# My new Laco 2012 Paderborn Review - B Type ETA Automatic 42mm



## DannyStyle

Hi All,

**HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH IMAGES AND THE FULL REVIEW**

An early xmas present has arrived in the form of a brand new 2012 series Paderborn and to say I'm really happy is an understatement.

I've actually had the watch on my wrist for a couple of days and with the usual hectic workload in the lead up to Christmas, I had to do this review in two parts.

I've edited everything now and what you see below is the completed review.

I live in Australia and without a local Laco retail presense here, it's a bit of a leap of faith to purchase one sight unseen. To make the review a little more interesting and interactive and to help out my fellow WUS members, please post any and all questions you'd like answered here in the thread and I'll do my best to answer them.

I'll be editing this original post if I can, so make sure to re-read as I answer questions when they come in.

*A Little Personal Background on Me

*I always find it interesting when I find out about the personal backstory behind a person's watch, or the histroy of a certain model or manufacturer. It sort of paints an intersting context around what otherwise would be a complex piece of metal, glass and leather. For example, I've never really liked Rolex watches, for me I just think of a gold, 25 years of company service watch. Blingy, staid and overpriced.

It wasnt really until a friend of mine, who introduced me into watches in general, shot me a link to Hondinkee and I read an article on Milsubs. Instead of this diamon encrusted, over priced, guady watch, I was presented with a purposfull looking, strikingly designed watch on a black ballistic nylon band. Reading about the story behind the watch, why they are sort after and how they were made totally changed my perspective on the brand. I'd happily own a Milsub and the more I find out about the early days of the brand, the more I could see myself with one of thier watches on my wrist. Ditto the Bell and Ross my friend wears - the backstory makes the machine all the cooller.

So, I hope giving you a bit of insight into me, my background and my passions, may help you the reader understand my views on the watch below.

I've been big into hot rods my whole life, since watching American Graffiti as a 12yo kid. I built and drive a 1928 Model A roadster and it's the hot rod aesthetic that has shaped my personal taste in most things. I love industrial looking design of hot rods, wth a simplicity born out of a need to go faster and last longer then the competition. I think the dials and guages from cars and planes of the 20's-50's are about as perfect as you can get. Being able to reliably read the information on the guage as your drag car is thundering down the track trying to shake itself to pieces, or your aeroplane is upside down in a battle for life and death really bore forth designs that are as beautiful as they are functional.

It was the hunt for a watch that reflected my hot rod/industrial preferences that lead me originally to the u-Boat brand, specifically the Classico series. I really thought they were a cool, simple looking design. I actually came accross WUS as I was researching the watch and came accross an overmost overwhealmingly negative view on the brand as being over priced for what they were. Being 3-4 times the price of my Laco put them out of my reach and to be honest, knowing what I know now, I wouldnt buy one even if I had the cash.

So a year later I came accross a Christopher Ward flieger and it was a nice looking piece - it's a moden take on the Type A dial and it comes with a very good reputation. I tried to educate myself more about the fleiger ewatches in general as I knew I was getting closer to something that I could happily wear on my wrist. It was during this that I came accross the Laco brand and the rest is history as they say. I obtained my pilots license when I was in my 20's, so the aviation connection just sealed the deal.

*Purchase and Shipping

*Apart from a fairly slow website (which could be partly my problem with a slow internet connection) the purchasing process was painless and easy. For non-EU residents, as soon as you select a non Eurpoean country when adding your shipping address, VAT is automatically removed from all prices. Keep this in mind, it makes your purchase ~19% cheaper.

The watch was ordered on a Wednesday from Germany and it was delivered* a day early *on the Monday by Fedex (original ETA was Tuesday). This is exceptional given it comes from Germany to my doorstep in Melbourne, Australia. Laco keep you informed of the ordering process status via email and send you a Fedex tracking number when the courier pics up you watch. The shipping is a bit expensive at EU $40 but worth it for the quick and safe delivery.

Laco also have a domestic Australian reseller although it takes some detective work to reach them as Laco doesn't list the number online. The company information they also give you directs you to an online shop with no Laco products it took a few Google searches to reach them. PM if you're interested in getting the details of the Australian distributor.










The Fedex box is big and thick to protect your watch and the leather (vinyl?) presentation box is well wrapped in bubble wrap. I've had a few disappointments in the past with other online retailers who just get stingy on the basics such as wrapping your purchase to keep it safe. No such disappointments here.

*First Impressions*

Opening the presentation box sees the watch laid our perfectly on the right and your warranty and user manual on the left. Its a really nice way to present the watch and the padding in the box will help keep the watch safe in transit. To be honest, the watch says on my wrist or flat on my bed head so I don't think it will see a lot of time in the box but its nice to have it there anyway . Seriously, I couldn't wipe the smile of my face - this is my first "proper" watch and one that I chose to use to celebrate a small but important personal milestone in my life.









