The Laco has more accurate size, finish, crown, lugs (very important in separating these post war copies) thickness. The Stowa may have built them during the war but only the Laco caries the design nearly unchanged. The Laco is an absolutely cool example of the true "classic" Flieger.
Laco is a much better watch. The Stowa is prettier but there are many pretty watches around, too much, a sterile watch as close to the historic piece as possible is more valuable to me for such pieces.
@@antonc108 You can get a sterile Stowa, like the guy in the video did, so I don't see why you're mentioning that. Wanting a true to original style flieger is definitely a thing Laco provides, but Stowa is a historic maker, they evolved the watch.
I mean, that's cool, the authenticity is there, however they charge more for lesser movement offering and just more in general. Stowa's are slightly different from the OG designs, almost like they've evolved them slightly to make them more aesthetically pleasing. It's a higher quality watch in that sense.
JuggusNawt well thank you for viewing and the nice comment. Note, I believe that Stowa and Laco have introduced some new options. I haven’t yet looked at those.
@@adventureswithtime I'm looking for a flieger watch myself and your video was super helpful. I use charts myself when assessing which watch to buy lol. Flieger watches in their heyday were basically flight instruments, so they had to be large and visible. Today we mount them on naked wrists so I don't think we need them to be too large, only to fit and wear well. I would also go with the Stowa as it's not as thick as the Laco (IWC while the sentimental option is ridiculously overpriced for what you get and will never be an option for me).
Great video and very helpful as I recently concluded the same comparison. I opted for the Laco Paderborn B dial mostly because I preferred the case finish and I'm enjoying it immensely. That said, it was a very difficult decision but in truth I would have also been thrilled to have the Stowa. Who knows, perhaps some day a Stowa A dial would be a perfect compliment to my Laco B dial.
Hi, If you check the prices on the official website of both manufacturers you can see the Stowa is more expensive, not much (70 EUR), but expensive. Stowa is 1050 EUR, Laco 980 EUR. But good comparison.
I've had a lot of comments on both side of the Stowa / Laco discussion. I think either are great watches and its up to the buyer to determine which they like best. Sorry for the delayed response. I need to get into the practice of responding to viewers in a more timely manner. Viewers deserve that from me. Thank you
For me, I wanted a Flieger that most-closely resembled the originals, so a couple years ago, I selected the Laco (formerly Lacher & Co.) Friedrichshafen Bronze 45mm watch, complete with the split/riveted wristband. It’s not the same diameter as the originals, but it’s still a handsome watch, and the bronze case develops a unique patina of its own. I love mine. Last month, I bought a limited-edition Laco Aachen Oliv 42mm watch (mine is #63 of 250). It included a standard wristband, but Laco also tossed in a smaller version of the the split/riveted wristband that mimics the Friedrichshafen Bronze’s wristband. I didn’t hesitate to install it. It looks terrific. I wish that I could share photos. My Oliv 42mm watch is more wearable for daily use.
I've wanted a Flieger since finding out about them here on YT. I finally got a 42 mm Laco Aachen about a month ago, used, but indistinguishable from new with all the original packaging. I wanted a mechanical watch in a Military style and history, and these are perfect. Now I would like to get a more upscale model like the Paderborn, with a higher end movement, but for now the deal on this was too good to pass up.
Hi Bob, a very well and thought through video, I actually came to the same conclusions but went for the A dial. But, over a longer period of time I let it go, i think I should have gone for a B type dial. Thinking about getting again a Flieger, I wished Stowa would offer additional these watches in a bigger case. I do leave a like and subscribed, greetings from Germany, Konstantin
Great video! Both Laco and Stowa make excellent flieger watches and both have a lot of heritage. I have a Stowa A dial and a Laco B dial and love both. I think the Laco is a more authentic looking replica (although it is much smaller) but the Stowa is very marginally more nicely finished. However both look superb, both are very high quality watches and both are good value as high quality watches go. Both of mine are hand wound as i think fliegers are best with a hand wind movement and a sterile dial is best. That said, for those on a budget the Laco basic flieger range are very good. You lose the sterile dial and some might not want a Miyota movement but for the price they're excellent if you don't want to spend the money on one of their fliger original models.
Right yesterday I went in Engelsbrand in Pforzheim. I didn't know that Stowa is located there. I was right driving through the snowy street when I saw the Stowa factory.
I looked through all available Fliegers and chose the Stowa for the same reasons you did: authenticity, history, and price. Good choice and great looking watch.
