What's the difference between a Laco and IWC flieger?

In my view it can’t be justified. Both Laco and Stowa produce high quality offerings which are closer to the original aesthetic, but also modern takes if you please (I own a Stowa Classic B dial). IWC is of course considered a more prestigious brand, and are also high quality no doubt, but after handling several, I was left underwhelmed for the price.

You won’t get me knocking a Laco because I absolutely love them but the IWC is at the other end of the spectrum when it comes to finishing. The latest Mark XX also has the in-house 32110 movement which has the 120hr power reserve, so it’s a far cry for the base ETA movements.

They both have equal brand history in my eyes as part of the original Flieger Five, but IWC has moved more and more into the luxury space and position themselves as the Rolex of Pilot watches.

I’d love to have an IWC in my collection, but if that never happens I have no regrets with my Laco’s.

It depends on which Laco as ghey have their basic line or pro line.

Considering the Laco basic, the differences are:

•The movements: Laco Basic uses cheaper Miyota movements

•The processing: As IWC is more a prestige brand, their processing is better

•The Materials: As an example, Laco uses on their lume still those with a slightly green coloring. I guess they don't have a basic watch with white indizes. Also except of the "blaue Stunde", Lacos uses more simple matt dials.

But. That doesn't mean thag Laco makes bad watches and IWC the best watches. Even IWC does make better watches, it doesn't mean 20 times better as their prices are.

In my opinion IWC is one of the most overrated snd overpriced brands for what they deliver.

On tge other hand Laco is one if the most underrated and underpriced (is the word right? Don't know) brands I know.

It has the History of the Luftwaffe suplier. Their watches are designed and based on their very own models. Theif quality is insane good. The watches are very reliable and look good.

All for starting 350 bucks.

Beside of the Seiko Cocktail Time line, the one you should go for if you have 400 euro/dollars to spend.

It's such a plain dial that I can't get on board at any price point. 4 or even 5 figures is off the wall.

@torchy nailed it. The IWC is an IWC. It’s that simple. The movement may be marginally better too, but not 10x better.

IWC is definitely the superior watch re: movement and finishing, but is it several thousand dollars more superior? No. And I think a lot of micros given the technology and resources of today are closing the gap a bit. If you're looking on build quality alone then most brands would not be able to justify the price gap even when using certain precious metals. I'm talking about fairly straight-forward watches here as you open a whole other can of worms when you bring in complications and more complex in-house movements and higher level artistry into the mix.

For me? If I'm spending several thousand dollars? It's def not going to be for a simple field or pilot watch. I just don't get it. Does nothing for me . . . and I'd rather have a watch do nothing for me for a few hundred dollars and save the thousands for something that excites me or feels more the part of its value.

I personally enjoy my IWC..I havent owned any of the others the OP mentioned but I think a person gets what one pays for. Nobody cares what watch I am wearing on any day but I do..Enjoy the hobby..JMO

Realistically, not much. The upgrades that higher-end luxury brands offer over their more affordable counterparts are dubious at best. After around $2500-3000, the value proposition starts falling off drastically. At some point, you're paying tens of thousands of dollars more for a watch simply because of brand name and some vague ideals of 'craftsmanship'.

I feel you. I keep seeing these insanely expensive watches with plain, monochrome dials without any texturing, complications or any unique features whatsoever and wonder what exactly people are paying for. Personally, I'll probably never go above the range of $2500-3000 where brands like AnOrdain and Kurono Tokyo operate. Maybe a bit higher for something like Sartory Billard. I feel like they have much more unique offerings than most high end luxury brands. There are exceptions of course, Grand Seiko absolutely kills it and I have a soft spot for A. Lange. Well, in the end, it's just my personal opinion, and since the very same high end luxury brands are thriving, clearly I'm in the minority.

It goes without saying, I’m certain the IWC’s finishing is vastly superior, and the movement in their high-end models is in a different galaxy than the Laco. But your question touched on why I don’t think I’d ever buy a high-end flieger: because at arms length, there is 0.01% perceivable (and perhaps functional) difference between a $99 Steeldive Pilot and a multi-thousand dollar IWC.

I was set on replacing my Steinhart for exactly the Laco you’re looking at. But when I held a friend’s Miyota powered Laco, it was really disappointing. At the end of the day, most of these are just another simple, printed dial flieger. In many cases, it makes total sense that history, heritage, and originality would play into the decision to go with a prestige brand over an Ali-express homage, but that’s an, erm, sketchy argument with watches produced for the Luftwaffe 😬. And to be honest, the homage aspect doesn't hold much water for me with these types of military watches, as most of the original fliegers were sterile dials, manufactured by several different companies. It's not a singular model, like a Speedy or Daytona, etc... it's a basic, functional style. One I think brands like San Martin have just as much right to use IMHO.

