From the classic pocket watch to the modern wrist watch

Pforzheim, December 2018 – With the new navy watch, the Laco watch manufacture combines function and design of two seafaring classics: its 1940s pocket watch and a model resembling the watches of the crew on board of the „U1“ submarine. Manual wind movement, dial and casing are essentially just as they were in the watches‘ predecessors. However, the modern wrist watch „Made in Germany“ has been made to have a more optically pleasing appearance. The best feature on each of the two variants Cuxhaven and Bremerhaven is the prominently large transparent base which allows you to see the elegant clockwork. 

Laco has two contemporary models in its range, each with a diameter of 42.5 mm: The bright-coloured  „Cuxhaven“ variant is beautifully adorned with a white  dial and a cream-coloured leather strap, whilst the dark-coloured „Bremerhaven“ variant is fitted with a  black dial and black strap. The names are evocative of  maritime cities - just like with the „Wilhelmshaven“  pocket watch. Both of these innovative models reflect  past eras and yet have a contemporary maritime look.

With their stainless steel case, hand-wound calibre and subsidiary seconds display in the number 6 position, the new navy watches are a reminder of their traditional role models. Railway-themed minute circle, arabic numerals, indexes and hands are all coated with Superluminova. The hands of the "Cuxhaven" watch are thermally blued. The screwed case back of flat, anti-reflective sapphire crystal provides a view of the Laco 98 hand winding movement – based on the Elaboré ETA 6498.1 movement and refined with 17 jewels. Both marine watches are water-resistant to 10 ATM and weigh 75 g each. With its black dial and leather strap, "Bremerhaven" is the dark version of the navy watch.

Laco reflects the history of the navy watch in a new model

Seafaring has hugely shaped the development of accurate timepieces. The pocket watch originally served as a means of exact time measurement and to determine geographical distances independently from landmarks. From a visual perspective, the features officially decided upon by the German naval observatory have become popular because of their clear readability - for example, matt-black Arabian numerals and the railway-themed minute circle have been characteristics of Laco pocket watches for ages. This is shown by both the model produced for the German Navy in the 1940s and the modern „Wilhelmshaven“ edition. Similar details can in turn be found in the submarine watch with the Unitas clockwork 6498 - a wrist watch which was made in limited edition in collaboration with Deutsche Post in the mid-2000s.