As a mech. ing. student the sheet part got me giggling. Nice and clean overview, do simiarly looking at watches, just in notes on my phone. Went with a oliv Aachen 39mm for my thinner wrists. Became my daily watch right away and I absolutely love it. I am planning on getting a Type A flieger as well. I do enjoy the Stowa's look, but with my 10+ years long obsession with everything that is WWII aviation, I want the one with the more authentic look, and I am high on the OCD scale. So think I will have to spec. up a Laco Stuttgart (pro), so I can spec it with all my needs to my specification. Thanks for the overview.
Stowa prices have changed, the Laco in person looks better than the Stowa to me. But I'd be happy with either one. The laco Flieger pro is what I'm looking at right now
I like the camel strap a lot more. I think you made the right choice. The Laco is great but perhaps rather too true to the original. I also am not too keen on the sand blasted finish. I was, earlier this year, considering a Stowa, however WatchGecko released a Fliegler copy in both Type A and Type B. It has an ETA movement and is a lot cheaper than either of the German brands. Also it has a bit more practicality being water resistant down to 10ATM. Having seen your review, I am now slightly doubting my purchase. It is always great to have an original brand. However I content myself by reasoning that the watch could be made by anyone. The Luftwaffe wanted the design and found five companies to make it.
@@adventureswithtime You're welcome. Great review by the way. My thought process was similar, if not as structured, in arriving at Stowa. That is until WatchGecko threw the curve ball
I agree with Rosemarie and think that tan is a good choice ! The original strap would have been in tan (wartime choice) and will develop with time - an interesting patina !
Nice to know the information between these watches and of course what swayed your decision for you at each point. I think after watching this video i think ill go with the laco as i just prefer the way the lugs connect the case with the strap gives it a more rounded shape watch. Thats just my preference and again fantastic video and hope you enjoy every time you look at it.
Great 👍 VLOG Bob, I have several vintage Pilot watches in my collection, and have purchased new Laco & Stowa Watches, in my opinion the Stowa Watch beats Laco hands down in terms of quality & finish.
I've heard passionate arguments on both sides of the Stowa / Laco debate. I think they are both good brands and it's up to the buyer to decide what suits them best. Thanks for sharing. I love hearing from other collectors; what they do and why. I am learning so much doing this. And having fun.
Literally in the same boat. But I feel as though I am going to end up with the Laco. But that Stowa really is a beautiful watch, hope you are enjoying it.
@@adventureswithtime It is amazing how well tan goes with black and is a nice contrast with white. Black on black seems like it should be a winner,but,not quite. The Hamilton military with the black face has tan hands to simulate the aging effect. It looks better than white. The subtle contrast looks great. The German watch you picked out is a real gem with the onion crown. German aviation was remarkable as well. The history of the triangle is really neat. With iPhones , electronic car clocks and tablets the battery driven watch can be omitted. The mechanical hand wound watch is better now because the cell phone and tablet are readably available to keep accuracy. Complications are taken care of by the smartphone with a built in calendar that is synced to other devices. Winding a watch every morning keeps a unique connection between man and machine. The mechanical precision is remarkable. Sapphire lenses are unsurpassed. Love wearing shades of history on the wrist. More fun than a Rolex. It is cool to enjoy without being a show off. Like a sense of inner peace connecting with people and mechanical precision of the past. An uncluttered easy to read subtle piece of jewelry.
To have gone classic you could have bought the hand wind movement variant. At that price point I would have gone hand wind. I might have leaned to laco as they used bead blast appearance I'm keeping with WW2 matte look.
That was a good review and breakdown of both models. The Stowa is nice, but I still prefer the Laco. I do have a vintage, 55mm Laco, and their 42/45 mm are just a scaled down version of the originals. I like the flat lugs as it was the same on the originals. But both are excellent watches and enjoy wearing it!
Wow. can you wear a 55mm watch without it looking strange. I imagine wearing it outside of a flight suit it looks good. But on a bare wrist must look strange. But a great watch to have in one's collection. Can I ask where you purchased it?
Sherry Carpenter I did make some compromises. One was to get an automatic; as I don’t think it alters the aesthetics. Thanks for watch and please consider subscribing as continue commenting. I just love all the input I get.
Great choice, but I got to say that with massive wrist like that I feel like you had the opportunity to really go all out with the style of this watch and go for maybe 46 mm or something. I am over here with 6 1/4 lol
Thanks for the input. I know what you mean about those rivets in the strap (I think that is to what you are referring). But I take it as part of the tool aspect/feel of the watch. Certain there are lots of other straps I can use for this watch; maybe a nato.
