.
The verdict
What makes this collaboration land isn’t a novel complication or a wild dial technique—it’s the decision to treat the collaboration as a conversation between two familiar genres. One watch speaks fluent flieger, the other is built for the field, and the “lab” part is the way each brand has stepped into the other’s territory while keeping the results wearable and recognisable. For collectors, the appeal will likely come down to whether you like the idea of a matched pair that covers two classic use-cases without feeling like a forced “his and hers” gimmick. If you do, ProLab looks like a coherent, tool-first take on an anniversary release: rooted in Pforzheim, but not stuck in the past.
Laco x Circula ProLab pricing and availability
The new Laco x Circula ProLab collaboration is exclusively available as a set of two watches, and is limited to 170 pieces – a combination of Circula’s 70th anniversary and Laco’s 100th anniversary dates. The set is available now directly from either brand’s e-shop. Price: €2,390
| Brand | Laco |
| Model | ProLab |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 9.8mm (T) |
| Case Material | Dark sandblasted stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 200 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal |
| Dial | Sand-coloured |
| Strap | Sand sailcloth strap with genuine leather lining |
| Movement | Sellita SW200-1, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | €2,390 as a set |
| Brand | Circula |
| Model | ProLab |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 11.1mm (T) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 150 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal |
| Dial | Black |
| Strap | Black sailcloth strap with genuine leather lining |
| Movement | Sellita SW200-1, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | €2,390 as a set |