This is why I ultimately went with a $170 San Martin type A sterile dial, and it’s great. Nice fit and finish, dependable NH35 movement, and really good Lume. As a simple, legible, tool watch, in the flieger style, it’s all I need. To me, It almost feels more authentic to the watch’s original purpose. Will I upgrade to a Laco or something later on? Never say never, but I really don't see much of a ladder to be climbed when it comes to fliegers.

Just my .02🍻

The same question can be asked across the all watch/luxury goods industries. Luxury goods prices are hard to justify on the merits. Yes, the quality is higher, but is it 10-20X higher? Usually no. But people buy them anyway.

For IWC/Laco, I think the two major objective differences are: (1) brand; and (2) finishing/quality. (1) IWC is objectively a more prestigious brand, as it positions itself in the luxury category, while Laco does not; (2) IWC's finishing and quality are objectively better. Even though design-wise, Laco and IWC pilots are very similar, the IWC feels like a luxury watch (finishing, quality, heft, precision of design/printing, etc.), while Laco, even though very good, does not.

Whether these differences are "worth" the big difference in price is an entirely subjective question. If you don't value brand and finishing, then the answer is clearly no. Laco and Stowa make excellent pilot watches, and it would be crazy to pay the price premium. And if you really don't care at all about brand or history, you can get even cheaper sterile pilot watches from other companies, with similar specs and designs to Laco/Stowa.

That said, I do own an IWC pilot (purchased pre-owned at a substantial discount), and for me, the finishing/quality difference is worth the price difference, as I value this a lot (more than other specs), especially for very simple watch designs. But I can understand how for most people it would not be worth it. The only way to tell, for yourself, is really to see the watches in the metal, as it is hard to detect any differences based on the pictures.

Money that goes to that stupid Hamilton, as long as IWC is sponsoring that idiot, I will never buy a new IWC. Can't stand that fool.

I tried not to get political in my post but it is indeed a bit of a headscratcher that the watch community conveniently ignores this controversial part of IWC's history. Luxury brands can truly get away with anything. 😂

Great choice of watch. The original B-Uhr dials were sterile after all and the NH35 is the perfect beater movement that can be swapped for cheap in the future to save the cost of a full service. 👍

The Price?

other than quality, etc i think its all about brand position

The difference to me is that I could afford the Laco but the IWC is out of my price range. I really like the Flieger Pro which you can customize it it a number of different ways which is cool. They also have models which have cases that are more stylistically correct to the original (straighter lugs I think) but I’ve heard they weren’t as comfortable. I think any of these would be a great entry into the flieger space.

Agreed. In the whole scheme of things, COSC certification is not a burden financially. It doesn't cost that much to get certification. Of course they need to make movements that can obtain certification first. 😂

New purchase! Partially inspired by this post and discussion. I tried on two IWCs recently and they were lovely. But I knew I'd have had buyer's remorse very quickly if I'd pulled the trigger. The Laco looks superb and fills the "need" to own a flieger in the collection - at an unbelievably reasonable price. I'm happy 😊

My first mechanical watch was a Stowa Flieger at 36 mm purchased about eight years ago. I loved that watch and wore it regularly for a few years. Fast forward to present day, I mostly wear an IWC 36. The fit and finish is a on totally different level. Is it worth the price? It’s up to you.

Also nobody has ever noticed my IWC. It’s under the radar (which was intentional) and far from a flex.

You could probably argue yourself out of all Swiss watches based on this general observation.

The devil is in the detail. Crown operation, accuracy, dial printing, antimagnetism, durability, serviceability. Lesser movements are often disposable, wheras the IWC I would expect can be serviced and repaired.

I can tell you that IWC are a fantastic company, and for the brief time I had an IWC, I really loved it. There was something very cool about owning such a plain but serious watch.

They also hold their value far better than random microbrands.

I'm not sure why you don't like him - maybe because he's an actual Knight, rather than a made up Lord!? 😛 But realistically, I don't think someone stupid or foolish could attain 7x F1 world championships and $300million net worth..

As a pilot I have a soft spot for Fliegers (and GMT’s) I’ve held both the Laco and IWC in my hands. In the end I went for a Laco Pro which I could modify the way I like it. I could not see a difference in finishing and accuracy was similar. Moral of the story, you buy an IWC flieger because you want one and is prepared to buy the premium that comes with the name.