I figured you for a Stowa guy. If I had the budget? Stowa flieger. If B on a smaller budget ? Lacos. If I did not care about history but wanted an updated flieger, ETA 2824 MOVEMENT, BLUED HANDS, somewhat onion crown, Awesome price? Steinhart. Though they too offer higher pricecpoint versions.
Bob, I am from the Netherlands and new to your channel. Great video! I completely agree with your choice for the Stowa flieger uhr. German watches are rising stars worldwide, I think. See you in the next one!
Thank you for watching and hopefully you've subscribed 😉. And keep providing me feedback. It's through these exchanges that I learn more about the hobby and what people like/dislike about my channel so I can improve my content.
Great review and buying guide. I would also be leaning towards the Stowa, but I would totally go with the manual wound version so I can really enjoy that onion crown every day. Now both companies are using Selita movements as since your video, ETA has been harder for them to source as it is now owned by the Swatch Group (correct me if I’m wrong).
I went with the IWC Mark XVI, but it is far from being historically accurate. I love both Stowa and Laco. Stowa's customer service has a great reputation.
Trev Barlow I haven’t had to contact Stowa customer service, but it’s good to know they are responsive. Have fun with your IWC. So many watches so few wrists (and money). Thanks for watching
Lovely review Bob. Thank you. As soon as I have paid for my new Sinn 104, which I just love, this will be my next purchase. I already had this on my short list, but one watch at a time. Am looking forward to your other reviews.
Thanks for the excellent, very helpful review! You did a lot of the work for me. Looks like when the time comes, I’ll probably buy the Laco Paderborn because I like the authenticity and the look of the sand blasted case. Edit April 30, 2019 - I still haven’t bought this watch, but I’m getting ready to. I think my mind has changed since I posted the above and now I’m looking at the Stowa, the same one you picked for similar reasons.
@@adventureswithtime no problem. I actually ended up buying an Archimede 42B a few years ago as I thought it was a better value than Laco or Stowa. I sold it recently, part of selling half of my collection, getting rid of the ones I liked but didn’t love.
Hi, Bob. I like your approach on selecting the Stowa, which I might add looks great. I’m new into watches and am considering a flieger for my collection later this year. This video will come in handy. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Your video here is very educational, informative and helpful. I would go with their Bauhause white face watch Antea Klassik 390.. But their website isn't telling if it has sapphire crystal and anti reflection. Still much cheaper in price then the Nomos of approximately same style kinda.
Nice video. I got the Flieger classic 40 Type A about a year ago. No logo and no date. Tried a variety of straps but in the end I went back to the Stowa tan strap. My only concession to practicality was the addition of a Stova clasp (deployant) to their strap. Reduces wear on the strap when putting it on and taking it off. Works very well.
Not surprised the Sinn 104 didn't scratch the itch for a Flieger. However, it does make for a handsome desk diver. Picked up my Flieger a couple of weeks ago and am surprised with how much I enjoy what I had previously derided as Nazi memorabilia. It's these types of self discoveries that are such a bonus to this hobby. We have been collecting for about the same length of time, so your topics overlap well with my state of the collection.
great video and review! I love flieger watches as well and Stowa makes wonderful pieces; as I already have a flieger in my small collection, I'm thinking of getting a bauhaus style watch from Stowa, the Antea 1919
I think the original camel strap looks more interesting since the watch already has a black dial so the strap adds some spice. Or maybe it's just my personal thing for that leather colour spectrum. Anyway late congratulations on acqusition of a historical classic. Hopefully I'll get them too in the future
you remind me of De Niro :) on the video - laco is better as a tool watch, stowa is dressier. If I were you - with a 7 7/8 inch wrist I would have jumped on the larger laco. However, the stowa is fantastic, I'm looking forward to buying y own type A :) All the best!
Thanks for a very informative and well presented video review. I have been considering a Laco (but in a smaller dial) but now, after noting your presentation, I'll have to look at the Stowa too.
I really really love Laco type B But the only deal breaker is why almost all of the best flieger watches are 50m WR, why not 100m or even 200m with screwed down crown. I want to do any activities with my most beloved watch on my wrist, traditional flieger watch wich is Laco. Iam very sad
Thank you for the comprehensive review, Bob. Congratulations on your gorgeous Stowa - I prefer the camel-coloured strap, by the way. These are both excellent watches and, while I refer the looks of the Stowa, I will be purchasing the Paderborn. I recently purchased a cheaper version (42mm Laco Aachen Type B) and I adore it! I am just a sucker for originality. Thanks again for the review.
