# Dekla Pilot Watch



## Quartersawn

I ordered a Dekla Pilot watch back in August and it showed up a couple of days ago after a five week wait. A German made watch with an ETA movement and in house made case, dial and hands coming in at under $500 delivered piqued my interest. I thought I'd give my early impressions in case anyone is interested in this watch.

The watch I selected was the standard 42mm pilot, an A dial with the manual winding ETA 2801. Specs per the Dekla site are as follows:

*CASE*
In-House made
Stainless steel 316 L, bead-blasted
Waterproof to 10 ATM
Engraving with engraving tool, not laser
Diameter: 42 mm
Height: 12 mm
Weight: 120g
Lug width: 22 mm
Lug to Lug: 51mm
Crystal: Sapphire glass domed, with double anti-reflecting coatings on the interior side
Bezel: Stainless Steel screwed
Case Back: Stainless steel 316 L screwed

*DIAL & HANDS*
Dial: black, in-house made
Lume: Superluminova Old Radium by Tritec
Hands: Heat blued steel, in-house made; Superluminova Old Radium by Tritec

The watch was delivered in a decent box with a wooden top and bottom, much better than I expected from a watch is this price range. I was expecting a plain cardboard box.









The watch came on a German made strap that was nicely made but I replaced it because I didn't care for the shiny rivets which do not match the blasted finish on the case and I disliked the Pam style buckle. If the rivets had been blasted to match the case I would have swapped the buckle and kept the strap on the watch. The photo shows the watch on the original strap. The lume in the hands appears lighter in the photo than the lume on the dial but in real life it matches the dial lume quite closely.









First impressions are positive. The watch seems very well made and over the past 48 hours it has been very accurate, losing 2 seconds over a 48 hour span. The crown action is solid and winding is smooth. One of the reasons I selected the 2801 is because it winds so much better than the 2824, it has a crisp feel and sound compared to the 2824's mushy and gritty winding action. I also prefer that the crown only has two positions rather than three positions of the 2824 (the third position is to change the date). The 8mm crown is a big, nicely grooved, easy to grasp and quite handsome.

The case has a matte blasted finish which works well on this style of watch. I was initially alarmed at a somewhat large area on the side next to the crown which looked to be badly scratched and scuffed. Running my fingernail over it did not reveal any deviations in the smooth finish but it looked damaged. A wipe down with a lens cleaning cloth removed the marks caused by what I assume was lubricant used on the crown seal. Regardless of what it was I am relieved it was not a damaged case.

The case is nicely finished and well shaped, reminiscent of the WWII IWC B-Uhr. At 12mm it is a tad thicker than I would prefer but I suppose that is a trade off to accommodate the large crown. The case very much reminds me of the 42mm Hamilton Pioneer Mechanical I used to own, it wears large and somewhat chunky. It is a bit slab sided and the case back is quite flat. Perhaps a bit of sculpting along the bottom of the case to a smaller case back would lessen the illusion of thickness while still allowing the crown. The watch wears every bit of 42mm and is as large as I would like to wear on my 7.25" wrist. The photo is of the watch next to my Archimede Pilot, the difference in girth is apparent.









The case back is nicely engraved. I have not yet removed the sticker.









The dial is handsome with a matte black finish and well proportioned markings. The Tritec lume old radium color is too dark for my taste, it has an orange cast to it that is a bit much IMO. A lighter eggshell tone would look better to me. Having said that, it glows quite well and is certainly serviceable.

The hands are heat blued and the finish on them looks great. They appear dark blue or black until the light strikes at the correct angle when they display a shiny, bright blue tone. The sweep hand has a nice, long counter balance that in addition to being historically correct enhances the blue effect. I do wish the minute hand had a longer lume area. The hand itself extends to the minute track but the lumed portion is a bit short and could be confused with the hour hand at a quick glance. Regardless, the thermal blue finish looks fantastic.

The sapphire crystal has a wonderful domed shape to it. Unfortunately it is very reflective and due to reflections I had a difficult time trying to photograph the dial and hands. The only way I was able to get a clear shot was to use the flash which unfortunately makes the lume appear much lighter than it looks in normal light. The first photo is without the flash and shows the lume color accurately. The custom made strap is from Aprell in Russia and is supremely comfortable.

















I do not care for is how sharp the top edge is on the inside of all four lugs. It is quite exposed due to the shape of the watch and I have no doubt it will draw blood if you press or brush against it with some force. I do wish the watch were a bit slimmer, had a longer lumed area in the minute hand and had a less reflective crystal. Otherwise I am quite pleased with the watch and hope to enjoy it for a long time. Assuming it performs properly in the future I think for under $500 delivered it is quite a bargain.

EDIT: Something I forgot to mention is paperwork. I got none at all which seems a bit off. I will send an email asking if paperwork is provided or not.


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## GMBarbakoff

Great review. Congrats on the new purchase. 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## CM HUNTER

Guinea pig report number one is less than stellar. Duly noted.


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## StufflerMike

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Copied to our Reviews forum.


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## Matta

Quartersawn, great review m8 !
I have two questions: 
1. How do you feel about lume ?
2. Can you confirm that seconds hand is lumed ?

Thanks !


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## Quartersawn

Matta said:


> Quartersawn, great review m8 !
> I have two questions:
> 1. How do you feel about lume ?
> 2. Can you confirm that seconds hand is lumed ?


1. Not a big fan of the lume. It is too dark in color and is not terribly bright. It works but is less than impressive.
2. It seems to be lumed but does not glow. I had to double check because it is the same color as the other hands but disappointingly it does not seem to glow at all.


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## StufflerMike

Dekla Watches replied (unfortunately I had to deleted their post)

1. we use SWISS MADE Superluminova from Tritec. please don't forget, dark Superluninova last less. In comparison with standard С3 brightness of Old Radium Superluminova up to 50% less. Please see here:









2. second hand not lumed. like some other famous brands,we gave up on it. After hand is lumed, the weight of hand is more. This may affect accuracy.


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## jupera2005

Thanks for the review. Very nice watch 

Enviado desde mi H3113 mediante Tapatalk


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## WTM

Thanks for your thoughts on this watch. Would you
please get a Dekla Turbulenz and review that one
next?


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## captainscott

Very nice review, thanks for posting.


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## StufflerMike

captainscott said:


> Very nice review, thanks for posting.


Another write-up (just in case you missed it)

https://www.watchuseek.com/flieger-friday-affordable-dekla-pilot-watches/


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## Earthjade

This is why I love this forum - I had never heard of Dekla watches until just now.
I have been interested in getting a Laco Leipzig but it is obvious that Laco is charging a premium for what they offer. Dekla's alternative is half price for practically the same piece - amazing but truthfully, what should be expected as standard!
The only question to be answered is are you willing to pay hundreds of Euro more for the "heritage" of Laco being one of the original flieger manufacturers?
I am concerned about the reflectivity of the crystal, however. I had a watch where the reflectivity drove me crazy! It was AR treated and had a purplish tint but everytime I looked at the dial I saw my face, the trees, the clouds above... I couldn't stand it after a while even though I loved everything else about the watch.


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## 41Mets

Mine just arrived yesterday.
I have had the stowa flieger klassik sport both regular edition and 90th limited. For the price difference I don't see much that warrants having one over this Dekla. I think the stock strap is better than the Stowa's. The lume is a bit orange, but I still like the vintage nature of it. I don't know if I like the domed as much as a flat crystal and I agree it is very reflective. But, after one day of wear, I'm happy with the purchase.


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## Earthjade

Whoops - just saw the lug to lug on most Deklas watches is 51mm. I'll have to pass.
I used to own a LACO Aachen and that was 42mm in diameter with 46mm lug to lug. That one just fit my wrist and looked large (which is fine for a flieger). I fear a Dekla flieger with its larger lug to lug would overhang my wrist which would be an absolute no-no.


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## Earthjade

Apologies for reviving an old thread - just want to talk about my experience with Dekla.

So despite my reservations on size, I decided in the end that the price-value ratio was very good so I contacted Dekla around 20th of January and asked them to make me a Type-B flieger. In another thread, Yuriy Shapiro of Dekla said something like "tell us what you want and we can make the watch of your dreams".
So I thought OK - let's give it a try!

First thing was I wanted a flatter sapphire crystal than the one they currently use on their flieger models. If you look at any photo of a Dekla flieger, you'll see just how severe the reflectivity is on the curved crystal they use. No way I wanted that.
So I contacted Dekla on 20th of January and Yuriy Shapiro responds to me and I think great - these guys are really responsive and I'm getting encouraged. He gives me a great price for a Type-B flieger but flatter crystals are coming from a supplier later in the week. Could I wait for that? I said no problem.

So I ask for updates up until about mid-February and flatter crystals still haven't come in. So I stop.
It's been two months now since my initial contact with Dekla and I asked them earlier this week if the flatter crystals have come in and no reply. 
I must assume that they still do not have flatter crystals - they are probably very irritated at getting emails from me now so I've just given up. I've decided to save for a Laco Leipzig instead.
I'm disappointed in the response and what would have been amazing is if they had said something like "Look, we are having trouble with our suppliers but how about we do a single order flat crystal for you but you'll have to pay a little more since it's not a bulk order." I would have been very fine with that.

So just a few things:
First - Dekla can't make "the watch of your dreams".
Second - they use as their website motto "everything from a single source", but this does not include crystals. I'm not sure what they are trying to claim here? Maybe the "single source" means Germany?

Overall it was a poor result for me since they were a new company and their offering seemed to be so promising in value and quality. But if the product can't be delivered, then it doesn't mean anything.
I suppose they have other priorities that don't include making custom fliegers for mooks like me in the antipodes.


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## StufflerMike

I am sorry for the unpleasant experience you had to go through but thanks for sharing with us.

As far as their website motto is concerned, I do not know of any watch company here in Germany making their own crystals. Would be quite unusual. „Everything from a single source“ isn‘t a 100% thing. I wouldn’t take that literally. Even Glashütte Original can’t achieve this. Movements aren‘t made in-house at Dekla which already casts light on their motto.

Anyway, I heard that Dekla ordered flat sapphire crystals but the wrong ones were delivered, 37.5 instead of 36.7. Dekla tried to produce a new bezel then to fit with the crystal and case , but these bezels were too thin-gauged in the end. S h i t sometimes happens.


