Laco has been on my radar for a relatively short time since my fateful first encounter during Time To Watches with my dear friend Blake Rea (The Lonely Wrist) back in April this year. I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah who talked me through their history and their fantastic German assembled watches. Only problem was many of them were a tad too large for my puny 13.5cm wrist. But Sarah had something up her sleeve quite literally. News that small wrist friendly sizes were on their way to market and in celebration of 100 years of Laco. What an achievement!

Fast forward to now and it’s my great honour to talk you through the Augsburg Grün 39 automatic Pilot Watch, limited to 250 units, and my experience living life with this beauty on the wrist. Now the Augsburg 39 is by no means a new model for Laco. It’s a tried and tested design and there are a few current models available but not in this magnificent shade of green. In fact, Laco are no strangers to a Flieger watch as they have been producing them since the 40s, supplying them to the German military and have kept their DNA ever since.

What Makes a Pilot Watch Pilot-ey?

Large dials, high contrast, lume a plenty, robust case, scratch resistant crystal and a sturdy strap, all come together to make a pilot watch perfect for flying in any conditions. The Augsburg 39 is all of the above, just on a slightly more versatile 39mm size with a lug to lug of 46.6mm making it comfortable on the majority of wrist sizes, but the dial still screams ‘FLIEGER’.

I absolutely love the deep forest green, which definitely elevates and sets this watch apart from others in this popular category. Yes it’s a bit of a chunky monkey at 11.5mm thick, but I think it adds to the robust feeling. The almost onion style crown is a real favourite of mine and this definitely adds to the elegance of the watch, making it a watch you can dress up or down (and I definitely enjoyed doing that). In fact it felt fancy enough that I put on a cocktail dress and took the watch to brunch at the Ritz, yet also casual enough to take on a walk in the mountains. It felt marvelous!

I love the super slim design of the seconds hand and the slithering of lume is a genius attention to detail, which is so surprising at this price point (from €440). The Lume is super bright and the dark green works perfectly as the backdrop to showcase its legibility to the max. The respectable 50m of water resistance means it’s ready for daily life and all weather conditions.

I also enjoy that Laco gives you options when deciding on your configuration upon purchasing your watch. From the standard Laco 21 (Miyota 82SO) to a Laco 31 (Miyota 8315) which offers higher standard of finish and a better power reserve, to choosing your strap or bracelet or anti reflective coating on the crystal. Take your pick!

The handmade in Germany leather strap is superb quality and the little touches of green stitching make it a thoughtful extension of the watch, and although this 18mm lug width may seem small for a 39mm watch, it just adds a refinement to the overall design. It would be nice to have a quick release mechanism on the strap but it’s a very minor gripe to an otherwise fabulous quality leather strap.

The lucky owner is also treated to an exhibition case-back and I really appreciate its satin finish and how it contrasts to the high polish of the bezel for practicality. The movement itself is pleasant to look at even in the standard configuration with its use of Côtes de Genève and skeleton rotor.

It really does offer so much for relatively so little. Well done Laco.

How to Wear this Reduced Size Augsburg

My first instinct was to keep with an all green ensemble and I particularly liked teaming it with a forest green knit with complimenting grey which really works in keeping things minimal like this.

But I thought I would play with the green and see how this watch handles a bold print and as you can see it still shines even when competing with bright colours. Don’t be afraid to have fun when pairing your outfit to this elegant Pilot watch.

As previously mentioned I even wore a cocktail dress in shades of brown and green, which really worked with the deep forest vibe of the dial. As long as you go for rich tones and monochrome styling rather than pastel colours you are good to go. It’s perfectly versatile!

Final Thoughts

This no nonsense Flieger sure packs a punch on the wrist and the gorgeous green dial elevates the watch and feels a couple of notches above a standard pilot watch. It’s 11.5mm is by no means slim but still perfectly wearable with a shirt where you can dress it up or down. There are so many little details that made me feel this watch was far more expensive than it is and the limited edition of 250 pieces in celebration of 100 years of Laco adds another positive layer to this fantastic watch. 

The Miyota movement is easy to service and I love that you have your options depending on your preference. Proof once again that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a brilliant, quality, beautiful timepiece with a history too! Well done Laco!