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Laco WW2 Beobachtungsuhr Luftwaffe B-Uhr Watch (Lacher & Co. - Pforzheim) 1940s
Estimated price for orientation: 5 000 $
Category: 1
Class:
Description Condition: Pre-owned: An item that has been used or worn previously. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab ... Read moreabout the condition Brand: LACO Band Color: Brown Gender: Men's Case Size: 55mm Display: Analog Lug Width: 24mm Watch Shape: Round Style: Military Face Color: Black Year of Manufacture: 1940-1949 Band Material: Genuine Leather Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany
This is an exquisite piece that has been professional inspected and cleaned. The watch is running and keeping time. Excellent patina add to the watches historic beauty but the watches original features are not distorted. This will be the greatest piece in your collection. These watches were issued to the German Airforce pilots and bomber aircraft observers during WW2. The Laco-issued timepieces were assembled by Wempe [Hamburg] and carry Laco-Durowe movements [Durowe Cal. D5, 22j]. This particular timepiece has the serial # 127-560 B. The movement number # 15786 is correctly shown on the inside and outside of the case-back as well as the movement. The model Ref. # FL23883 [FL was the item identification label LuftwaffeFlugzeugtaile] is correctly shown on the inside of the case-back and on the side of the 55mm case [almost 65mm when counting the oversize crown that facilitated its use with aviator gloves]. Type FL 23883 were the models with a small hour indicator and large minutes, like this example. Similar watches were issued to the Luftwaffe by 14 different companies, among them A. Lange & Söhne. Very useful information about these historic watches can be found in Konrad Knirim’s invaluable book “Militäruhren”. As with maritime navigation, aviation required the most precise watches possible in order to determine geographical longitude. Precise, robust and easily-read watches were ordered for air travel, to determine aircraft location and flight duration. Pilots needed watches that could be accurately and instantly read when both hands were being used to pilot the aircraft. Their navigation watch had to be worn on the arm, over their flight outfit. Luftwaffe high Command gave exact instructions regarding operating precision and the degree of movement completion required. Before being delivered, every single watch had to be tested and given operating certification by the German Naval Observatory. The fine adjustment of each watch had to be conducted in 6 positions and at 3 varying temperatures. LACO [Lacher & Co.] was one of the 5 brands [the other four being IWC, A. Lange & Söhne, Wempe and Walter Stolz] whose watches were regulated as navigation watches and individually tested for chronometer-quality in Gersundbrunnen, near Glashütte. The watch movements were uniformly cased in 55mm diameter, grey varnished brass or steel housings with snap-on back cover. Printed on the inside of the case-back was the type, device and movement numbers, stock no. and the producer’s name. The dial faces were black with large luminous Arabic numerals and minute and second indicators. The hour, minute and second hands were coated with Radium. The second hand had a counter-weight. All watches also had a balance-stop function for a more accurate time setting and synchronisation. -
Description
| Condition: | Pre-owned: An item that has been used or worn previously. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab ... Read moreabout the condition | Brand: | LACO |
| Band Color: | Brown | Gender: | Men's |
| Case Size: | 55mm | Display: | Analog |
| Lug Width: | 24mm | Watch Shape: | Round |
| Style: | Military | Face Color: | Black |
| Year of Manufacture: | 1940-1949 | Band Material: | Genuine Leather |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: | Germany |
This is an exquisite piece that has been professional inspected and cleaned. The watch is running and keeping time. Excellent patina add to the watches historic beauty but the watches original features are not distorted. This will be the greatest piece in your collection. These watches were issued to the German Airforce pilots and bomber aircraft observers during WW2. The Laco-issued timepieces were assembled by Wempe [Hamburg] and carry Laco-Durowe movements [Durowe Cal. D5, 22j]. This particular timepiece has the serial # 127-560 B. The movement number # 15786 is correctly shown on the inside and outside of the case-back as well as the movement. The model Ref. # FL23883 [FL was the item identification label LuftwaffeFlugzeugtaile] is correctly shown on the inside of the case-back and on the side of the 55mm case [almost 65mm when counting the oversize crown that facilitated its use with aviator gloves]. Type FL 23883 were the models with a small hour indicator and large minutes, like this example. Similar watches were issued to the Luftwaffe by 14 different companies, among them A. Lange & Söhne. Very useful information about these historic watches can be found in Konrad Knirim’s invaluable book “Militäruhren”. As with maritime navigation, aviation required the most precise watches possible in order to determine geographical longitude. Precise, robust and easily-read watches were ordered for air travel, to determine aircraft location and flight duration. Pilots needed watches that could be accurately and instantly read when both hands were being used to pilot the aircraft. Their navigation watch had to be worn on the arm, over their flight outfit. Luftwaffe high Command gave exact instructions regarding operating precision and the degree of movement completion required. Before being delivered, every single watch had to be tested and given operating certification by the German Naval Observatory. The fine adjustment of each watch had to be conducted in 6 positions and at 3 varying temperatures. LACO [Lacher & Co.] was one of the 5 brands [the other four being IWC, A. Lange & Söhne, Wempe and Walter Stolz] whose watches were regulated as navigation watches and individually tested for chronometer-quality in Gersundbrunnen, near Glashütte. The watch movements were uniformly cased in 55mm diameter, grey varnished brass or steel housings with snap-on back cover. Printed on the inside of the case-back was the type, device and movement numbers, stock no. and the producer’s name. The dial faces were black with large luminous Arabic numerals and minute and second indicators. The hour, minute and second hands were coated with Radium. The second hand had a counter-weight. All watches also had a balance-stop function for a more accurate time setting and synchronisation. -