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## caesarmascetti

resurrecting an old thread, I just received my Dekla 40mm Pilot watch. First off the process, Dekla communicated very well with me and customized the watch. I asked for bright white as opposed to the aged look, also a "standard" crown (screw down) vs a diamond crown. This was no problem as they manufacture everything but the movement. The finish is a fine brushing overall the watch looks fantastic and wears really well. An early criticism of these watches were that they were sharp on the underside of the lugs, mine is definitely not, overall a great piece especially when you consider the price


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## caesarmascetti

caesarmascetti said:


> resurrecting an old thread, I just received my Dekla 40mm Pilot watch. First off the process, Dekla communicated very well with me and customized the watch. I asked for bright white as opposed to the aged look, also a "standard" crown (screw down) vs a diamond crown. This was no problem as they manufacture everything but the movement. The finish is a fine brushing overall the watch looks fantastic and wears really well. An early criticism of these watches were that they were sharp on the underside of the lugs, mine is definitely not, overall a great piece especially when you consider the price
> 
> View attachment 15018773


a few more pics and it's running spot on 19 hours in


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## Papichulo

^Absolutely stunning. Congratulations.


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## brshatch

Earthjade said:


> Apologies for reviving an old thread - just want to talk about my experience with Dekla.
> 
> So despite my reservations on size, I decided in the end that the price-value ratio was very good so I contacted Dekla around 20th of January and asked them to make me a Type-B flieger. In another thread, Yuriy Shapiro of Dekla said something like "tell us what you want and we can make the watch of your dreams".
> So I thought OK - let's give it a try!
> 
> First thing was I wanted a flatter sapphire crystal than the one they currently use on their flieger models. If you look at any photo of a Dekla flieger, you'll see just how severe the reflectivity is on the curved crystal they use. No way I wanted that.
> So I contacted Dekla on 20th of January and Yuriy Shapiro responds to me and I think great - these guys are really responsive and I'm getting encouraged. He gives me a great price for a Type-B flieger but flatter crystals are coming from a supplier later in the week. Could I wait for that? I said no problem.
> 
> .


I am so sorry. I just saw your message today. Since then a lot has changed. Crystals are less domed and are less reflected.

take care and stay healthy


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## amt76

Damn. Just ordered one. GERMAN MADE, customizable for under $800...
I went for the Sandwich C3 dial, Destro, extra hard case...
CAN'T WAIT!!!


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## kakefe

Anyone knows what is lug to lug measure of pilot 40mm case ?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk


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## Papichulo

kakefe said:


> Anyone knows what is lug to lug measure of pilot 40mm case ?
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk


Merhaba&#8230; 51mm lug to lug measurement, see first post of this thread and it has the specs.


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## kakefe

Papichulo said:


> Merhaba&#8230; 51mm lug to lug measurement, see first post of this thread and it has the specs.


merhaba , thanks for the heads up... but I am upset now 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk


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## phamdang2411

Hi there, is that a 42mm one? Also what is your wrist size?


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## wkw

Placed an order on a 40mm model with customization. 

Anxiously waiting..... 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## brshatch

L2L for our actual pilot watch cases: 


40mm - 47mm
42mm - 49.5mm
44mm - 53.5mm


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## phamdang2411

brshatch said:


> L2L for our actual pilot watch cases:
> 
> 40mm - 47mm
> 42mm - 49.5mm
> 44mm - 53.5mm


Are you sure these numbers are correct, because it says differently in your website:
40mm - 47.85mm
42mm - 51mm


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## brshatch

Just now measured. In the coming days we will put in order out web store. A full feature of customization will be added. Correct and complete product information


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## phamdang2411

brshatch said:


> Just now measured. In the coming days we will put in order out web store. A full feature of customization will be added. Correct and complete product information


OMG thank you! This is much much clearer now. I'm still considering between a 40mm and a 42mm, since the 40 has the lug width of 22mm, which is slightly out of normal proportion (40-20, 42-22). Have you considered making 20mm lug width for the 40mm?


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## Papichulo

What a quick resposne. I want to point out the attention to customer service and response from Dekla on the website and via email--outstanding!


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## brshatch

phamdang2411 said:


> OMG thank you! This is much much clearer now. I'm still considering between a 40mm and a 42mm, since the 40 has the lug width of 22mm, which is slightly out of normal proportion (40-20, 42-22). Have you considered making 20mm lug width for the 40mm?


today we have received an order for 40mm case with 20 lug width, it is no problem for us, without extra charge. Problem is, that we don't produce buckle and we don't have 20mm buckle at the moment


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## phamdang2411

brshatch said:


> today we have received an order for 40mm case with 20 lug width, it is no problem for us, without extra charge. Problem is, that we don't produce buckle and we don't have 20mm buckle at the moment


holy crap, hands down fastest response from a brand I've ever seen!!! Thank you, you guys are doing a great job. I will definitely place an order of a 40-20mm lug width, and expecting 20mm buckle from the near future. Best of luck to you, great job, I'm so happy hahaha!


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## kakefe

40mm , 47L2L and 20mm lugs seems greatly proportional..
Nice to hear that..

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk


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## omeglycine

phamdang2411 said:


> holy crap, hands down fastest response from a brand I've ever seen!!! Thank you, you guys are doing a great job. I will definitely place an order of a 40-20mm lug width, and expecting 20mm buckle from the near future. Best of luck to you, great job, I'm so happy hahaha!


Seriously, they seem to be getting everything right. I am very happy with my decision to purchase from Dekla, looking forward to the arrival of my watch, and hoping for a lot of success for the brand.


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## wkw

brshatch said:


> today we have received an order for 40mm case with 20 lug width, it is no problem for us, without extra charge. Problem is, that we don't produce buckle and we don't have 20mm buckle at the moment


I happened to place an order of a 40mm pilot with blue dial and 20mm lug size. Looking forward to receive my first Dekla.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## phamdang2411

wkw said:


> I happened to place an order of a 40mm pilot with blue dial and 20mm lug size. Looking forward to receive my first Dekla.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Hey buddy, please do let me know when it arrives, I'm so down for one with 20mm lug width, it looks much more pleasing, also easier to find straps. Thank you!


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## wkw

phamdang2411 said:


> Hey buddy, please do let me know when it arrives, I'm so down for one with 20mm lug width, it looks much more pleasing, also easier to find straps. Thank you!


Sure thing. I'm asking for some customization work on the watch so it may take longer than usual. I'll post some pictures once I got it.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## jmariorebelo

Dekla have updated their website and I must say it's a big improvement. Clean, straightforward, lots of information available. Great deal of customization too, even offering the 6steel hardened cases in the pilot watches. 

Excellent stuff really. I had my mind set on trying a Laco Kempten but Dekla are making a case for themselves here.

Also, and I hope @brshatch can answer, have the minute hands on the type B watches been redesigned? One of my biggest problems with the watch was how the lume only started almost halfway from the stem, but not it appears that the lumed part of the hand is much longer, which I greatly prefer.

Edit: one further question, is the option for 20mm lugs still available?


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## brshatch

I do not think, it is a disadvantage. We did it on purpose. We have a beautiful and uniform blue color, we wanted to have as much as possible.
about 20mm lugs - you can add your wishes while ordering process


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## Dima_real

Almost ready to order a 42mm type A. 
Wish i could get the dial Black lacquered with BGW9 and hands with BGW9 ... but this option is not available at the customization panel of Dekla.
The customization panel give the option of DIAL Black lacguered with white C3 and HANDS white Superluminova C3 or white Superluminova BGW9
1. As far as i know the C3 is yellowish, not white like the C1 and the BGW9. Is this right?
2. In case my choice is dial with C3 and hands with BGW9 the difference in the colors will be visible under the daylight?


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## jmariorebelo

C3 is/can be white, but glows so well it does get a slight green tint under some lighting conditions. I have a Chris Ward with C3 X1 and it's extremely white under bright sunlight, and extremely powerful as well. 

C3 glows green, BGW9 glows blue. The difference should be noticeable. Check Zelos videos on youtube for some examples of bicolour lume. Omega also uses bicolour on the planet ocean, for example.


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## Dima_real

Thank you jmariorebelo 
Bicolour at night is not a problem at all. The _noticeable difference_ at daylight is a problem. This is the only that worries me.
If C3 is white then i have no reason to take the risk of bicolour at daylight.

Still wish i could have only BGW9 like in the Stowa Verus Sport which i have tried and looks amazing but comes in almost double price and without blued hands.


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## amt76

Does anyone else have a Dekla being built? Just wondering as I'm in my 4th week and have not heard anything...
They state 2 to 3 weeks but I know that's never the case. Just wondering how many others are waiting and how long have you been waiting? Thanks in advance. 


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## brshatch

it is true that due COVID-19 we have some delays in production. By the end of this week all cases will be finished (some are already ready) and the next week we start to assemble.

Now we are starting to return to normal mode. Metalworking tools suppliers are starting to work just as well. 

Unfortunately, in-house production has its drawbacks. But at the same time, we are as flexible as possible.

I am so sorry for delay.


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## wkw

I placed an order of a 40mm pilot in mid April and I’m anxiously waiting for it. 

Understand the production takes longer than anticipated, due to the COVID19 and I’m ok with it. After all I’m stuck at home and my work performance has reduced tremendously. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Papichulo

I ordered mine on April Fools day (no pun) and Dekla and I customized mine. Subsequently, I was informed it will take a little more time. I have no worries since they communicate with me. I am still looking forward to its arrival as I have a second one in mind.


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## amt76

Anyone receive any info or receive their watch? I'm going on 7 weeks , on a watch I was told 2 to 3 weeks to build..
Just curious..

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## brshatch

amt76 said:


> Anyone receive any info or receive their watch? I'm going on 7 weeks , on a watch I was told 2 to 3 weeks to build..
> Just curious..
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


we have already started to send since last week. Within this week, we plan to assemble all watches. I'm happy we experienced these difficult times.

Please do not forget that we don't not just assemble the watch, but made many parts in-house. For example we get Superluminova too late, then it delays process.

everyone who waits a long time get a gift from us

Really sorry about delay and thank you very much for understanding. Stay healthy!


