The watch manufacturer Laco welcomes two striking members to the “famiglia italiana”: Neapel 39 and Palermo 39. Both models are experiencing a revival, as they were already involved in common affairs in the past and are, so to speak, “vecchi amici” – old friends in the Laco pilot watch collection. What is new is the stainless steel case, reduced to 39 mm, with a narrow bezel and a large dial. With orange numerals, indices and hands on a dark background, both watches set razor-sharp accents on the wrist – matching casual outfits or suits and even making a good picture in the cockpit. After all, the best way to see that “the real Italy lies between Naples and Palermo” is from above, as they say. And from Campania to Sicily, the eye can see all too well the colour of countless orange trees, which served as a source of inspiration for this fresh colour accent.
Refined Details
Onion crown with grip, colour-coordinated leather strap, sapphire crystal – both watches impress with “dettagli raffinati” – refined details. The radiant orange makes the Laco Neapel 39 in particular an unmissable eye-catcher on the wrist.
At the same time, it retains the familiar pilot’s watch attitude: the clear type A dial, as well as the luminous material on the numerals and hands, let’s you read the time quickly and precisely.
The Laco Palermo 39 follows the historic type B, where the minutes are indicated on the outside and the hours by an inner circle. The technical style underlines the superior design with reliable function.
The sapphire crystal case back reveals the heart of the watch: the automatic Laco 21 calibre, based on a Miyota 821A. On request, the timepieces are also available with the Laco 31 calibre with a power reserve of 60 hours and blued screws.
Another optional upgrade is the anti-reflective coating on both sides of the sapphire crystal. Both models are available as of now directly at Laco and from selected retailers at a recommended retail price of 340 euros each.
Pilot watches par excellence. Since 1925.
The traditional company Laco based in German Pforzheim has a long history as a manufacturer of professional pilot watches. In the 1940s, they were one of the few suppliers of so-called observation watches for the air force.
In combination with an octant (protractor), navigators on board could determine the exact position of the aircraft. The requirements for the timepieces, also called B-Uhr, were precisely defined by the authorities.
Among other things, the specifications called for a mighty diameter of 55 millimetres and a large, onion-shaped crown. The black dial, with extra-large Arabic numerals and hands, was entirely in the service of legibility and bore a triangle at the 12 o’clock position.
To this day, these robust and precise timepieces are coveted in collector’s circles and serve as models for professional pilot’s watches.
Laco Neapel 39 Technical Specifications and Price
Movement:
- Automatic movement Laco 21,
- base: Miyota 821A,
- 21 Jewels,
- 3 hands,
- second hand stop function
Case:
- Stainless steel,
- brushed finish,
- ø 39 mm,
- height 11 mm,
- lug width 18 mm,
- water-resistant up to 5 ATM,
- sapphire crystal,
- domed crown
Dial:
- Black mat,
- arabic figures and indexes with luminous material Superluminova,
- execution according B-Uhr Baumuster A
Hands:
- Hour, minute and second black mat with luminous material Superluminova orange
Strap:
- Black calf leather strap with orange stitching,
- 2 rivets per band side,
- stainless steel buckle
Retail price:
- 340,-€
Laco Palermo 39 Technical Specifications and Price
Movement:
- Automatic movement Laco 21,
- base: Miyota 821A,
- 21 Jewels,
- 3 hands,
- second hand stop function
Case:
- Stainless steel,
- brushed finish,
- ø 39 mm,
- height 11 mm,
- lug width 18 mm,
- water-resistant up to 5 ATM,
- sapphire crystal,
- domed crown
Dial:
- Black mat,
- arabic figures and indexes with luminous material Superluminova,
- execution according B-Uhr Baumuster B
Hands:
- Hour, minute and second black mat with luminous material Superluminova orange
Strap:
- Black calf leather strap with orange stitching,
- 2 rivets per band side,
- stainless steel buckle
Retail price:
- 340,-€
