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Pilot watches have long since evolved beyond their origins as purely pragmatic military tools to become favorites of civilian watch enthusiasts. While staying true to its military roots with mandatory high-contrast and strong legibility, a new Flieger from German watchmaker Laco offers a different take on the theme with a more refined execution than the familiar white-on-matte-black tool-watch look. This limited edition features elegant heat-blued hands and indices set against a stark white lacquer dial.
Laco’s Flieger will wear boldly at 42.5mm wide and therefore seem appropriate for the style that’s based on historically large German pilot’s watches (sometimes 50mm or so and worn strapped to a pilot’s thigh). This one is also reasonably thin at 11mm despite a rugged 100m of water-resistance. Mixed polished and brushed case finishes will help give it a more high-end feel.
Visible through the sapphire crystal exhibition case back is the nicely finished ETA 6498 manually wound movement featuring a running seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock and offering a power reserve of around 52 hours. A limited edition produced with the California-based retailer Topper Jewelers, this version of the Laco Flieger is available for preorder now exclusively through them for a price of $1,895 and limited to 100 examples.