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## Papichulo

jmariorebelo said:


> C3 is/can be white, but glows so well it does get a slight green tint under some lighting conditions. I have a Chris Ward with C3 X1 and it's extremely white under bright sunlight, and extremely powerful as well.
> 
> C3 glows green, BGW9 glows blue. The difference should be noticeable. Check Zelos videos on youtube for some examples of bicolour lume. Omega also uses bicolour on the planet ocean, for example.


I have a Dekla with C3X1 and it was applied white and is a green torch at night.


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## brshatch

finally we got BGW9 Superluminova. We need a little time to finish all orders that were delayed due to COVID and then we will change it in our store.


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## Patagonico

brshatch, please add information about Dekla Marine in your web store. THX.


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## StufflerMike

Patagonico said:


> brshatch, please add information about Dekla Marine in your web store. THX.


Please, WatchUSeek is not a message board for manufacturers, next time send Dekla an email. Thank you.


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## amt76

Anyone receive their Deklas....Would love to see some pics?

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## amt76

Papichulo said:


> I have a Dekla with C3X1 and it was applied white and is a green torch at night.


Pics or it don't exist...

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## Papichulo

amt76 said:


> Pics or it don't exist...
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## audio.bill

A new video review of Dekla Pilot watch by Just One More Watch:


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## Notwearingpantz

So are the 40mm pilot watches C3 or C3X1?
Any chance of a lumed seconds hand in the future? Only thing stopping me from ordering one


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## awrose

42mm Type A


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## Dohnut

Had never heard of Dekla until I watched that Just One More Watch review a few days back. I'm liking the 42mm Type B. That blue sunburst dial with white markings reminds me of the IWC Le Petit Prince special editions.

At the given pricepoint, being able to build/order your own spec is a great touch and no doubt makes each purchase feel more personal. I'm hooked!


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## DSDickson

brshatch said:


> we have already started to send since last week. Within this week, we plan to assemble all watches. I'm happy we experienced these difficult times.
> 
> Please do not forget that we don't not just assemble the watch, but made many parts in-house. For example we get Superluminova too late, then it delays process.
> 
> everyone who waits a long time get a gift from us
> 
> Really sorry about delay and thank you very much for understanding. Stay healthy!


Herr brshatch- NO free gift here! I ordered on April 28 and have to say it was a long wait. However ...

My Type B arrived today and it is beautiful. One small oink under 10x magnification and one squeal, otherwise about as perfect as it gets. I'll try to post fotos and commentary soon.


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## AFG08

I’m about ready to order an A dial if the wait time is not too long. I sent an inquiry to Dekla. 
Anyone place an order recently and received their watch?


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## awrose

AFG08 said:


> Anyone place an order recently and received their watch?


I just got mine but I put my order in in April....


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## wkw

AFG08 said:


> I'm about ready to order an A dial if the wait time is not too long. I sent an inquiry to Dekla.
> Anyone place an order recently and received their watch?
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Order placed in mid April and I'm still anxiously waiting for their updates.....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## brshatch

wkw said:


> Order placed in mid April and I'm still anxiously waiting for their updates.....
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Dear, please. If you ask to make an individual watch case for you, as in your case and individual dial with your print, please understand that this may take longer.

We have made a case for you according to your wishes and a new dial. All this was individual and made only for you. This was not a standard order.

I understand that it's hard for you to imagine how difficult it is to do and how much time it takes. Believe me, it's not as easy as laser engraving or else.

To make individual dial, we need to make a design, order a cliche, setup the machine can take several hours. Since this is a single order, it may turn out that the only dial will be damaged (by the way, as it was in your case) and then you do it all over again.


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## brshatch

May I publish photo of your watch here? Your watch os finished


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## wkw

brshatch said:


> Dear, please. If you ask to make an individual watch case for you, as in your case and individual dial with your print, please understand that this may take longer.
> 
> We have made a case for you according to your wishes and a new dial. All this was individual and made only for you. This was not a standard order.
> 
> I understand that it's hard for you to imagine how difficult it is to do and how much time it takes. Believe me, it's not as easy as laser engraving or else.
> 
> To make individual dial, we need to make a design, order a cliche, setup the machine can take several hours. Since this is a single order, it may turn out that the only dial will be damaged (by the way, as it was in your case) and then you do it all over again.


Thanks for taking your time to update the status. Very much appreciated. Yes, at the early phase of the order, I have been informed the process of my order will be longer, as a result of an individual dial printing.

Understand a lot has been happening in the past months globally so things may not proceed according to plan. I am just not aware there has been a problem in the dial printing process.

I am quite excited to get this watch as this is a gift for my wife as an anniversary gift. Furthermore, I have already made plans to order other Dekla watches, including a matching set with similar custom works.

I am alright with the wait, as I had previous experience waiting for longer time for a watch with less customization.

I am glad to learn about Dekla, a company willing to go through a lot of extra work, offering individual options for watch enthusiasts like me. Thank you !

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## wkw

brshatch said:


> May I publish photo of your watch here? Your watch os finished


Absolutely. I am fine with this. Thanks brshatch.

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## brshatch

> Understand a lot has been happening in the past months globally so things may not proceed according to plan. I am just not aware there has been a problem in the dial printing process.


I know that you did not know about this. I thought you didn't know that we do it for free. And the extra money that you paid, we buy a clichee for printing. But for the production itself we do not take money.

It's good when you see defect right by printing. And if you already assemble the watch and then you need to make it again? You don't have any chance to change dial by assembling.

Dear, I understand that we must inform all of these risks in advance regarding the timing of production, because it's all handmade. We try and continue to maximize individuality for little money (sometimes even for free).


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## wkw

brshatch said:


> I know that you did not know about this. I thought you didn't know that we do it for free. And the extra money that you paid, we buy a clichee for printing. But for the production itself we do not take money.
> 
> It's good when you see defect right by printing. And if you already assemble the watch and then you need to make it again? You don't have any chance to change dial by assembling.
> 
> Dear, I understand that we must inform all of these risks in advance regarding the timing of production, because it's all handmade. We try and continue to maximize individuality for little money (sometimes even for free).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 15332307


Thank you for the update.

I truly appreciate there are so much works performed behind the scene. I'm pleased to learn the effort Dekla team spent on the watch. The extra works, devotion, especially at this difficult time, is highly appreciated. Thank you.

I will place my second order soon 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## singularityseven

Love those blue dials. Congratulations wkw!


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## wkw

singularityseven said:


> Love those blue dials. Congratulations wkw!


Thanks singularityseven. I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm afraid I'm about to blow my Guinand budget for Dekla...

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## singularityseven

wkw said:


> Thanks singularityseven. I'm really looking forward to it.
> 
> I'm afraid I'm about to blow my Guinand budget for Dekla...
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Haha, I know that feeling. I dropped all my savings on Guinands. So much for diversity in the collection!


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## 74notserpp

DSDickson said:


> ... I'll try to post fotos and commentary soon.
> 
> View attachment 15329490


The bicolour dial looks great! 
Can you please include a lume shot when you add more pics? 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## wkw

Guys, Dekla Pilot landed today.

I opened it up immediately after work and my first impression is that it is a great looking watch. I ordered a 40mm pilot with customized 20mm lug size and special dial printing. Dekla is very accommodating and they built a watch to my specifications.

Upon inspection of the watch, I found the bead-blasted finishing is in very good quality. The blue dial got a purple-ish tone. The hands are nicely made and indexes are nicely printed.

I did not have a chance to strap it on my wrist as the watch is a gift for my wife. She likes it very much and she will wear it over the weekend. I will observe how the dial color changes under different lighting conditions later.

It took sometime for Dekla to build this watch and I believe it is worth the wait.

I am more excited about this watch than my better half. I will definitely get my own soon.

Sorry for the long message.

Here's some quick and dirty iPhone pictures. Please excuse the quality.




























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## StufflerMike

I am sure your wife will love it.


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## wkw

Thanks Mike. In fact she likes it very much.

I also got her an IWC style strap in mocha color. Turns out she is very happy with the strap that came with the watch, as the color tone matched with the old radium perfectly.

She is pleasantly surprised by this.

If she is happy, then I'm happy 

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## singularityseven

Congrats! That dial looks wonderful.


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## wkw

reflections of the blue dial looks pretty amazing under the sun light.

It changes from purplish-blue to navy blue, subject to lighting conditions.

I'm very pleased.

Thanks










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## 10clone

First time poster and I never do reviews but wanted to leave a note about Dekla.

Basically the pandemic reignited my love of watches again and one of the watches I became very interested in purchasing was a type b flieger.

For me, t's different shopping for a flinger, since you have many options to choose from since they are all using the same dial design. From the original 5 down to budget options. Saw that Dekla builds their parts and watches in house, with swiss movements, at competitive pricing, in Germany. Which helped make my decision since it is a German flieger.

After getting the watch on Thursday I have to say I am very satisfied. I got the 40 mm and the quality is evident right out of the box. Case is nicely finished, hands and dial are super clear and clean. Lume was great last night when I took a look. Strap is a really nice and comfortable and no issues fitting my 6.75 inch wrist. The watch sits great on my wrist as well. And the crown looks very cool and nicely machined. I am running at +2 seconds over 3 days which really impressed me.

So if you were trying to decide which company to go with for your german flinger I definitely recommend going with Dekla. It's a great bargain for under $500 including shipping.

I am so pleased I am going to purchase their Turbulenz model as my next watch. Love the design of a modern looking flieger.

Bad cell phone pics but wanted to leave a few.


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## StufflerMike

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Appreciated. Edited your pics, they now show up in full scale.


