Watch Review: Laco Bremerhaven & Laco Cuxhaven
During the two times I had the pleasure to visit BaselWorld there were always a couple of booths that I visited more than once because I developed a little love for the brand. I had this in particular with some German watch brands. One of them was the brand Laco from the German Gold City of Pforzheim. I suppose it is the fascinating history behind the brand that caught me and the fact that they treasure this history. I remember holding at their booth one of the original ‘’Fliegeruhren’’ that had the size of a wall clock. It makes you realize where the so popular pilot watches, we see at many brands nowadays, find their origin.
Because of my love for the brand Laco I maintain contacts for years with the company and recently they offered me the possibility to try two watches. The watches were given back after two weeks of testing but in two weeks I could get quite a good overview of how I feel about these watches. Please notice it is how I feel about it and since watches are a matter of personal taste and preferences this could be varying for people if they like it or not.
The Laco Cuxhaven and the Laco Bremerhaven
The watches I got the opportunity to test were the Laco Cuxhaven watch and the Laco Bremerhaven watch. Two watches that are named after two Northern German harbor towns. They belong to a category by Laco described as Navy Watches and it is therefor that they carry names of harbor towns, in fact all Navy Watches from Laco are carrying names of German harbor towns.
Laco might be more well known for their history with aviation watches, however in the field of Navy Watches they do have a rich history as well. They started creating them in the 1940’s when the German Marine Observatory in Hamburg made a requirement for watches that could stand all circumstances one has to deal with on a journey along the world’s seas and oceans. Only a few factories were able to make something like that in those days and Laco was one of them.
Laco Bremerhaven
When you hold this watch in your hands you feel it’s sturdiness and that it can deal with heavier circumstances. It’s heavy even though not too heavy to wear. It’s 42,5 millimeter case is a perfect size for me as I have big wrists but am not a fan of huge watches. Hence I like to have a watch look slightly more balanced when it comes to proportions. Everything between 38 and 42 millimeters is actually perfect for my wrist and my taste. The lugs are 22 millimeter and carry a nice and comfortable to wear black leather strap with white stitching and the height of the case is 11 millimeter.
Photo credit: Nataliya Mureau
The black dial inside is mat and has a railway minute circle beside the hours that are Arabic numerals. They are just like the railway minute circle made from the material Superluminova C3 which lights up in the dark. There’s a small second on 6 o’clock where the numbers and stripes are also made from Superluminova C3 and lights up in the dark as do the hands which are having the material in the middle and the outsides are lacquered in black.
Inside the watch there is the Laco 98 movement which is based on an ETA6498.1 movement with 17 jewels. The movement is a handwinding movement which I think has a real charm to it and gives so much more pleasure then an automatic movement. Maybe it is the nostalgic in me that get’s so crazy about this but I really think it has some real soul. The watch is waterproof up to 10 ATM and a power reserve of 46 hours.
The case is made of stainless steel and has a brushed and polished finish. The fluted bezel gives a nice and slightly elegant character to the watch and is fitting perfectly to the big crown which is also fluted. It is a crown that you would normally see on pilot watches. The sapphire crystal with an antireflecting coating inside makes it easy to read time at any circumstances.
Photo credit: Nataliya Mureau
Photo credit: Nataliya Mureau
Photo credit: Nataliya Mureau
Photo credit: Nataliya Mureau
Laco Cuxhaven
The Laco Cuxhaven might be seen by many people as exactly the same watch as the Bremerhaven and this is certainly not untrue. The watches can be seen as brothers who share the same values and DNA however in the way they look there is a difference which is also influencing the character.
Laco Cuxhaven with the brown leather strap
Photo credit: Nataliya Mureau
So yes on the technical side we also see in the Laco Cuxhaven the Laco 98 movement which is a handwinding movement and based on the ETA 6498.1 movement. And also here the case is 42,5 millimeters, lugs of 22 millimeters and the height of the watch 11 millimeter. The watch is also waterproof up to 10 ATM. Even the case is the same and has a brushed and polished finish, a fluted bezel, fluted crown and sapphire crystal with an antireflecting coating inside that makes it easy to read time at any circumstances. So what is still left to be different here?
Laco Cuxhaven the Laco 98 movement
Photo credit: Nataliya Mureau
Well the dial is white in this case which is not a major difference either but it gives a very different look. There is also the railway minute circle and Arabic numerals which are made out of Superluminova C3 and lights up in the dark. And so is the small second which is on 6 o’ clock. The watch hands are having a beautiful blue colour which are thermally blued and on the inside there is also Superluminova C3. And then there is the strap which is a light and very soft leather strap.
White dial of Laco Cuxhaven
Photo credit: Nataliya Mureau
Now the differences might not be very big with it’s brother the Cuxhaven but it depends how you look on it. For me it feels like having a complete different watch on your wrist. A watch with a lighter and slightly more elegant character. A watch that I’d wear probably even with some of my tweed jackets. It wears equally comfortable as the Cuxhaven and I think Laco does a great job when it comes to comfortability.
The conclusion of trying these two Laco watches
I think most watch lovers look for a great deal to the technical part of watches. I will never deny that this is the most important part of a watch. Indeed without that you’ll have a watch that looks nice but doesn’t show you time. And that while that’s what a watch is supposed to do…. There is however something that is underestimated but which plays in my love for watches the biggest role. For me watches are mainly about design and this is what interests me the most in watches. I know the technical side and appreciate it, but a beautiful design is the first thing that catches my eye and also the part that, at any review I do, will play the biggest role. And so it does with the review of these Laco watches.
I think that when you look from a technical point of view the Laco Bremerhaven and the Laco Cuxhaven are probably similar watches.
But from a design point of view we are dealing here with two very different characters of which the one, the Laco Bremerhaven, is for me a more rough watch that fits to rougher outfits which will most of the time be casual. I don’t see myself wearing it with a suit or with one of my tweed jackets so to say. However during leisure activities I’d probably go for it.
The Cuxhaven is for me a watch that also doesn’t go with a suit but will work excellently with tweed jackets and any clothing that is considered as smart casual or British Country Style. I think the light leather strap, the white dial and the thermally blued watch hands give a light but very country style elegant character to the watch.
I think both watches are timepieces that you shouldn’t buy because you want something special on the technical field. They are performing perfectly and you will have the quality that is equal to your Longines, Omega or Breitling watches. But I think the most interesting characteristic of these watches are the design and the history of the brand Laco. Now when the quality is bad, then these two things are not reasons to buy a watch of course. But since it is combined here with a very reliable and good quality, still made in Germany, it’s worth the buy. The last thing to mention that might be worth it is the price. With just €980,- you will buy a very good quality watch which is still made in Pforzheim, Germany.