*
The Case
*
Ahh the new finish on the case. This is the thing out of all the watches features I'm struggling to make my mind up on. Its a perfect, darkish, totally uniform gun metal grey type finish. To look at it you would swear it has been coated in something (PVD?) but feedback on here from Uwe suggests its just a special type of sanblasting/media finish. If its is, it's certainly not like anything I've ever seen in my life. To be honest, Laco give a small hint to the riddle when they say the sandblasted finish comes with "a fingerprint resistant coating". I wonder what this coating is? Don't get me wrong, it looks great it's just left me scratching my head as to how it was achieved.

The case at 42mm is perfect for my 6.75 inch wrist. It wears largish but not as large as I was expecting due to the more complex Type B dial. I would imagine the more spartan Type A dial would wear bigger. The crown is finished in the same way as the case and is perfectly uniform in its finish as you would expect. The engraving on the back (no inspection crystal on the historically more accurate 42mm auto models) is great an exactly as shown on the website.













































*
The Dial
*
The dial is what really makes this watch and the Type B is my favourite. The phot below shows the watch next to the tachometer in my hot rod. The Sun tach is from the late 40's, early 50's and I love it as a piece of industrial, functional art. For me, this watch is exactly the same, a fantastic piece of art that was formed out of almost pure form.



















From my perfective, the watch would look right at home in the engine bay of my hot rod. Its such an industrial looking piece.










I dont have a loupe and to be honest, looking at my watch with a magnifying glass isnt really what this watch is all about for me. The application of the lume and the finish is excellent. The "thermically" blued hands are really nice and appear black to bright blue depending on how the light catches the edge of the hands.










Here it is on my 6.75 inch wrist. Fits perfectly.










There has been some discussion here on WUS around the numbers and markers on the dial having a green tinge. I can say this is absolutely true but not for the reasons I had previously seen given here. It basically comes down to how bright the lume is. With any expose of the watch to light, especially day light, the lume will literally overpower whatever ambient light is around and will appear green. It surprised me the first time I walked from outside where I was working on my hot rod to inside under fluoro light, only to see the watch glowing a fairly bright green.










The pictures here showing the lume are in bright sunlight inside my lounge room - just a normal daylight filled room. You can really see the lume in action here.

*The Band
* 
The band is interesting. Its thick and seems to be constructed from three layers of leather. The leather itself almost seems to be wrapped or coated in some sort of vinyl. On the thrid day of wear, the leather has softened and is reasonably comfortable to wear. I'm fully planning to get one of the Laco closed loop bands in the furture.

The buckle is nicely finished with an embossed Laco logo adding its branding stamp to the look.










*Conclusion

*In conclusion, I'm really happy with this watch. I've never owned a "proper" watch before. I fully understand for a lot of W US members, this wouldnt even constiture a real watch - its about as far removed from a Patek as you can get but that's what I love about it. For me its all about substance and purpose and the design reflects this beautifully. Its got an honest mix of good quality componants, from the ETA movement to the saphire glass crystal at a very compelling price. If I lost this watch tomorrow I would buy it again in a second.

If you have made it this far, thank you for reading my first ever watch review. I hope you found it useful and informative.

Please feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.

Danny


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## Uwe W.

Great start to a very thorough review Danny. Thanks for that! Can't wait to read the rest.


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## Crow

can't wait to see your photos Dannystyle !


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## DannyStyle

Hi Guys, review all finished and the pics are up!


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## KUNISMAN

Great review Danny.


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## Uwe W.

Good job - nice review. I like how you juxtaposed the Laco against the mechanical intricacies of a hot rod. I particularly liked the steampunk appearance of those velocity stacks; they look like the funnels of an ocean liner. There's a good reason why many of the gearheads that I know are also fervent watch collectors. Their natural curiosity for everything mechanical can't ignore the complex and Lilliputian gear-work of a watch's movement. They are, as you appear to be, the only ones who appreciate the art of a mechanical construction, not to mention the value of austere aesthetics. 

One suggestion, since you're new to posting here: It's better to post replies to questions in reply posts rather than edit your original post. Most of us won't continually re-read your first post to see if anything new has been added. Other than that, the period of time that you can edit that post is limited.

Congratulations on your Laco. I can't wait to add one from the new collection to my personal stash of Laco watches.


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## Oldheritage

Nobody in his right mind would think this isn't a "real" watch. Great watch form a great company and I really enjoy mine (miyota modell though). Thanks for the review, nice pics :-!