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## phamdang2411

10clone said:


> First time poster and I never do reviews but wanted to leave a note about Dekla.
> 
> Basically the pandemic reignited my love of watches again and one of the watches I became very interested in purchasing was a type b flieger.
> 
> For me, t's different shopping for a flinger, since you have many options to choose from since they are all using the same dial design. From the original 5 down to budget options. Saw that Dekla builds their parts and watches in house, with swiss movements, at competitive pricing, in Germany. Which helped make my decision since it is a German flieger.
> 
> After getting the watch on Thursday I have to say I am very satisfied. I got the 40 mm and the quality is evident right out of the box. Case is nicely finished, hands and dial are super clear and clean. Lume was great last night when I took a look. Strap is a really nice and comfortable and no issues fitting my 6.75 inch wrist. The watch sits great on my wrist as well. And the crown looks very cool and nicely machined. I am running at +2 seconds over 3 days which really impressed me.
> 
> So if you were trying to decide which company to go with for your german flinger I definitely recommend going with Dekla. It's a great bargain for under $500 including shipping.
> 
> I am so pleased I am going to purchase their Turbulenz model as my next watch. Love the design of a modern looking flieger.
> 
> Bad cell phone pics but wanted to leave a few.
> View attachment 15345740
> View attachment 15345742


Congrats! May I ask is this a 20mm lug width or a 22mm lug width version


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## wkw

phamdang2411 said:


> Congrats! May I ask is this a 20mm lug width or a 22mm lug width version


Thanks for raising this question. In fact I am interested to find out too.

Back in April, 40mm pilot watches came with a 22mm lug size. However, they recently changed to 20mm.

On the other hand, both 42 and 44mm pilot watches are still fit with a 22mm lug size.

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## DSDickson

phamdang2411 said:


> Congrats! May I ask is this a 20mm lug width or a 22mm lug width version


I am not the OP but received my 40mm Type B last month. I have not had time to post my thoughts yet.

Interestingly, when I ordered in April 2020 I did not ask for lugs to be 20mm and expected 22mm as I have various 22mm straps on hand. When watch arrived lugs measure 20mm. I am glad as 20mm lugs "look right" on this 40mm case; this might be Dekla's new norm. I have not checked to see if their Web listing has been revised.


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## jmariorebelo

DSDickson said:


> I am not the OP but received my 40mm Type B last month. I have not had time to post my thoughts yet.
> 
> Interestingly, when I ordered in April 2020 I did not ask for lugs to be 20mm and expected 22mm as I have various 22mm straps on hand. When watch arrived lugs measure 20mm. I am glad as 20mm lugs "look right" on this 40mm case; this might be Dekla's new norm. I have not checked to see if their Web listing has been revised.


Indeed it was revised a few weeks ago.


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## 10clone

phamdang2411 said:


> Congrats! May I ask is this a 20mm lug width or a 22mm lug width version


Lugs are 20 mm. Dekla was nice enough to remake my watch when I assume the 20mm lug cases were finished. I didnt even ask but they recommended i go with it.


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## M6TT F

awrose said:


> 42mm Type A


Is that the brown or black strap option?

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## awrose

M6TT F said:


> Is that the brown or black strap option?


Black - but although it's darker in person than the photos it's not really very black.


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## Dima_real

Searching for an everyday *legible,* water resistant automatic tool watch I discovered the DEKLA watches. Their fliegers are not so modern like the STOWA, not so close to the original like the LACO while DEKLA gives you the possibility of high customization.

I ordered and purchased the following:

DEKLA Pilot watch 42mm Type A
Automatic - ETA 2824
Band lug width: 22 mm
Case thickness: 11,2 mm
Lug to Lug: 49,8 mm
Hand Brushed case with* Individual Engraving*
Diamond screw down crown - 10ATM
Dial black lacquered - White BGW9
Hands heat blued - White Superluminova BGW9
Sapphire crystal, slightly domed, anti-reflective inside

The dimensions are good for my 7.5'' wrist (I am a big man) even it looks bigger than it is due to the large dial. It looks much bigger than my Speedmaster Professional (42mm) but a small pilot watch does not make sense to me!!! It is so simple and beautiful, tough, legible and comfortable.

I am already connected with this piece. Of course, the individual engraving helped a lot to this direction.
It is a keeper for me and my business partner who has got a twin watch.


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## usc1

I’m intrigued by this watch. Anyone prefer bead blasted vs hand brushed? I know bead blasted but not familiar with hand brushed. Is that another term for satin? I know sinn uses this term. 


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## bonsaiguy

I am looking to place an order for Type A Dekla Flieger 40mm today. I love the style of the watch and have been looking for a nicely finished German Flieger with lots of customisation options and this is the first watch that really ticks those boxes for me. I do like the history of the Stowas, Lacos but I like the care to detail and artistry that this small company seem to be putting into their watches. much much better than the bigger options who presumably use much more automation to crank their watches out. I actually like the idea that it will take a month or two (possibly more) to arrive as I know they're doing a custom job with each watch.

I was hoping @brshatch might be able to share a couple of photos of a side by side comparison of watches with the bead blasted finish and the hand brushed finishes. I have seen lots of photos of individual watches but difficult to see how dull the finish is on the bead blasted case against the hand brushed. That's my last decision to make!


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## bonsaiguy

Another request for @brshatch to answer. On the 40mm Flieger watches I presume the lug width is still 20mm not the earlier 22mm, right? Thanks!


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## brshatch

Hello *bonsaiguy*,

here are two video - brushed and bead blasted cases:











correct, now all our 40mm cases have 20mm lugs width. On request we can produce 22mm


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## bonsaiguy

Thank you very much @brshatch . Decision made. They both look great but I think the brushed case looks amazing. Order to be placed a little later on today. 20mm lug width is what I was wanting so that is good news. Thanks again!


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## bonsaiguy

Order placed. I'll be looking forward to receiving this in due course.


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## bonsaiguy

Just to close down my part of this story... After 8 weeks my watch arrived and it is totally perfect. I couldn't be happier with the craftsmanship that has clearly gone into it. The dial is beautifully crisp and it is really comfortable on my wrist. The 40mm version was the right choice for me (I went back and forth between this and the 42mm version). Thanks to @brshatch and the team for their hard work.

I already shared the photo on the 'wrist shots only' thread but here it is again...


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## DSDickson

Perhaps a silly question, but how accurate is you fellas hand winding Pilots running?

My Type B is running very slow: -16.5 for October; -21.4 for November & -21 so far in December.


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## a to the k

My second Dekla, perfect, as well. B-type, hand winding, 42mm. Like it better than my former old radium, which I sold.


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## earlofsodbury

My xmas present to myself (sad, right?) arrived a few days ago, so I thought I'd add a review of this very excellent wristwatch:

Pics first:

Arrived well wrapped and triple-boxed.









Excellent quality wooden inner box:









Safe & sound:









Wow! This thing *POPS!























*

"You need hands..."









Crowning glory:









Round the back:









Nice quality signed buckle:









In the dark:









I'd had my eye on Dekla's range of pilot's watches for a while - they're a perfect fit with my collection: I didn't have a flieger, they're highly configurable, have an option for hardened steel casework - called "6Steel" by Dekla - which is important to me, and all made in-house in Stuttgart (Swiss movements aside). A forthcoming price rise, plus uncertainty over the post-Brexit-madness trading situation prompted me to finally commit to a design and get it ordered. A little over 3 weeks later, this arrived.

You can choose between 3 case-sizes, two straps, 6 hand finishes, 6 dials, 3 different case finishes, casework engraving or not, two crown styles in each of two finishes, and two automatic and one hand-winding movements! 
I _really_ appreciate this configurability - great USP Dekla!

First impressions are that it exceeds anything that I had expected - by some margin. Dekla's website isn't as bad as a lot of watch manufacturers, but the graphic renders used in their bespoke model builder do not do the watches justice, and (last time I looked) there were no photos of the blue-dialled options. My photos are not much better, but they're a step closer to how very nice this is in reality. You really need to handle and wear one to appreciate how good it is...

Case quality is _easily_ a match for the obvious competition - e.g. Damasko, Sinn, Archimede, Laco, _&c_; I'm not sure how it stands-up against pricier competition like IWC as I've not handled one, but they are _hugely_ more expensive. The bead-blasted finish on the hardened "6Steel" case is satiny smooth and perfectly uniform, even on the awkwardly-shaped (from a refinishing POV) crown.
The large crown is a joy to use - designed as they originally were for use by pilots wearing gloves, it's hilariously easy to wind or adjust. It's non screw-down, which is certainly convenient, yet the watch still has a very adequate 100m WR.

The sapphire crystal is nearly flat, but just slightly convex - which looks a lot better to me than dead-flat, and potentially spreads the load from impacts better. The antireflective coatings are internal only - also a bonus in my books, as they always scratch too easily.

The dial is the highlight of the watch for me - it's a beautiful, deep - almost purple - indigo blue, except when the sunburst finish catches the light - then it scintillates a vivid sapphire-blue. It's pad-printed very precisely with a slightly off-white lume that tones perfectly - not too stark and bright, and not the muddy-orange that is supposed to resemble aged lume.

I opted for heat-blued hands, and they are beautifully finished aside from a tiny wisp of lume overpaint visible only under magnification. Their colour, lovely though it is, does make the watch less readable to my knackered old eyes. 
I did consider the solid gold hand option, but was concerned they'd look out-of-place if the lume was the bright white shown in renders. In truth, they would have been a better choice from the legibility POV, but it won't bother me - the blue is gorgeous.

The movement is an in-house regulated Sellita SW200 - it's an automatic, but hand-winds incredibly smoothly and easily - albeit I understand this is best avoided with most of these ETA-derived units. I eschewed the upgraded ETA movement as it's an under-£600 watch that will be worn in rotation with a ton of others, so just doesn't justify the cost, plus there's no window in the caseback through which to admire a well-finished movement. We'll see how accuracy holds-up in coming days - so far, three days in, it's not drifted at-all.

The lume is decent - utilising typical cooking-grade LumiNova, adequate for most purposes, but not blistering high-end Seiko grade. It's an off-white BGW9 with a blue-green afterglow, which is a better choice than a brilliant white. The watch's one fault lies with the lume: i.e. there is none on the second hand - hardly _essential_, but a really daft omission.

I went for the lighter, tan-coloured strap, and it's a lovely thing - soft and comfy, very well put-together, and benefits from a good quality signed buckle; the 20mm width and overall look is perfect for a watch of this style and it should age nicely with wear.

I chose the 40mm case option in part because Dekla's website renders make it _seem_ that the 42mm and 44mm cases use the same dial and crystal size as the 40mm, and so look a little lumpen and odd as they scale-up - I'd love to see all three sizes together to ascertain if this is true. 40mm is at the smaller end of what I normally wear, but this thing wears *BIG* - it is _ALL_ dial, and the big crown adds to the impression of girth! The generous dial size (~37.5mm dia.) and shallow inset makes the watch _very_ legible - more so than a number of larger-cased watches that I own which have relatively puny and deep-set dials. The fact that the watch is not actually all that big overall (40 x 47mm), thick (10.6mm), or heavy (65g), plus its tapering, downturned lugs and good soft strap mean it is extremely versatile and comfortable on the wrist - it's easy to forget it's there at-all.

