Story of an Icon: The Flieger Watch History and Modern Alternatives 

I have a Laco Baumuster-A, in 45mm with the captive leather strap. This is my every day watch and I love it :)

Brilliantly done, thank you!

Great watch.. my Grandfather used a Laco A dial.

Fantastic video Armand! Love the bit of history! KS

Very nice explanation and interesting facts. And valuable info on modern "reissues" of these iconic watches. Great video !!!

excellent video as usual, now do deck and submarine watches :)

Most excellent review! Very informative. Gotta' love the IWC Big Pilot! Thanks!

Wonderful video. You're enthusiasm for watches always shows.

Great stuff, well researched. I recently bought a Stowa Ikarus and totally agree with you, super watch.

Fabulous review. Thanks... Looking at the Stowa Classic 6498 original....

Great video...I love the history behind the flieger watches

Excellent, most informative video Armand. Top notch content and presentation. Christopher Ward made two versions of these which they called the C8 Pilot MkI and MkII Vintage Edition. Genuine auto Swiss movements too.

Great content, you're like a walking magazine.

1 minute in and I subscribed. great content.

Quite simply and consistently the best watch reviewer and commentator on the 'tube'. Articulate, succinct and precise. Though I'm still curious about the shape and size of flieger watch hands - I had always assumed it was to maximise the lume and therefore enhance accurate night-time visibility of the hands. Having said that I'm grateful for the excellent review.

Here’s hoping 42mm isn’t too big. Time will tell. Fantastic looking watch. Exactly how a tool should look. I love it.

Great video, Thanks!

The best historical and presentation video abozt this wathes off all..bravo..thanks a lot.

Armand The History Guy

Brilliant channel. Recently discovered it!

Thanks for the article :) very nice. I hadn't yet understood what the difference between type a and type b dials was in terms of function.

Great video have a Seiko sports watch with the similar face as the Luftwaffe watch.

Thanks! I love this video.

The Laco range can be a bit hard to navigate. The movements have variable grades and they seem to offer a greater variety of movement options with Type B dials. They don't seem to be very consitent with their model ranges. The cases are a lot closer to the original than the Stowa. Laco also offer Unitas 6497 powered models but they are at least twice the price, taking them up to in excess of €3,500.

Stowa is the way to go!

Very difficult to decide between Laco or Stowa.

The quality of your shows is exemplary.

I have an original laco b dial except mine has an unusual long green canvas strap that has double grommets and double "catches" for lack of a better word. Definitely made for the watch or one of similar size. Cant find another like it. My Korean watchmaker wanted so much to purchase it from me.

great video, thank you for all the cool info!!!

superb presentation and technical content very informative proper job

Just want to say well done with the video. I myself is a big Stowa guy so really happy to see Stowa being featured here. Keep up with the video. Subscribed to your channel. If you happen to visit Stowa forum at watchuseek, see you around.

Great intro and appreciate the historical perspective in your classic British style. Other mid range alternatives like the Fortis Fleiger types. Best, JP

This is my next watch aspiration. But might just buy a speedmaster.

I own a Citizen Avion. Looks like the B type flieger watch!

Thanks for yet another pleasantly presented and technically interesting video. Something which always crosses my mind when looking at pilots watches is that the larger onion crown must increase the risk of snagging the crown and possibly side loads on the winder "shaft". I presume that these loads and risks are taken into account during design and production. What is your experience and opinion on this?

What are your thoughts on IWC spitfire series? They seem to look like the B-Uhr watches yet IWC did do the Mark series for the RAF. Is there a fair claim to the spitfire name given they use the B-Uhr dial?

Thank you for the information my man! Would you have considered speaking about the seiko SNK809 K2 in this video?

I have a 42mm Type B Flieger. Right size for a pilot watch. Comes in sapphire glass, heated blue hands and ENAMEL Dial! The Blue lume is brighter than my hulk and it has screw-down crown! With NH35 work-horse giving me plus 2 sec per day. Price-139USD!

Hi Armand, you’re doing a great job with you channel, for wich I have to thank you. Speaking of pilot watches, I am about to purchase an Archimede. I know it’s not a heritage brand (it’s a spin off by Ickler, as far I understood), but after a few studies it came out their cases are definetly more slender than Laco or Stowa, wich helps on a 42mm watch with such a big onion crow. They mount a Sellita workhorse movement, easy to revision, and they are quite open to customizing, as far I contacted by mail. You talked about this brand on a clip about bronze cases, but I’d like to have your opinion about Pilot watches in particular. Thank you again, over and bye.

I've been looking for one of those straps you spoke about towards the beginning of the video. I can only find ones made by Laco, does anyone know of any other makers? Also, great video as always!

Hamilton make a great one too

Hey! I'm looking to add a fleiger to my collection. I've narrowed it down to these two. Stowa Classic Pilot Black Dial no date/logo IWC Mark XVIII Le Petit Prince Blue Dial Both have ETA movements, but the IWC is three times the price. Stowa can be had with an exhibition case back and manual wind, but the IWC has that beautiful blue dial. I'm so confused!

Can you please do a review on the Christopher ward c60 tridant gmt 600 ?

Citizen Avion is another great alternative

Would appreciate it if you could do a video on watches used by Allied pilots such as Omega 30T2 and Longines Weems.

Hmmm... IWC having a bet each way?

Why use so expensive watches that were expected to take bullets, scharpnels, and shocks? Nowadays US soldiers use way cheaper watches, between 40-70 $ for most of them.

Although not a real fleiger what do you think of Rolex air king 116900?

In

Steinhart Nav B 44mm Muster. No logo on the dial, titanium case, sapphire crystal, super luminova, ETA elabore mvt. approx 400 Euro. Why bother the rest? The IWC is obviously the IWC but the others are just re-editions not even sure they are still the original companies there were thats just my 2 cents at least.

Interesting story, but absolute awful stutter

I think it is questionable to honour the Luftwaffe and Nazi Design and to glorify that history with commemorate such as Luftwaffe watches.