Writing about micro and independent horology means covering everything from the youngest of brands to historical ones which have remained fully independent since their inception. Another element of this is price. There are many independent brands which hand-make watches and which, theoretically, should be featured on Mainspring. However, their collections retail in the tens of thousands of dollars which make them out-of-reach for many enthusiasts and too exclusive. I don’t like things that cost too much and I don’t respect exclusivity. I prefer brands that make good watches sold at adequate prices and which can be purchased directly from the brand as easily as it is to buy a carton of milk. (So to speak.) And you might be surprised to know there are many historical brands which are independent and make watches that are perfect for Mainspring. 

One such brand is Laco. Founded in 1925 and mostly known for making World War II pilot watches, the brand has remained true to itself throughout the decades and manufactures today, as it did decades ago, solid, ultra legible, and fairly priced tool watches. I had the pleasure of reviewing a first model a few months back, the Hamburg GMT DIN8330, which was impressive in many ways, from its superlative legibility and quality of manufacturing to its distinct aesthetic. And today we’re coming back to the German brand to look at a new version of its multipurpose sports watch called Scorpions. The latter can indeed be used in many situations but it leans more heavily into the diving category, and regardless of what you would want to use it for, you’ll be sure to have a very, very solid timekeeping device strapped to your wrist. 

Specifications

Before we get started, know that the Scorpion collection comes in naked stainless steel cases as well as, of course, DLC-coated ones, in two sizes (39mm and 42mm) and four color options—read: accents—(Himalaya, Mojave, Atlantik, and Amazonas.) Here we’re looking at the DLC Atlantik 39 and you can see photos of the 42mm Amazonas on our Instagram. If you have read my review of the Hamburg GMT (and if you haven’t, I would be grateful if you could) then you know what to expect with the Atlantik 39 DLC. It’s a Goddamn beast! A DLC-coated stainless steel case—DLC stands for diamond-like coating and it is applied to tool watches to increase their resistance to shocks, scratches, and corrosion. In other words, you’ve got yourself a super robust case. Moreover, a screw-down crown and case-back which endow all models from the Scorpion collection with 300 meters of water resistance, and a domed sapphire crystal. 

The practical advantages of DLC-coated cases is that they are robust and aid in making the dial easier to read. It’s as if the case and bezel blend in with the dial to make the hands and hour markers truly pop—like a Ninja hiding in the darkest corner of a room, weapons at the ready. That’s what you get with such designs in addition to superb applications of green glowing SuperLunimova on the hands and markers as well as on the bezel. Nerdy fact: the entirety of the hands and all indices on the bezel are lumed. (You’re going love the lume shot below.) And the lume on the hands—still gossiping about it!—has a coarse visual appearance making it look like a radioactive compound. I’m glad it’s safe and I do love how it looks. Speaking of the bezel, it comes with 60 ultra precise and 100% satisfactory clicks. And this is how they feel: like turning a key inside the highest end of Swiss safe locks—the clicks are precise and audible. 

To round up the spec sheet, you should know that each version of the Sports Scorpion can be added with either a DLC-coated stainless steel bracelet, dive-style rubber strap, or NATO-style rubber strap. The model I received on loan was shipped on a matching blue dive-style rubber strap and it looked the part. Ah, what about the movement? Well, I’m glad you said something otherwise I would have completely forgotten about it. Inside we find what the brand calls a Laco 200 which is Sellita SW200 running at 28,800 BPH (4Hz) and coming with 41 hours of power reserve. And the dimensions, please? 39mm in diameter, 45mm lug-to-lug, 13mm thick and coming in with a 20mm lug width.

Design

Aesthetically-wise the Laco Sport Atlantik 39 DLC is a tool watch without the shadow of a doubt. As we all clearly understand, the German brand makes extremely legible watches and it seems to have a particular knack for them. I love—no adore—legible and monochromatic tool watches to the point where they have become somewhat of a religion to me. And there are three ways in which the Scorpion Atlantik 39 DLC  is legible and pragmatic in use which could make it become part of my collection. First, the combination of the fully lumed hour and minute hands (again, the entirety of each is covered with matte textured luminescent material) with the large and white hour markers. Mostly Arabic numerals except for three small batons as the 3,6, and 9 positions and two long batons at the twelve. (Note how the batons at the 12 and 6 are painted blue.) Where we find Arabic numerals we also find small hash-marks which frame the five-minute increment markers. 

Second, the deep and black matte dial makes the hour markers and hands pop which is always an effective way to ensure full legibility. Third, Laco is also very good at restraining itself from putting too many words on the dials. Here we see the brand’s logo at the twelve printed in a small cursive typeface, and the words “Automatic” and “30ATM” below the pinion. All words are printed small so that they don’t get in the way of easily reading the time. And the purpose-driven nature of its design goes a step further when looking at the way in which Laco integrated the date aperture. It’s located at three o’clock, unframed, with date numerals printed in white against a black date disc. The date window is so designed that it can easily disappear since there are no numerals on the opposite side of the dial at the nine o’clock position.

The bezel was designed with the exact same philosophy as the dial. The brushed ceramic of the insert makes it possible for it to blend in with the DLC-coated case, and the minute hash marks and numerals are printed in blue and white which makes them extremely easy to spot. The case, for its part, has somewhat of a brutalist appearance given its slab-sided flanks, long and thick lugs, and the tightly designed crown guards. The latter envelop a magnificently machined crown which is as easy to grab and operate as it is to read the time to the precise minute on the dial. (I’d admit that the DLC coating adds to the “brutalist” impression I mentioned just above.) Overall, the Laco Scorpion Atlantik 39 is easy to read, sober in its appearance, and darn effective as a tool watch. 

The Heart of the Matter

At the heart of the matter is the fact that Laco made, makes today, and will most likely continue to make in the future quality, affordable and honest tool watches. “Honest” because the brand will only remove €990/$1,075 USD (on the rubber) or €1.090/$1,186 USD (on the bracelet) from your watch-purchasing budget to acquire a Sports Atlantik 39 or 42mm. That’s arguably a reasonable amount of money for an ultra well-made watch coming from an established brand with almost a century of heritage. (I cannot wait to see what Laco has in the works to celebrate 100 years of German watchmaking.) This matters because many brands decide they should charge more for their watches just because they have been around for a long time. As if the more heritage a brand has the more expensive its watches should be. (How does that work, really?) 

So, honestly, things don’t get any better than this. The Scorpion line of tool watches is a collection of well-built and legible watches which look nothing like Laco’s iconic pilot watches whilst having an identity of their own whilst resolutely looking modern—that is in comparison to the aforementioned pilot watches. (I have nothing against pilot watches, just pointing out that the brand is doing a fantastic job at expanding its catalog and modernizing its identity.) I find that the Sports do a good job representing Laco as a brand entering the second quarter of the 21st century. In other words, watches that continue to be practical and pragmatic, well-priced, and which offer new types of wearing experiences. Because it is in their nature to be versatile and adaptable, like scorpions. 

Conclusion 

Anyone looking for a solid and legible tool watch from a brand that has legitimate heritage should look no further than Laco. Not only are the Sport Scorpions (I love typing his word) good all-rounder tool watches, but they also offer outstanding value for the asking price of €990/$1,075 USD (on the rubber) or €1.090/$1,186 USD (on the bracelet). And if you are keen on owning a Laco but don’t fancy this model, I suggest taking a look at the brand’s website as it carries something like eleven (11!) collections. So if a Scorpion Atlantik 39 is not what you imagine when you think of your next ideal tool watch, I’m sure you will find one from the brand’s extensive catalog which will indeed meet your criteria. 

Thanks for reading.