There's a few things I'd change - if I was ordering again I'd go for the gold hands, the second hand needs to be lumed - the watch's only real fault, drilled lugs would be a worthwhile upgrade, and given that it's not a purist take on the Flieger style - a date window would be good, too... Seconds-hand aside, this is a wish-list, not a critique.

All said, I love this pretty thing, and am very glad I bit the bullet (and dodged price-rises _and_ x-channel shipping problems too!). Even at the slightly higher prices now in place, this is the sweetest of sweetspots for me for quality _vs_ cost. I'd even go so far as to say *it's a bargain* - it's not the usual Chinese-milled stuff found at this price point, upsold and flogged from a small office in the right town - it is made almost entirely in-house by Dekla in Stuttgart, and it benefits greatly from their very original and refreshing approach to this familiar wristwatch style: I wish them the utmost in well-deserved success.

Pilot 40 webpage/configurator here.


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## NC_Hager626

@earlofsodbury, thanks for your excellent initial impressions, overview and pics of your Dekla Pilot Type-B watch. And, from your pics, it truly is a stunning piece.


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## wkw

Just took delivery of a 40mm pilot. I'm a happy camper !!!










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## GoBuffs11

wkw said:


> Just took delivery of a 40mm pilot. I'm a happy camper !!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Sandwich dial looks great. Lume
Shot?


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## earlofsodbury

Yep, that sandwich dial is very compelling - hope they expand its scope over time, I could be very tempted.


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## wkw

Thanks guys.

Here are the lume shots as requested.

20 seconds under a desk lamp:










30 mins out:










An hour later:










1.5 hours after:










Apologize for the poor quality of the last 2 shots as my phone wasn't able to capture the dial correctly 

My comment is that the lume quality is pretty good on a pilot watch.

I got another Dekla with old radium paint and the lume color is green instead of blue.

As a whole, I must say Dekla product got the highest value, even after the recent price hike.

Thanks

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## ItFromDawes

Ordered my pilot in early November and I don't mind waiting because honestly the wait is almost better than getting the watch.


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## bonsaiguy

earlofsodbury said:


> Case quality is _easily_ a match for the obvious competition - e.g. Damasko, Sinn, Archimede, Laco, _&c_; I'm not sure how it stands-up against pricier competition like IWC as I've not handled one, but they are _hugely_ more expensive. The bead-blasted finish on the hardened "6Steel" case is satiny smooth and perfectly uniform, even on the awkwardly-shaped (from a refinishing POV) crown.
> The large crown is a joy to use - designed as they originally were for use by pilots wearing gloves, it's hilariously easy to wind or adjust. It's non screw-down, which is certainly convenient, yet the watch still has a very adequate 100m WR.


Great summary, thanks for sharing! I feel the same way about my 40mm Flieger which I received a few months ago (see pics earlier in this thread). The only surprise I saw in your write-up was that your crown doesn't screw down. Mine does (I wasn't expecting it to based on what I had read on their site but quite happy that it does). I have the same diamond style crown (which I love) and it is just odd that there is a difference between the two watches produced so close together.

Enjoy the watch! They are great value for money.


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## ItFromDawes

Diamond Crown with automatic movement - Screw Down
Diamond Crown with hand wound movement - Push/Pull

Onion Crown with both auto or hand wound is push/pull

When I e-mailed them to ask about water resistance they said both are 10 atm


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## ItFromDawes

Is COVID slowing down shipping in Germany right now? My tracking says my watch shipped out from Ditzingen on Jan 8th and as of today it's in Cologne. When the heck will it get on a plane?


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## gangrel

ItFromDawes said:


> Is COVID slowing down shipping in Germany right now? My tracking says my watch shipped out from Ditzingen on Jan 8th and as of today it's in Cologne. When the heck will it get on a plane?


Well, the 8th was Friday, so there's a weekend in there...and if it didn't get loaded onto the truck until Friday evening, it's possible it never started to move until Monday. Travel Monday might mean, checked in at Cologne today. Some of this probably is due to Covid, too. Then, if it's leaving from Cologne, there's probably customs processing...when I got my Dekla, this is where some UPS flunky tried to gouge me by asserting a bogus, EXPENSIVE, brokerage request. And, I might add, this added a significant amount to the shipping time.

International shipping can definitely seem like Chinese water torture. The Dekla mentioned above; then, right before Christmas, I got my Timor Heritage from England. It ended up with a small customs fee...but DHL then tacked about $45 in their charges. And that added a day or two onto the process...on a watch I got on Dec. 23rd. Argh!!  Yes, it can be quite stressful, but it is moving unless you see something like a customs hold. I do think covid is causing delays...larger volumes being shipped, employee schedules subject to quarantine disruption, fewer flights tending to mean a reduced capacity to transship. These are factors with shipping even just in the US.


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## earlofsodbury

bonsaiguy said:


> The only surprise I saw in your write-up was that your crown doesn't screw down. Mine does (I wasn't expecting it to based on what I had read on their site but quite happy that it does). I have the same diamond style crown (which I love) and it is just odd that there is a difference between the two watches produced so close together.


Hmmm... Good point well made - I am quite sure that it is not possible to screw this crown down, and yet (while I'm unwilling to open up the back just yet) I can quite easily feel the movement of the automatic rotor, so I'm pretty certain it is indeed auto and not hand-wound!

I'm not overly concerned, but I shall write to Dekla and see what explanation is forthcoming!

------

Coincidentally, trying it on a CheapestNatoStraps "Spitfire" strap today - appreciating the irony in the name, _and_ enjoying the period look, too...


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## Shrek2

Seriously considering the A dial! Do the newer model casebacks specify the movement (ETA, SW) or just manual or automatic? Thanks.


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## DSDickson

Shrek2 said:


> Seriously considering the A dial! Do the newer model casebacks specify the movement (ETA, SW) or just manual or automatic? Thanks.


I have a manual "B" Uhr from early summer 2020 and it is stamped with the movement "ETA 2801" on the case back.


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## ItFromDawes

My manual winder from December 2020 does not have the movement stamped on the back. It does have "Sellita 210" checkmarked in the booklet that came in the box.

Also mine has been running -3 per day and wearing it is a pleasure. Winding action is stiffer than my Hamilton but the crown is so well made I love using it. Replaced the leather strap immediately because it's absurdly thick. My Colareb leather strap is nearly half as thick.


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## bonsaiguy

So yours states HANDAUFZ which I reckon means hand winding. My October 2020 auto says AUTOMATIK in that top spot. No mention of the Sellita movement on the case.


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## maxhav

Has anyone got a bead blasted finish for the case, crown and bezel? Keen on bead blasting and the bi color dial of the B type but i need a more real life pics.


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## wkw

sx1 said:


> Has anyone got a bead blasted finish for the case, crown and bezel? Keen on bead blasting and the bi color dial of the B type but i need a more real life pics.


Yes I do. Except that the quality of the pictures is not the best.....



















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## maxhav

wkw said:


> Yes I do. Except that the quality of the pictures is not the best.....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Perfect thanks!
I love the bead blasting that Laco has but i like the bi colour dial that Dekla offers. Thanks a lot for this, makes my decision easier. Dekla says 4-5 weeks to build it and i believe it'll take another 2-3 weeks to ship to AU, so if i order it now, i am looking at end March.


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## wkw

sx1 said:


> Perfect thanks!
> I love the bead blasting that Laco has but i like the bi colour dial that Dekla offers. Thanks a lot for this, makes my decision easier. Dekla says 4-5 weeks to build it and i believe it'll take another 2-3 weeks to ship to AU, so if i order it now, i am looking at end March.


You're welcome. I really like Dekla as they allow you to customize your watch. Everything are made in-house except for the movement and the glass. They offer top notch products in this price range.

The wait time takes longer as they build the watch after you placed the order. My experience is about 1 month but you can drop them an email and ask.

Happy shopping...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## maxhav

Done, just hit the purchase button for the B type dial, all bead blasted finish. Now the wait begins but I am not in any hurry so all good.


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## bonsaiguy

ItFromDawes said:


> Diamond Crown with automatic movement - Screw Down
> Diamond Crown with hand wound movement - Push/Pull
> 
> Onion Crown with both auto or hand wound is push/pull
> 
> When I e-mailed them to ask about water resistance they said both are 10 atm


Ah, thanks. That makes sense. Mine is an auto with the diamond crown so it does screw down.


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## Toy_Boi

How is the dial/lume application on Dekla watches? I have heard mixed reports.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## brshatch

Please don't compare the qualities now and 3 years ago. This applies to crystals, case, lum and everything else.

We produce all parts in-house and therefore we have the opportunity to improve every day


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## bonsaiguy

There is really good lume on my pilot watch ordered late last year.


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## Toy_Boi

brshatch said:


> Please don't compare the qualities now and 3 years ago. This applies to crystals, case, lum and everything else.
> 
> We produce all parts in-house and therefore we have the opportunity to improve every day


You are fantastic! I love that you are active on this forum and incredibly helpful. This convinced me to get a Dekla watch!


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## wkw

bonsaiguy said:


> There is really good lume on my pilot watch ordered late last year.


I second this comment.

Received my pilot in December last year and the lume was fantastic.










Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## john_marston

For a 18,5cm / 7.25in wrist, would you say 40mm flieger or 42mm? 

I usually default to 40mm, but a little bigger might suit me better.


----------



## DSDickson

john_marston said:


> For a 18,5cm / 7.25in wrist, would you say 40mm flieger or 42mm?
> 
> I usually default to 40mm, but a little bigger might suit me better.


Unequivocally 42mm. I am around 6.75" at most and wear a Laco straight lugged 42mm. Lugs don't stick out and are very comfortable. While big it just seems to work without looking like a billboard.


----------



## Toy_Boi

Has anyone tried to service a Dekla watch? Does Dekla perform servicing or should we send to a watch repairer?


----------



## john_marston

DSDickson said:


> Unequivocally 42mm. I am around 6.75" at most and wear a Laco straight lugged 42mm. Lugs don't stick out and are very comfortable. While big it just seems to work without looking like a billboard.


