LacoType B Dial Miyota Automatic Pilot Watch 861690

I bought this as a birthday gift to myself and was not disappointed! I've been increasingly interested in watches. I have mostly quartz watches but wanted an automatic. I can't tell you how many watch brands and types I've researched before deciding on this one! I was looking for a type of watch that would be unique. This type of watch, the B-Uhr Type B ( which is also referenced as the Flieger or Pilot watch), caught my attention. Originally, it was built during WW2 for Germany's Luftwaffe (air force). These watches were actually quite large; 55mm, and they were worn over the pilot's jacket sleeve. This "replica" is a much more reasonable size for civilians. Smaller watches are more elegant in my opinion. It also has a more modern design with its curved lugs instead of the original flat lugs and it's stainless steel finish, the original having a sand blasted finish.I ran into a few models and brands of this watch before choosing Laco. One thing I liked about this is that it is one of the original companies that made these watches for Luftwaffe. Also, the price was more reasonable. The watches with the "original features" were not enough to convince me that $800 is justified for a watch.Pros:-Affordable. If you want an exact replica, then this is not for you.-Unique-Fairly accurate-It's a hybrid between a mechanical watch(hand wind) and automatic(self wind), which is pretty cool. This means you can either wind it yourself or let your wrist power the watch. The watch reserve lasts for about a day depending on how long you wear it. This kind of watch is really for the person who wants a classic movement. Of course you have a phone, but this kind of watch is really nice to own.-Lume is not bad but nothing special.-Miyota movement. This is a Japanese movements as opposed to the ETA Swiss movement. From what I read, if you have an ETA watch, you'll end up paying more for maintenance when your watch needs it.-You can see the movement from the backCons:-In it's normal state, the crown can be turned to hand wind the watch. The first level doesn't do anything but make clicks and the second level is where you adjust the time. I think this is a generic case they use so that when they want to make the quartz version of the watch, you can change the date with the first level. Not a big deal but unnecessary.-I understand this is a low end line of Laco to compete with other companies but I really think this watch could have done without making the marks and numbers on the dial green. It's a bit distracting and doesn't look good with some watch straps. I would have preferred the more traditional black and white. But then again this is a military watch. The dials looks good with aviator sunglasses with the classic grey-green lens.-The watch strap is apparently leather but it looks and feels cheap. I wish the company would at least make the strap decent. I don't have big wrists but the strap is really bulky and doesn't exactly feel like leather. I just replaced mine with a Zulu strap. I think it looks better.-The movement does make noises.Overall, I'm happy with this watch. I'm fascinated with WW2 and don't get me wrong, Germany has a dark history, but their technological innovations became the foundation of our modern society (the radio, audio recording, car engines, plane engines, medicine, etc). This watch is no different. If you like historical artifacts, then this is for you. The Type A version with the normal hour markers is nice, but I think the Type B has a whole different thing going on. I don't wear this watch for formal occasions. Like I said, the green numbers just doesn't look good with everything, for example when you're wearing a suit, unless your suit is green. Otherwise, very cool tool/military watch.

Nice classic pilot watch - looks great. Nice band. Certainly fairly large as many have mentioned but not too large and not heavy so comfortable. Comes in a nice case. The automatic does make a bit of a sound when you move around/shake your arm but very small and certainly no sound in most situations. Some reviewers said the hands glowed nicely in the dark, but this is not the case. They glow very little and no really useful. But overall very happy with this high quality watch at a reasonable price. I am wearing it most days and choosing it over many other nice watches in my collection.

I recently picked this watch up to add to my collection. Right away I liked the aviation styling and the history behind it (not the nazi part). Once on the wrist I noticed right away that it keeps awesome time and is very easy to read. The glow on the hands is especially nice to look at in the dark. The band is pretty long and super thick which is a throwback to when these used to be made for navigators who had to wear these watches around the cuff of their heavy flight jackets. All in all, I am really happy with this piece.

Pilots and enthusiasts rejoice, the newest version of the Miyota 821A is a hacking movement, i.e. the second hand stops when setting the time. As a military pilot I was pleased to find the Aachen 42 I just purchased has this feature, since we are required to set our second hands daily. Laco doesn’t speak to this change on their website and I can’t say which watch models are definitely carrying the newest version of the 821A but they are out there now. Overall I’m really pleased with this watch, the finish and detailing are elegant and I was surprised how light and comfortable it is to wear. Be warned the movement is not deadly accurate, Miyota claims it to be within -15 / +40 sec per day and this is consistent with what I’m seeing... the result is that I find myself resetting the watch against my iPhone on a regular basis to ensure accuracy before flights. This is not unexpected for an automatic at this price point, but if you need multi-day accuracy, there may be better options. I have a few eco-drives that serve that role but there is something about an automatic that is just more satisfying to wear. Overall, no regrets!

Beautiful watch, flawlessly designed/executed--especially for the price. I would have gone with an easy five stars if I didn't have to bore an extra hole into the band so that it would fit my wrist. I'm no scrawny, stick-thin guy, either--tall/slim, yes, but not THAT slim. I find this to be the case with many larger diameter watches, unfortunately. Strange. The only other reservation I've had, affecting my rating: minimal (an understatement) directions re: the interplay between winding (yes, this watch usually has to be wound at least every other day) and the automatic function (effectively 'charging' the watch by everyday activity vis-a-vis the movement of one's arm/wrist). There is absolutely nothing within the directions to let one know how many rotations/twists of the knob it takes for the movement to be fully wound-up. This is important especially because the amount of 'reserve power' (used when the watch is not worn and/or still, like overnight or when you don't where it for a day or two) is directly proportional to the degree of winding. Sounds complicated but it's really not. At any rate, it's more than worth it, given the incredible quality and understated yet forceful (?) and functional elegance that this watch has to offer. Pretty cool seeing the movement through the sapphire crystal back, too. NICE. Oh--another quick note: the automatic 'charging' component (also seen through the clear back) makes a slight whirring sound as it courses back-and-forth. Hardly noticeable but worth mentioning for those expecting/desiring total silence from their timepiece. I think it's pretty distinctive/cool, actually.