Laco Brings Back the Full-Size Observation Watch With The 55mm Replika

One of the funniest watches I've ever put on my wrist is a 1940s pilot navigator's watch made by Laco. The thing was a chunk of steel that measured 55mm and even on my wrist it looked hilariously huge. However, as the good folks at Laco tell me, there's a significant number of collectors that want this original watch. Some even wear it on a semi permanent basis. So, it only makes sense for Laco to release exactly what the people want. And what you get is the new Replika 55, a 1:1 copy of the 1940s navigator’s watch.

The case is 55mm wide and 19.5mm thick, in Laco’s dark sandblasted steel, with straight lugs and a large onion crown. Lug width is 26mm, and the whole thing weighs about 217 grams. It's really not subtle at all. There’s a double-domed sapphire crystal on top, 50 meters of water resistance, antimagnetic protection, and the “FL23883” code engraved on the case flank as on the wartime watches. The matte finish was originally there to kill glare for the navigator, and I guess it still works.

You get two dials, as you would expect.. Type A is the simple layout, with large numerals and the triangle at 12. Type B puts minutes on the outer track and hours on an inner ring. Both are matte black with no logo. The hour and minute hands are thermally blued steel, the minute and seconds hands have curved tips, and everything is filled with Super-LumiNova C3. Type B is the more authentic choice, but A is simpler and easier for everyday use.

Inside is the hand-wound Laco 97, an ETA 6497.1 that Laco converts in Pforzheim from small seconds to central seconds. It beats at 18,000vph with roughly 46 hours of power reserve, and has Incabloc, a swan-neck regulator and hacking seconds. The serial number is engraved on both the movement and the caseback, and the inside of the caseback has period correct markings. The 26mm brown leather strap is riveted directly onto fixed bars, so you slide the watch over your hand to put it on. It’s awkward and you can’t swap it, but it’s also period correct.

The Replika 55 goes on sale in late October, with a price of €3,950. There’s also an Erbstück version with a hand-aged case, dial and strap for €5,490. See more on the Laco website.