Thanks. I think I've been buying too small watches. After getting more involved in the community, I was thinking 38-40 was a sweet-spot, but slowly realising almost everyone saying that has sub-7in wrists.



Toy_Boi said:


> Has anyone tried to service a Dekla watch? Does Dekla perform servicing or should we send to a watch repairer?


Don't think they do, it's a small operation. They use generic Swiss movements though so fixing or servicing shouldn't be rocket science to any decent repairer.


----------



## tropicalbob

DSDickson said:


> My Type B arrived today and it is beautiful. One small oink under 10x magnification and one squeal, otherwise about as perfect as it gets. I'll try to post fotos and commentary soon.


Very nice. I want this!

Can you post a few more pics of your watch's case. I really wanted a Laco Erbstuck and noticed that its case looks kind of polished though patinated. I'm wondering if Dekla's polished/brushed finish would give the same feel I was looking for in the Laco.

Thanks,
tropicalbob


----------



## Buramu

john_marston said:


> Thanks. I think I've been buying too small watches. After getting more involved in the community, I was thinking 38-40 was a sweet-spot, but slowly realising almost everyone saying that has sub-7in wrists.


I disagree. My wrists are 7.5" and my sweet spot is 36-38mm. It's all subjective, but the huge-watch-fad is slowly going away in most parts of the world. I used to wear 40-42mm all the time, but now I'm used to more classic sizes those bigger watches look silly and unrefined (to me).

A watch doesn't need to cover the entire wrist to prove one's masculinity  The watch that conquered Mt. Everest was 34mm ?

Bottom line is: don't let others tell you what you should wear. If you enjoy your 38-40mm watches, then that's what counts. Pro-tip: to better judge how a watch looks on your own wrist, look in a mirror from a meter or two distance. That's how others will see it, and the proportions will look quite different than when you just glance down.

For Dekla watches I'd go 40mm, but I'm actually also looking at Stowa's 36mm Flieger, since their Marine 36 is my favorite watch.


----------



## john_marston

Buramu said:


> I disagree. My wrists are 7.5" and my sweet spot is 36-38mm. It's all subjective, but the huge-watch-fad is slowly going away in most parts of the world. I used to wear 40-42mm all the time, but now I'm used to more classic sizes those bigger watches look silly and unrefined (to me).
> 
> A watch doesn't need to cover the entire wrist to prove one's masculinity  The watch that conquered Mt. Everest was 34mm ?
> 
> Bottom line is: don't let others tell you what you should wear. If you enjoy your 38-40mm watches, then that's what counts. Pro-tip: to better judge how a watch looks on your own wrist, look in a mirror from a meter or two distance. That's how others will see it, and the proportions will look quite different than when you just glance down.
> 
> For Dekla watches I'd go 40mm, but I'm actually also looking at Stowa's 36mm Flieger, since their Marine 36 is my favorite watch.


Definitely a subjective thing! And no it's not about masculinity. I enjoy(ed) my 34-38mm watches, but think I enjoy my watches more with a bit more wrist presence.

I got caught thinking anything over 40mm was big. And in some cases (dress watches) it is. I did the 'mirror trick' and it makes them look much smaller to me. Idk, maybe next week I'll have a different opinion. But I used to rule out the 42 in favour of the 40, but now I'm thinking 42 might better. Also depends on other proportions, of course.


----------



## Buramu

A question about the Dekla bronze flieger: will the bronze develop a patina over time? We know that Stowa's bronze fliegers are pre-aged and then treated to not develop a further patina, but for me that sort of defeats the idea behind "going bronze".


----------



## AFG08

It will develop patina. Mine started showing it within a day or two of arrival.


----------



## Buramu

AFG08 said:


> It will develop patina. Mine started showing it within a day or two of arrival.


Good stuff. Care to share a picture?


----------



## AFG08

Here are a couple. The watch was received last September


----------



## Buramu

Excellent pictures, thanks for taking the effort of posting!


----------



## DSDickson

tropicalbob said:


> Very nice. I want this!
> 
> Can you post a few more pics of your watch's case. I really wanted a Laco Erbstuck and noticed that its case looks kind of polished though patinated. I'm wondering if Dekla's polished/brushed finish would give the same feel I was looking for in the Laco.
> 
> Thanks,
> tropicalbob


Hello Bob. I don't have my tripod to do proper closeup fotos ... so these are crappy phone ones. Hard to really get the feel for the fine brushed finish on the case sides. However, the polished and brushed finishes are extremely well done, I would say flawless.


----------



## HAR

Buramu said:


> A question about the Dekla bronze flieger: will the bronze develop a patina over time? We know that Stowa's bronze fliegers are pre-aged and then treated to not develop a further patina, but for me that sort of defeats the idea behind "going bronze".


I feel the same about that!


----------



## maxhav

maxhav said:


> Done, just hit the purchase button for the B type dial, all bead blasted finish. Now the wait begins but I am not in any hurry so all good.


Exactly a month after my purchase,I get a notification that Dekla have shipped it, now the wait begins, UPS says a week to get here to Sydney. Hopefully this time next week I'll have it and I can post a pic or two!


----------



## tropicalbob

Thank you very much for you review!



Quartersawn said:


> Stainless steel 316 L, bead-blasted


If you don't mind, I have a few questions on how the Dekla compares to the Laco you had.
1. How does the Dekla bead-blast case finish compare to the Laco sandblasted, e.g. finish, color?
2. What do you think of the bead-blast on the modern case vs. the Laco's more authentic case, e.g. does the bead-blast finish go well with the modern case style?
3. How did the 22mm vs. 20mm lug width on the watches compare, e.g. does a 22mm strap seem too chunky for a 42mm watch?

thanks,
tropicalbob


----------



## tropicalbob

maxhav said:


> Perfect thanks!
> I love the bead blasting that Laco has but i like the bi colour dial that Dekla offers. Thanks a lot for this, makes my decision easier. Dekla says 4-5 weeks to build it and i believe it'll take another 2-3 weeks to ship to AU, so if i order it now, i am looking at end March.


Please post pics when you get it!



DSDickson said:


> Hello Bob. I don't have my tripod to do proper closeup fotos ... so these are crappy phone ones. Hard to really get the feel for the fine brushed finish on the case sides. However, the polished and brushed finishes are extremely well done, I would say flawless.


Thank you very much for posting additional pics.

tropicalbob


----------



## wbob

tropicalbob said:


> Please post pics when you get it!
> 
> Thank you very much for posting additional pics.
> 
> tropicalbob


----------



## wbob

Hi Guys, 

Can someone please post a picture for onion crown?

Thanks


----------



## maxhav

So here it is, exactly 10 days to get from Stuttgart to Sydney after I placed my order in end Jan.

40 mm bead blasted and bi colour B dial

And it is stunning! Very happy with my choice and the quality of the product!


----------



## wkw

wbob said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> Can someone please post a picture for onion crown?
> 
> Thanks


Here you go.










Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## wbob

wkw said:


> Here you go.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Thank you for the image.
If you dont mine, can you please take a photo on the side angle on the crown.
I just want to see, how it look like sideways.

Regards


----------



## husonfirst

I'm interested in the 40mm Pilot. Does anyone know if the crystal is domed on top only or is it double-domed? Single-domed crystals tend to have some distortion when viewed at an angle.


----------



## brshatch

husonfirst said:


> I'm interested in the 40mm Pilot. Does anyone know if the crystal is domed on top only or is it double-domed? Single-domed crystals tend to have some distortion when viewed at an angle.


sure, double-domed


----------



## soundfanz

brshatch said:


> sure, double-domed





husonfirst said:


> I'm interested in the 40mm Pilot. Does anyone know if the crystal is domed on top only or is it double-domed? Single-domed crystals tend to have some distortion when viewed at an angle.


 I don't understand. Do you mean anti reflective on both sides of crystal? If so, it is only anti reflective on inside of crystal.

From website:
sapphire crystal, slightly domed
anti-reflective inside


----------



## brshatch

it was about the geometry of the glass - top side domed or double-domed. Our crystals are double domed and inside double AR coatiin


----------



## soundfanz

brshatch said:


> it was about the geometry of the glass - top side domed or double-domed. Our crystals are double domed and inside double AR coatiin


Thanks for clearing that up.


----------



## husonfirst

brshatch said:


> sure, double-domed


Thanks for the speedy reply!


----------



## interloper07

Maybe this has been answered before. 

Is it possible to visit the Dekla factory? When covid is over, I can’t think of a better souvenir from a visit to Germany than to pick up a new Flieger at its factory and maybe say Danke to the watchmaker that made it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## brshatch

sure, you can


----------



## Quartersawn

tropicalbob said:


> Thank you very much for you review!
> 
> If you don't mind, I have a few questions on how the Dekla compares to the Laco you had.
> 1. How does the Dekla bead-blast case finish compare to the Laco sandblasted, e.g. finish, color?
> 2. What do you think of the bead-blast on the modern case vs. the Laco's more authentic case, e.g. does the bead-blast finish go well with the modern case style?
> 3. How did the 22mm vs. 20mm lug width on the watches compare, e.g. does a 22mm strap seem too chunky for a 42mm watch?
> 
> thanks,
> tropicalbob


1. The Dekla finish is lighter colored and a bit finer grained - finishes on both watches are very well done. The Dekla case feels much heavier and more robust than the Laco case. I was surprised at how light the Laco felt when I first got it. 
2. Yes, I like it on the modern case. I am a big fan of bead-blasted finishes.
3. I think the 42mm case needs a 22mm strap. I had an Archimede 42mm watch and I thought the 20mm strap was undersized for the watch case. I think 20mm straps work best on watches 36-40mm in size.


----------



## brshatch

weight is associated with additional WR


----------



## ItFromDawes

In the future I hope you offer shorter leather straps. I love my 40mm but the leather strap is way too long for my 16.5cm wrists. Shame because I really like how thick and durable the strap is. Thanks for making such a great watch.


----------



## wkw

wbob said:


> Thank you for the image.
> If you dont mine, can you please take a photo on the side angle on the crown.
> I just want to see, how it look like sideways.
> 
> Regards


Sorry for belated reply. Here you go


















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ItFromDawes

Link to your strap/deployant? It's some Omega type thing right?