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## mith321

wonderful watch and review - i just can't stop looking at your photos - wonderful - Thank you -


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## DannyStyle

Uwe W. said:


> Good job - nice review. I like how you juxtaposed the Laco against the mechanical intricacies of a hot rod. I particularly liked the steampunk appearance of those velocity stacks; they look like the funnels of an ocean liner. There's a good reason why many of the gearheads that I know are also fervent watch collectors. Their natural curiosity for everything mechanical can't ignore the complex and Lilliputian gear-work of a watch's movement. They are, as you appear to be, the only ones who appreciate the art of a mechanical construction, not to mention the value of austere aesthetics.
> 
> One suggestion, since you're new to posting here: It's better to post replies to questions in reply posts rather than edit your original post. Most of us won't continually re-read your first post to see if anything new has been added. Other than that, the period of time that you can edit that post is limited.
> 
> Congratulations on your Laco. I can't wait to add one from the new collection to my personal stash of Laco watches.


Hi Uwe, thank you for the feedback and the suggestions, I'll make sure to add another post here instead of editing the original.

I'm already being tempted by other spartan watches so I will have to make sure that I keep my sickness to within financially responsible boundaries!

Like the hot rod sickness, there is always another go faster part, a rare collectable piece, another grail to chase....

I'm going to add to my bucket list the purchase of an original Laco at some stage. I think having an original would just be the business!

Danny


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## DannyStyle

Hi Crow, Kunisman, Old Heritage, Mith321 & Uwe,

Thanks for posting a reply to my review and for the encouraging words.

Much appreciated.

Danny


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## Uwe W.

DannyStyle said:


> I'm going to add to my bucket list the purchase of an original Laco at some stage. I think having an original would just be the business!


I've intentionally been avoiding buying an original and opted for a modern 55 mm instead. I just couldn't bear the responsibility of owning one of the originals, if that makes any sense. I'm hoping that Laco will apply their new Flieger standard to a 55 mm version; I'd love to get an A-Muster with heat-blued hands and that fantastic new case colour.


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## DannyStyle

Uwe W. said:


> I've intentionally been avoiding buying an original and opted for a modern 55 mm instead. I just couldn't bear the responsibility of owning one of the originals, if that makes any sense. I'm hoping that Laco will apply their new Flieger standard to a 55 mm version; I'd love to get an A-Muster with heat-blued hands and that fantastic new case colour.


Hi Mate,

Totally understand, there is almost a burden in owning something with that kind of heritage.

Certainly not a watch to wear casually (or at all, given the 55mm size!).

I was faced with a similar situation with the intake on my hot rod. It's extremely rare and I was faced with leaving it on the book shelf to look at or running it on my motor. It's now covered with oil, petrol, grease and is somewhat dinged and well used. In the end, I throught if the person casting and maching that intake 60+ years ago could talk to me now he would say run that sucker!

Not saying I would ding and wear an original flieger and get it covered in oil! But I wonder what an old airman would say to us now. He'd probably say, it's just a watch, enjoy it! Either to wear or preserve.

Danny


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## Vernon11

I love this review and this watch! I'm struggling to wrap my head around all of the various names for the Laco pilot watches. It seems that there are multiple names for what seems to be the same type-b watch, but I'm so new to this, I'm afraid I'm just not up to speed. 

I'd love to buy this watch reviewed here - what exact model is it? I love the blue dial - how do I ensure the one I buy has it?

Many thanks for your patience with a newbie!


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## StufflerMike

https://shop.laco.de/de/Paderborn.html

Currently not in stock, available again soon.


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## Vernon11

Can I get an Aachen with blue dials?


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## Uwe W.

Vernon11 said:


> I'm struggling to wrap my head around all of the various names for the Laco pilot watches. It seems that there are multiple names for what seems to be the same type-b watch,
> 
> I'd love to buy this watch reviewed here - what exact model is it? I love the *blue* dial


I've added all the new 2012 models, so you can reference this sticky thread for help with the various model names.

With respect to the watch reviewed in this thread - as with all of the Laco B-Uhr models - the dial is black, not blue.


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## StufflerMike

Vernon11 said:


> Can I get an Aachen with blue dials?


There is no blue dial. All Flieger dials are black.


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## DannyStyle

Vernon11 said:


> I love this review and this watch! I'm struggling to wrap my head around all of the various names for the Laco pilot watches. It seems that there are multiple names for what seems to be the same type-b watch, but I'm so new to this, I'm afraid I'm just not up to speed.
> 
> I'd love to buy this watch reviewed here - what exact model is it? I love the blue dial - how do I ensure the one I buy has it?
> 
> Many thanks for your patience with a newbie!


Hi Vernon,

Thank you for the kind words regarding the review - was a lot of fun taking the pictures and writing it up. I look forward to reading yours when you do one for your first Laco .

With regards to the names, you are right. Laco has mulitple names for the same B-dial.

Laco do the same two dials (A & B Type) with a range of movements, such as Myota automatic, Myota manual wind, ETA auto, ETA manual.

Each name relates to a specific movement and a specific dial combination, wich makes it easier to refer to a specific watch once you get the hang of it.

When you say blue dial, do you mean the blue on the outside of the hands?

Danny


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## OmegaDP

Great write up Danny! I just made my Laco Paderborn purchase today. A truly original and great addition to my collection.


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