INTRODUCING: The Laco Edition 97 is a classic Type B pilot’s watch in bronze

Time+Tide

Laco is the type of brand that attracts a niche group of watch enthusiasts: those who are into old school pilot watches and that appreciate having the real deal. In 2022, anyone can buy a good-looking, well-made pilot watch from any of 100 brands at different prices. That’s because these watches are exceptionally legible and play an important role in the history of military horology. However, there are only a few brands that make the original ones, and Laco is one of these select few. They’ve been working towards their 100th anniversary celebration, which will take place in 2025. For this big milestone, Laco has been releasing limited editions, the third of which is Edition 97.

The original watches Laco made for World War II pilots were humongous by today’s standards with case diameters sometimes going over 50mm. Of course, there was a reason for it: they had to fit over the pilots’ bomber jackets and be able to be easily read  in the cockpit. The larger the watch is, the larger its dial and hands, the easier it is to read the time. Nowadays, only a handful of hardcore pilots would wear such a watch. That’s why Laco has molded itself to the modern market and reduced its watches in size. Edition 97, therefore, comes with a modest case diameter of 42mm, a thickness of 12.8mm, and a lug width of 20mm. The proportions are indeed modest for a Type B pilot watch from a historical brand.

However, in true Laco fashion, it is exceptionally legible.

Type B refers to the version of pilot’s watch in which the hours are confined to the centre of the dial and indicated by small Arabic numerals. In contrast, the minutes are indicated by large Arabic ones at the periphery of the dial. Type B watches aided in timing precise military operations which explains the emphasis put on reading the minutes. The colour scheme used on Edition 97 makes reading the precise time a breeze. The Radium-looking printed minute markers and blue heated hands contrast nicely with the matte green dial. Furthermore, using bronze for the case endows Edition 97 with a particularly strong vintage vibe.

Although Edition 97 looks super vintage, it comes with modern technology making it a robust everyday tool watch. The blue heated hands won’t rust or tarnish over time. The compound of lume used on the matte green dial is SuperLuminova Old Radium and comes in thick layers. The crystal is of the double-domed sapphire variant and has an inner anti-reflective coating. The large onion-style crown is also made of bronze and is easy to grip. Lastly, the movement inside is an élaboré grade Sellita SW-200 that comes with 26 jewels and 38 hours of power reserve.

Using an élaboré grade movement is on par with the original purpose of these watches. Pilot watches such as the Laco Type B “Observation” watch used chronometer-level movements that were synchronized with radio signals during operations. They had to be accurate in order to locate enemy targets precisely. (Pilots can pinpoint where the target is based on how long they have been flying from a reference point.) Laco has perpetuated this tradition, and while its regular catalogue offers both regular and top shelf movements, Edition 97 uses a rather accurate and robust calibre.

The choice of case material is perhaps the most striking element of Edition 97. Laco went for bronze, as we already know, which is one of the oldest materials known to humans. It’s a material that patinates in unique ways depending on how much exposure it gets to saltwater and sweat, amongst other things. This means each of the 97 units produced will look different over time, making this limited edition even more special. But because bronze does not do well on human skin, the case-back is made of stainless steel.

Laco Edition 97 pricing and availability:

The Edition 97 comes with an aged brown leather strap with matching bronze buckle and brass rivets and can be ordered directly from Laco’s website. Price: €1,490