----------



## wkw

ItFromDawes said:


> Link to your strap/deployant? It's some Omega type thing right?


It's a replacement strap / deployant set for Tag Heuer.

I picked them up from strapsco a little while ago. Flawless translation.









Stainless Steel Deployment Clasp | StrapsCo


StrapsCo 316L stainless steel deployment clasp is designed with the watch straps with compatible clasp ends. Free Shipping!




strapsco.com





Hope this helps.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## wbob

wkw said:


> Sorry for belated reply. Here you go
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Awesome! Thank you for the image, I really appreciate it.


----------



## wbob

Hi All, 

Just want to ask, what's the lug to lug distance of 40mm watch?

Thank you


----------



## soundfanz

wbob said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Just want to ask, what's the lug to lug distance of 40mm watch?
> 
> Thank you


I assume you mean the Dekla 40mm Pilots?

From website it is 47.1mm for 2 of the Pilots. The other 40mm shown on page lists 47mm, but this might be a typo, especially if they share the same case.


----------



## wbob

soundfanz said:


> I assume you mean the Dekla 40mm Pilots?
> 
> From website it is 47.1mm for 2 of the Pilots. The other 40mm shown on page lists 47mm, but this might be a typo, especially if they share the same case.


Thank you!


----------



## wkw

wbob said:


> Awesome! Thank you for the image, I really appreciate it.


You're welcome. Hope this helps!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## wbob

soundfanz said:


> I assume you mean the Dekla 40mm Pilots?
> 
> From website it is 47.1mm for 2 of the Pilots. The other 40mm shown on page lists 47mm, but this might be a typo, especially if they share the same case.


Thanks


----------



## bonsaiguy

brshatch said:


> sure, you can


Awesome! That is a great idea. I might be tempted to try the same on my next Stuttgart trip.


----------



## interloper07

brshatch said:


> sure, you can


Awesome. Hope to see you next Summer!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## wkw

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## ItFromDawes

Had my 40mm pilot for almost 4 months now and it runs about -1 second a day.

If you guys ever make a 36mm case I'll grab the deck watch or turbulenz!


----------



## robi1138

Might have to get the B-dial flieger. Perhaps I should wait till I get my two other Deklas on order, lol.


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## StufflerMike

I'm a Turbulenz fan


----------



## Templarknight

I have been browsing the Dekla website for the past 2 weeks. I'm glad I stopped by; I was curious about the Old Radium and its lume. I'll be ordering the white lettering for sure. And I'm curious if anyone has a 44mm version. I have a big wrist and 42mm seems just not quite big enough.


----------



## Merv

I've been thinking for some time about getting a Dekla pilot watch. I recently saw this video below and noticed the caseback was not properly aligned i.e. when you hold the watch upright the writing and box is sloped a bit (see 4:31).






Do any other owners have misaligned casebacks? If so, does it bother you? I'm thinking my ocd would get the better of me if I was to get one that was crooked.

I started to consider paying extra for the clear caseback to avoid this possibility. It's a bit silly though, because I'm not really in love with the clear caseback, and why should I pay extra for something I don't want, just to avoid the possibility of a misaligned solid caseback?


----------



## jmariorebelo

Merv said:


> I've been thinking for some time about getting a Dekla pilot watch. I recently saw this video below and noticed the caseback was not properly aligned i.e. when you hold the watch upright the writing and box is sloped a bit (see 4:31).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Do any other owners have misaligned casebacks? If so, does it bother you? I'm thinking my ocd would get the better of me if I was to get one that was crooked.
> 
> I started to consider paying extra for the clear caseback to avoid this possibility. It's a bit silly though, because I'm not really in love with the clear caseback, and why should I pay extra for something I don't want, just to avoid the possibility of a misaligned solid caseback?


Why wouldn't you just ask for a sterile case back?

And aligning screwed parts is extremely difficult:









Technical Perspective: Why Screw Slots Aren't Aligned In Watchmaking


Rage, rage against the misalignment of the screw heads.




www.hodinkee.com





_"The screws are never aligned because it would be a very difficult engineering task to make sure that the start of each thread within the dial plate began in exactly the same orientation ... the length of the screw thread from the start of its thread to the underside of the screw-head would be critical and you would have to achieve ridiculously close tolerances."_


----------



## brshatch

It is very very difficult engineering task to get engraving on screwed case back horizontally. I would say, that it is more difficult if you screw case back *with* o-ring.

Big brands like Breitling or Omega can't do it. About 60-70% of our case engraving are horizontal positioned


----------



## Merv

jmariorebelo said:


> Why wouldn't you just ask for a sterile case back?
> 
> And aligning screwed parts is extremely difficult:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Technical Perspective: Why Screw Slots Aren't Aligned In Watchmaking
> 
> 
> Rage, rage against the misalignment of the screw heads.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.hodinkee.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _"The screws are never aligned because it would be a very difficult engineering task to make sure that the start of each thread within the dial plate began in exactly the same orientation ... the length of the screw thread from the start of its thread to the underside of the screw-head would be critical and you would have to achieve ridiculously close tolerances."_


Didn't know that was an option. Good tip though, thanks.


----------



## Merv

brshatch said:


> It is very very difficult engineering task to get engraving on screwed case back horizontally. I would say, that it is more difficult if you screw case back *with* o-ring.
> 
> Big brands like Breitling or Omega can't do it. About 60-70% of our case engraving are horizontal positioned


Yes I have an Omega with logo on the back that is slanted. I think when it's text rather than logo, the non-horizontal look seems more noticeable and unbalanced.


----------



## Merv

This arrived today. Very pleased with the quality and look. Everything top notch.


----------



## azerbaijanman

Question about the crystal on this watch, how’s the glare? Is the extra 50€ for AR coating on the outside with it?


----------



## OTNC

azerbaijanman said:


> Question about the crystal on this watch, how’s the glare? Is the extra 50€ for AR coating on the outside with it?


My watch just arrived, just over 6 weeks wait. Personally, would recommend the both sides ARC, as I ordered mine without, and the only bad thing I can say after unboxing is that the reflections are pretty noticable.

All the best.


----------



## Haf

Arrived today


----------



## Timedummy

Anyone get the glass caseback option?


----------



## Timedummy

Merv said:


> notch



awesome look. Is this a 42?


----------



## wkw

Timedummy said:


> Anyone get the glass caseback option?


Here’s a pilot watch with display back 




















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Timedummy

Looks great, thanks for posting. Much appreciated.


----------



## Timedummy

If you had the money to get the IWC would you? That is the question I am dabbling with. I can get the IWC BP43 or I can get like 3 watches for the same cost, including a Dekla that matches pretty close in terms of look.


----------



## GoBuffs11

Timedummy said:


> If you had the money to get the IWC would you? That is the question I am dabbling with. I can get the IWC BP43 or I can get like 3 watches for the same cost, including a Dekla that matches pretty close in terms of look.


I can’t help on would/wouldn’t but my IWC cost $900 to service(replaced the crystal otherwise would have been a few hundred cheaper) so factor that into your costs as well.


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## Timedummy

GoBuffs11 said:


> I can’t help on would/wouldn’t but my IWC cost $900 to service(replaced the crystal otherwise would have been a few hundred cheaper) so factor that into your costs as well.



The watch face? Cripes they've set themselves up like a car maker making their money off service.


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## GoBuffs11

Timedummy said:


> The watch face? Cripes they've set themselves up like a car maker making their money off service.


Sorry I was a bit off it was “only” $812 but that was in 2019. I just checked and they are charging $750 for the BP43 movement to be serviced. It will be more if the crown, crystal, etc. needs replacement.


----------



## tropicalbob

Haf said:


> Arrived today


Just wondering if you're buckle is SS or has Dekla changed to a matching bronze buckle yet?

Also, a general question to all Dekla owners that chose the old radium style lume what they think of the color? Some images show it to be very orange and in other images it's a bit more pale.


----------



## Haf

tropicalbob said:


> Just wondering if you're buckle is SS or has Dekla changed to a matching bronze buckle yet?
> 
> Also, a general question to all Dekla owners that chose the old radium style lume what they think of the color? Some images show it to be very orange and in other images it's a bit more pale.


Buckle is made of bronze and develops patina as expected.

I have no idea how to answer the color question, it's a pretty subjective request, from where I stand it's definitely closer to a somewhat "dirty" yellow as opposed to orange.


----------



## Conundrum1911

Just noticed Dekla seems to be shipping to Canada again (I think for a time that wasn’t the case, you had to use a reseller). Strongly leaning to picking up a 40 or 42 type B soon.

That said, is there any plans for black dial and blued hands in white with C3? I think that was offered in the past, but I don’t see it anymore. Not entirely sure I like the look of old radium (looks very yellow or even orange in pics vs off white), and for a flieger I’d want it to glow green vs the blue of BGW9. If old radium actually looks more cream/eggnog coloured though, then I'd be completely ok with that.

Also for those who own them, with a 7” wrist would you go 40 or 42? I’m leaning to 42 as I have some 44 divers, but a bit worried the all dial would make it look huge. I’m also tempted to pick up a pilot strap with the captive buckle (Laco used to make one, and Rios1931 makes the "Aviator") and thinking that might look better on the 42 vs the 40.


----------



## Wandering_Watcher10

Conundrum1911 said:


> Just noticed Dekla seems to be shipping to Canada again (I think for a time that wasn’t the case, you had to use a reseller). Strongly leaning to picking up a 40 or 42 type B soon.
> 
> That said, is there any plans for black dial and blued hands in white with C3? I think that was offered in the past, but I don’t see it anymore. Not entirely sure I like the look of old radium (looks very yellow or even orange in pics vs off white), and for a flieger I’d want it to glow green vs the blue of BGW9. If old radium actually looks more cream/eggnog coloured though, then I'd be completely ok with that.
> 
> Also for those who own them, with a 7” wrist would you go 40 or 42? I’m leaning to 42 as I have some 44 divers, but a bit worried the all dial would make it look huge. I’m also tempted to pick up a pilot strap with the captive buckle (Laco used to make one, and Rios1931 makes the "Aviator") and thinking that might look better on the 42 vs the 40.


This is old radium on mine: 


























Personally I love the way it looks. Not for everyone though...