If you are sucker for originality why did you buy it with the worst (Miyota)movement . It is like Ferrari would put a Dodge Neon engine in one of their model. Laco has no self respect. What is original about the cheapest japanese ($30) non hacking movement in a German flieger ?
Still debating between these two brands myself. Shame neither of them seem to ship these models with an option for a closed-loop pilot/flieger strap that matches the original. I know Laco sells them, but at an additional $60-80ish USD on top of the cost of the watch.
Excellent video! Wish I had seen it earlier. I'm waiting on delivery of the Paderborn which I chose over the Stowa because the display back pushed the Stowa a bit too far from the original models. Aside from that we are in complete agreement. Thanks for posting this. You've earned a new subscriber👍.
Hey I dont often comment on RU-vid but i had to for this video I can tell you are really into this hobby and are passionate about it really good work this is the first video I watched from you and i already subscribed great work on thism
The laco and the stowa are clearly the best choices! 👍 Very nice watch. Steinhart make very nice flieger too even if they're not historical flieger maker...
Nice overview of where the watches originated from. Most purists go with the manual 45mm Laco Dortmund. The 40mm Stowa is just a bit more refined and wearable for most. I’ve been contemplating the same choices for the last three years and still haven’t made up my mind. Do I go hardcore spartan Luftwaffe design or a bit more luxurious.? The lug design of the Laco is closer to the original but doesn’t look as nice or fits as comfortable as the Stowa’s. It’s also 2mm narrower. Bit narrow for that size watch. Choices, choices. I might just get the 55mm B muster Laco replica for my display cabinet with pilot watches and diecast aircraft. Will make for a nice conversation piece, next to my 1/48th scale Ju87, and the 40mm B muster Stowa to actually wear. My wife’s going to have a fit when she sees the 55mm.
Nice review, information packed 13 mins. I assume you order the watch to be delivered in USA. If yes, how much of import duty or tax was charged for delivery. I plan to order online to be delivered to Seattle. Thanks
Hello. I have a question about how you ordered your Stowa. I went to their website and it was in Euros. Did you have any issues with ordering from the US, and did you have to pay any other fees or taxes? Do you recommend any dealers? I want to buy the flieger bronze classic. Thanks for your help!
They're the same price these days. It's sort of a shame that I didn't come into Fliegers earlier. Typically they're $300 more then they were just a few years ago.
I haven't been checking prices on these. But it seems everything is going up in price these days. Please remember to turn on subscription notifications for my channel as it helps me out. Thanks.🔔
Excellent review. I appreciate your explanation on how you narrowed your choices to the 2 brands. I've been looking at Stowa as well for a classic Flieger. Question: Did you consider the 43mm? My wrist size is similar at 7.25".
If you mean the sport version which I think is 43mm, yes I did consider it. But it seems to have a slightly different bezel. So I stayed with this one. Good luck. Happy collecting
I have both the Laco and Stowa and all in all, Stowa is a better watch (biggest gripe is that phantom date crown position is not removed with Laco), but neither choice is flat out wrong.
invisuu agree. Both are fine watches. For me it was a choice between small differences. Do you find yourself wearing the Stowa significantly more than your Laco. Others please chime in if you have both watches.
@@adventureswithtime Stowa gets more wrist time. I feel like Laco doesn't fit into an office as nicely as Stowa, but I do like it for trips to the nature and such activities.
Thanks. I love these comparisons myself. They are also interesting and I tend to find out things I didn't realize before. Sorry for the delayed response. I need to get into the practice of responding to viewers in a more timely manner. Viewers deserve that from me. Thank you
Thanks for posting. This was enjoyable to watch. ( Ha ha ). Although Flieger directly translates to flyer in English. These watches are more correctly known as Aviator watches by the manufactures. Pilots watch being a common but rather poor translation. Thanks again.
The interesting thing is that the navigators were the only ones that got these 55mm watches. They picked them up before the mission and dropped them off after returning. The pilots had their own smaller wrist watches.
@@bigc208 Yeah that was standard. But wasnt uncommon for pilots to wear them. Especially early in the war. You can find photos of Battle of Britain 109 pilots with the type A on.
Good video but, there's a but. To me it seems that your judgement is a bit off when stating that you wanted a watch that came as close as a WWII flieger as a modern watch could go (I know you also said "and is appropriate to me"). If that's your goal then there is no comparison needed and Laco can be your only choice for a number of reasons: The original watch was handwind only, the original had no showcase, the original had almost the same lugs as the Laco has and in fact that goes for the case as a whole, all of these facts were not noted on your comparison of the two watches. You bought yourself a great watch but you could have come closer to the original quite easy I think.