This topic hits close to home for me as the Flieger is one of my favorite style of watches. My every day watch is a good value Flieger by Aristo. 38.5mm case, sw200, grade 5 titanium, sapphire, 20mm strap size, 100m water resistance with a screw down crown. It really has it all at an affordable price. I actually chose this over Laco and Stowa based on the specs.

But as I’ve gotten more and more in to watches, I’ve been looking for my first “high end” time piece. I’ve looked at many different style of watches and I always come back to the looks of a Flieger. Something about the understated, approachable, simplicity in design speaks to me.

This led me to look at IWC. Unfortunately the current models at 40mm are too big for my preferred size. But I came across the older discontinued Mark XV and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. They are not easy to find in good shape, and if you can, they are quite pricey.

I’ve gone back and forth many times and Everytime I want to pull the trigger on one, I say to myself, why is this watch so expensive?? It’s definitely not worth 10-15x my current Aristo, and for this amount of money I should buy something else like a Cartier Santos, Omega Aqua Terra, Grand Seiko, etc. In my head I know it’s not worth it, BUT, my heart says I want it! There’s subtle design differences that this particular IWC has that I haven’t seen in any other Flieger such as Stowa/Laco/Archimede etc.

The proportions, the hour markers, the vibe..…it all just comes together for me in a nice looking package that doesn’t scream “look at me!” But the cost/value proposition still holds me back. As you can tell, my inner conflict continues….

To get back on topic, is it worth it? No. But I may still buy it because I want it 🤣🤣. Here’s some pics for reference.

The specs on that Aristo are incredible. I can definitely understand why you picked this watch for your GADA over a Laco or Stowa. Now I'm curious about this brand too! Thanks for introducing it 👍

I don't think I will ever be able to buy an IWC. Spending this amount of money on an all-machine-brushed case and basic printed dial with nothing made by hand just wouldn't sit right with me. I know what this watch should cost if it was fairly priced and I couldn't get over the feeling of being ripped off by a "luxury brand" taking advantage of my naivety. 😕

The Aristo has been solid. I’m sure the finishing is probably not as good as some of the others, but I like it. The only other one I’ve found in the range of 38-39mm with a 20mm strap is the Archimede. I like the black hands over the blue too. They offer both.

You have a totally valid take on the IWC. I hate that I love it 🤣. If I can resist it I may try out this Archimede Flieger.

Loving #iwc #laco #stowa 🥰

You can’t go wrong with Laco or Stowa (huge fan). IWC are beautiful watches as well but (in my opinion) you may want to put 7K into something with more impact. Fliegers tend to look almost identical from a distance which would make me lean Stowa.

For as much as they are touted, I’d by an AliExpress one or that affordable Stowa over any luxury version any day of the week. These (and Hamilton’s military watch) are much nicher products than WISes like to admit.

I'm returning to this post as it was a significant one for me. I have the Laco - and it's great. And eight months later I bought the IWC. The difference in price is worth it, if you think it's worth it - because side by side they are not the same at all! It's a real one watch collection (if you're so inclined), very versatile, an absolute GADA at home with a suit or jeans and t-shirt; it's the epitome of a pilot's watch, at the luxury level. The Laco just isn't.

Some people say, oh you could buy an entry level Rolex for around that price. I would ask: why would you want to? My blue Mark XX looks far superior to my wife's blue Rolex datejust.

And if it doesn't have "impact", ie non watch nerds don't say, "wow, love your IWC", well, with respect to hughcherry, we don't mind about that do we? After all, one of the reasons the Explorer is loved so much is that it doesn't "look" like a Rolex. It goes under the radar. But you know. I know. And if you're wearing one, and it makes you feel special and you love gazing at it, then that's all the reason you need

I have a Stowa Classic 40 and a Laco Munster but have only tried the IWC Big Pilot and I think the comparison is pointless (though still interesting). IWC doesn't have quite the same history for me as they only built about 1200 Fliegers during the war whereas Lacher&Co built over 6500. The sapphire mounting and Faraday cage make the IWC more purposeful to today's pilots but I've read plenty of accounts that the accuracy is seldom as high as IWC claim. For some, size matters and both fall short of the original 55mm but the IWC definitely has a better vibe in that area. That aside I can't fault the wearing experience of the Laco and if I do buy an IWC I know I will still wear the Laco more - it's a watch to grow old with. IWC also built for the RAF which would be its chief relevance in my aviation watch collection but as a definitive Flieger the Laco wins hands down for me regardless of caliber or price. As a functional Pilot's watch the IWC wins easily but there are more pilot's watches to match the IWC than there are Fliegers to match the Laco.