WatchUSeek Watch Forums banner

A few new owner questions

2.1K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  Hartig  
#1 ·
Greetings:

After many a delay, I've finally managed to satisfy my Flieger desires with a Laco Miyota Augsburg.

I'm quite pleased with the watch, which appears to be an excellent value, and will probably end up as a gateway drug to the Stowa that I couldn't justify at the moment. The watch is a quality piece, and the presentation is just as good, if not better than some more costly watches I've purchased. One could certainly do worse for the price.

But I do have a few new owner questions (I've sent an inquiry to Laco, but I thought I'd ask here as well):

- I'm considering pickup up a spare strap in black color. There are two versions of a pilot strap on Laco's site, a 30 euro version, which appears to be the one shipped with the Miyotas, and a more costly 60 euro version, which I believe is shipped with the more expensive models. Is the latter worth it, or should I just seek an aftermarket alternative?

-Based on observation, and earlier postings, it appears that these watches don't carry serial numbers (visibly, at least). Correct?

-Lastly, while the majority of pictures show these watches without the "Made in Germany" inscription on the dial, some do carry it, and my example does. Does anyone know whether this is a recent change, or is my example from older stock?

Thanks.
 
#2 · (Edited)
#4 ·
Thanks, I'll look into those alternatives. I think I have seen someone here express the opinion that the Stowa straps aren't that special, but maybe it's relative to the cost of the watch, which wouldn't be an issue in this case!

I did receive a very quick reply from Laco CS.

They confirmed that only their limited editions are serialized on the caseback, the more expensive strap is the one shipped with the higher end models, and that the inscription was phased into post-June production for most of their watches.
 
#5 ·
That is strange as I have only heard good things about those Stowa straps I listed. The price has probably a lot to do with it, but frankly the 20 euro Stowa strap is much better (IMO) than the 60 euro Laco one... First thing I did to my Laco was swap. :-d


I also noticed that the rivets on the Stowa strap are actually brass, so you could strip the plating off for a different look. Not sure if this is the case on Laco's straps, I thought most watch straps used stainless steel?
 
#7 ·
In the sake of truth, the black and brown straps from Laco are also different. My MĂĽnster was equipped with brown 60-eur strap. It was quite stiff and after one year broke from inner side quite a lot. The watch had also spare black strap (60-eur), which I used to replace the "broken" one. The black one is much softer with different feeling in every aspect. I even suspect that the suppliers of the straps are different.
 
#8 ·
will probably end up as a gateway drug to the Stowa
I would have thought the Augsburg would be a 'gateway drug' to the Swiss-powered Laco models instead.

I highly recommend you buy a Stowa strap instead (Sorry Laco! ;-))
Quality and feel is much better than Laco stock straps. They are cheaper as well, so they are amazing value!
Can't agree on your assessment of their quality. Sure, they are cheaper, for a good reason. I bought two of those straps a few years ago and both wore out very quickly. I would never order another. A Flieger Uhr should be mounted on a robust strap, and as you should expect with a more substantial piece of leather, it takes a little time for it to properly break-in and feel very comfortable.
 
#9 ·
I would have thought the Augsburg would be a 'gateway drug' to the Swiss-powered Laco models instead.
Well, never say never. But the Stowa was my original target because, while not as historically accurate, it seemed like a better fit in terms of size, and less of a pure tool watch. I vacillated between the Stowa, Archimede, and Laco pilots for a long time. Each of them has their pluses/minuses. If only we could specify one with all of our desires from each of them and have it built for us! But certainly, if I wanted something with the straight lugs, blasted finish, etc. in the future, Laco would be on my list.

In some ways, the Miyota was a litmus test. If Laco can put out such a nice watch at its price point, then I'll feel even more comfortable about picking up a higher end model, sight unseen (as these things often are). I was also concerned as to how a larger watch would fit on my puny wrist.

Can't agree on your assessment of their quality. Sure, they are cheaper, for a good reason. I bought two of those straps a few years ago and both wore out very quickly. I would never order another. A Flieger Uhr should be mounted on a robust strap, and as you should expect with a more substantial piece of leather, it takes a little time for it to properly break-in and feel very comfortable.
The pricing does make them tempting. But I'll probably end up with something from Di-Modell, Hirsch, or similar. I looked at some of the smaller boutique/custom strapmakers, and while they are no doubt fantastic items, I don't think spending half or more of the original value of the watch is something I can do right now.

Choosing a different strap is daunting, but fun. So many options, but so many similar styles.

One thing I've seen mentioned about the Miyota is that it has a noisy rotor. Mine is absolutely silent. In fact, the whole mechanism is emits little, if any noticeable sound at all. I've got an old 7750-based chronograph that is much more vocal.