Short presentation of Laco Frankfurt GMT - Red Dot Award 2020 Winner

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Pforzheim, May 2020 – The Red Dot Jury has made its decision: the “Frankfurt GMT” emerged victorious from the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2020 and won a Red Dot for its good design quality. This means that Laco Uhrenmanufaktur is one of the winners in the world’s most renowned design competition. The jury honored the watch of the long-established German company for its classic yet modern appearance. Laco brought the characteristic design of the pilot watches, which the company embodies like almost no other, into the present reinterpreting it for nowadays needs.

“The winners of the Red Dot Award have proved that they have created excellent products worthy of winning an award. The products won over the jury not only through their aesthetic, but also thanks to their incomparable functionality. With their designs, the award winners are setting new standards in their industry. I wish to congratulate them most sincerely on their success,” said Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot.

I have presented the official press release at the beginning of the year here: Laco Frankfurt GMT Black Ref. 862120 and Frankfurt GMT Grey Ref. 862121.

But what better moment to have a look at the watch if not this festive occasion.

Disclaimer: the watches presented here are prototypes photographed during Baselworld 2019. Some small details are changed in the final products. Please visit the Laco Website for more information.

Laco Frankfurt GMT

Frankfurt GMT is a cute watch. It sounds strange to say that about a steel 43mm tool timepiece. But it is so. The Red Dot Award is well deserved by this watch and the team behind the German brand Laco.

Besides all the super classic pilot watches from Laco, the Frankfurt GMT is a modern pilot. The watch still reflects the brand’s elements of vintage pilot watches.

The sandblasted finish is very appropriate for this tool watch. The dark thematic is cheered up by the orange accents found on the dial or on the textile strap.

The crowns are decorated with the brand’s logo. They suffered from the same matt finish as the rest of the case. Even if not that prominent as on a classic pilot piece, the crown still presents that recognisable shape. It confers an excellent grip.

The screwed solid case-back comes with a positive engraved aeronautical scene. A very beautiful high-speed plane fly over the planet, depicting the watch GMT functionality and the brand’s link to aviation.

A beautiful GMT dial

Laco Frankfurt GMT fulfils with success its theme. A three hands time display with an extra GMT hand and a corresponding 24h inner bezel.

For time display was used skeletonised blue hands with generous luminescent. The central second’s hand white tip is counterbalanced by a plane shape. The aeroplane shape resembles the one depicted on the caseback. The time register uses baton indexes and Arabic numerals.

The GMT function is using a large orange arrow tip. The GMT register is excellently integrated with the inner bezel. A nice touch is the day/night representation using black and grey.

The date is placed at 6 o’clock. The black ink on a white background is a bit too contrasting, but not tiresome. A dark grey ink would make a great balance with the rest of the dial. But that will increase the cost of manufacturing, respectively the end price.

Impressions

The GMT function is a very desirable complication for those often travelling. Even if now, when travelling is forbidden an almost all the parts of the world, the GMT can be used to keep a good track of the hour on certain parts of the globe. I often use this function to know if I can call my friends overseas.

Laco Frankfurt GMT is an interesting watch, with a great wrist presence. The 43mm wears smaller than expected due to its short lugs and comfortable wrist position.

Congratulation Laco for the winning of the Red Dot Award!