----------



## StufflerMike

Wandering_Watcher10 said:


> This is old radium on mine….
> Personally I love the way it looks. Not for everyone though...


Like the strap-watch match.


----------



## Conundrum1911

Wandering_Watcher10 said:


> Personally I love the way it looks. Not for everyone though...


I'm still split, but since I won't be ordered for another month or so I guess I have time to mull it over. Your pics make it look more off-white with a hint of yellow (I guess like the colour of eggnog?) which I don't mind, compared to the pics on Dekla's site for the Type B that look almost orange.

That said, if there was your typical white with C3 I'd probably just go that route...essentially what Laco's Paderborn looks like. The blue lume just looks "wrong" to me, compared to C3 green, at least on a flieger (on modern designs I can take it either way).

Also, in terms of trying to stick fairly close to historical accuracy, were any of the original fliegers bicolour by design, or is that just a modern thing? If old radium is trying to make things look slightly aged, then it makes no sense that half the indices be "new" and half be "old".


----------



## Conundrum1911

Grrr...now it looks like Dekla is redirecting things to Watchbuys, which isn't customized and at an elevated price (significantly elevated). Emailed them to see if it is a glitch, or if we can no longer order direct from them at least from here in Canada.


----------



## StufflerMike

Conundrum1911 said:


> Grrr...now it looks like Dekla is redirecting things to Watchbuys, which isn't customized and at an elevated price (significantly elevated). Emailed them to see if it is a glitch, or if we can no longer order direct from them at least from here in Canada.


There‘s a thread about Watchbuys and Dekla, from 2021 iirc.


----------



## Conundrum1911

StufflerMike said:


> There‘s a thread about Watchbuys and Dekla, from 2021 iirc.


I know, and when I originally found out about Dekla last year (thanks to Jody at Just One More Watch), I saw I couldn't customize or get it as cheap as he did, and found the thread you mentioned. A few months back though I took another look, and it appeared that Dekla was shipping globally again, but now that no longer appears to be the case as the buy now and pricing is gone from their site.

Honestly with the pricing on Watchbuys, I'd rather get a Laco or Stowa with the brand history for a few hundred more. Dekla however would be a steal if I could buy direct from them at almost half the price of the others.

I've emailed Dekla though to see what they say.


----------



## brshatch

I very often read things like this.

Hmm, interesting. I would like to ask, is it only the "history" that forms the price?

It is very often 10 times more expensive to produce in Germany.


----------



## Conundrum1911

Definitely country of manufacture plays a big role in price (as it is always cheaper to produce things in China, Mexico, etc)...but with watches I think a big thing that drives MRSP is name and brand history/recognition. One just has to look to brands like Rolex and Omega -- The exact same watch, if made by a lesser known (but not lower quality) brand would be cheaper, as both Rolex and Omega know they can charge for the name on the dial and people will gladly pay.

As for Dekla vs Laco and Stowa, all are made in Germany so labour costs should be similar. Laco and Stowa definitely charge a premium for their names on the dial, which is what makes Dekla stand out as so affordable, almost a spec monster when ordered direct from Germany (if one can). Like I think I mentioned in other posts here...I found out about Dekla from Jody at Just One More Watch and it seemed like a steal at the price he paid...but looking at Watchbuys it almost seems like things are marked up at close to 200% (eg. a $500 USD watch costing $1000 if ordered through them in North America).


----------



## StufflerMike

Conundrum1911 said:


> As for Dekla vs Laco and Stowa, all are made in Germany so labour costs should be similar. Laco and Stowa definitely charge a premium for their names on the dial, which is what makes Dekla stand out as so affordable, almost a spec monster when ordered direct from Germany (if one can).


Labour cost is similar. Looking at Stowa and Laco most parts are sourced, nothing is made inhouse, no case, no dial, no hands (except for the occassional one), so they have to charge more because less and lesser is done in-house. They do not charge a premium for their names on the dial.


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## brshatch

Well, there are other (not bad) alternatives, not from Germany. Our client cares about that concerte people made it specifically for him. They care that the case is not made in China for $30, but in Europe. They care that the dial is not $3 from Taiwan, but printed by pad printing machine in Stuttgart

By the way, as far as Rolex is concerned, I can not agree. I get occasional update (in internet) on what they make. It's not just the brand. I mean, a similar dial can be made in China, but it's totally different.

For example a lacquered enamel dial costs $10 and a real grand feu enamel dial costs about $2,000. But the thing is, not everyone will see the difference.

What I can agree with is that Laco, DEKLA and Stowa are all assembled in Germany


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## Conundrum1911

Also my comment isn't so much what Dekla charges for their watch vs Laco...but what it costs for us consumers to buy them. If Dekla can sell direct for half the price of a retailer (because the retailer marks them up 200%), then it is the retailer that is lining their pockets, not the manufacturer. That's like me in the past being able to buy a Vostok from Russia direct for $70, but if I went through eBay or Amazon it is $170. It isn't Vostok making that extra money.


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## john_marston

StufflerMike said:


> so they have to charge more because less and lesser is done in-house.


Unless you outsource to Asia! I think everyone uses at least some Asian parts, question is how much, and how good are they?

Some cheaper Lacos makes me think they have almost all parts made in Asia, and assembled at home.


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## CM HUNTER

Assembled in isn't Made in. Been overlooked on these German forums for way too long now. Dekla stands out, as Archimede does, for giving you the most German Made for the least cost possible. Especially when compared to the popularity contest winning brands like Stowa and Laco that do indeed charge for that 1 of 5 originals merit while not offering that Made in. Even at the $900-1000 level, (with hardened case mind you) Dekla is a true German Made bargain.


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## kiwi8

Conundrum1911 said:


> Also my comment isn't so much what Dekla charges for their watch vs Laco...but what it costs for us consumers to buy them. If Dekla can sell direct for half the price of a retailer (because the retailer marks them up 200%), then it is the retailer that is lining their pockets, not the manufacturer. That's like me in the past being able to buy a Vostok from Russia direct for $70, but if I went through eBay or Amazon it is $170. It isn't Vostok making that extra money.


Fellow Canadian here! I've been quite interested in Dekla watches as well, particularly as they can customize. Was there an update on shipping directly to Canada? Watchbuys don't have some of the customization options that I want...


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## jsh1120

American consumer here. I just received my 40mm Type A Pilot watch purchased directly from Dekla on July 26, 2022 and assembled after that time. My watch included a number of customizations -- Bronze case and bezel. Blue sunray dial. Old Radium arabic numbers,Dekla logo and onion crown. FL engraving on the side of the case.Anti-reflective coating on both sides of the sapphire crystal. All for about $750 plus $40 shipping. Duplicating the watch from the WatchBuys distributor would have been significantly more expensive and impossible in some ways. 

Shortly after ordering the watch on the Dekla website I found the website would no longer accept orders from North American consumers. But because my order had been accepted on July 26, Dekla agreed to honor it and build my watch. Considering that the extensive customization of the watch (along with its comparatively low price) was the most attractive aspect of Dekla's offering, I think it's a shame that WatchBuys apparently has a different marketing approach. Had it been the only option for me, I would have chosen another brand.


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## Conundrum1911

jsh1120 said:


> American consumer here. I just received my 40mm Type A Pilot watch purchased directly from Dekla on July 26, 2022 and assembled after that time. My watch included a number of customizations -- Bronze case and bezel. Blue sunray dial. Old Radium arabic numbers,Dekla logo and onion crown. FL engraving on the side of the case.Anti-reflective coating on both sides of the sapphire crystal. All for about $750 plus $40 shipping. Duplicating the watch from the WatchBuys distributor would have been significantly more expensive and impossible in some ways.
> 
> Shortly after ordering the watch on the Dekla website I found the website would no longer accept orders from North American consumers. But because my order had been accepted on July 26, Dekla agreed to honor it and build my watch. Considering that the extensive customization of the watch (along with its comparatively low price) was the most attractive aspect of Dekla's offering, I think it's a shame that WatchBuys apparently has a different marketing approach. Had it been the only option for me, I would have chosen another brand.


You must have bought when I was looking too (but I never pulled the trigger). In my case 40mm type B, old radium, brushed normal steel case, manual wind...I think it came to somewhere around the $400-500 USD mark (excluding VAT) but I could be slightly off/wrong.

Even if based on info here if I talked to Watchbuys and got them to go with standard steel vs hardened, I'm still looking at approximately $800 USD ($980 USD if hardened steel), which is a $300-400 USD markup from Dekla direct. Essentially for the same price, I could have bought/could buy 2 complete watches, and 100% of the money going to Dekla vs a third-party seller if Dekla resumed selling directly worldwide.

Not to mention I'd still get nailed with import charges either way (be it US or Germany), and 13% on $400 USD is a lot smaller than $800 USD.

For now, I've started looking at other watches, and put buying an actual German flieger on hold while crossing fingers Dekla starts selling to North America again in the future.


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## Conundrum1911

To update, checking the site it looks like Dekla is selling direct again to North America -- Bit of a markup from a few years back, but also understandable given everything has gone up in price.

Will probably mull over options a bit then pull the trigger since it no longer means paying Watchbuys extra money.


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## brshatch

Conundrum1911 said:


> To update, checking the site it looks like Dekla is selling direct again to North America -- Bit of a markup from a few years back, but also understandable given everything has gone up in price.
> 
> Will probably mull over options a bit then pull the trigger since it no longer means paying Watchbuys extra money.


I think with the euro-dollar exchange rate, the prices for customers from U.S. are even lower


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## robi1138

I've always preferred working with and ordering from the manufacturer as opposed to a dealer. Stowa and Dekla were both great to deal with directly, especially if there were issues.


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## Conundrum1911

Still mulling over a few options -- If anyone has the Type-B with bicolor and can take a number of pics in different lights (indoor and outdoor) it would be appreciated. Some shots (including the main ones on Dekla's site) make it look like a big/huge contrast between the white and old radium, but some others make it appear more subtle.


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## Gerrard8

brshatch said:


> Well, there are other (not bad) alternatives, not from Germany. Our client cares about that concerte people made it specifically for him. They care that the case is not made in China for $30, but in Europe. They care that the dial is not $3 from Taiwan, but printed by pad printing machine in Stuttgart
> 
> By the way, as far as Rolex is concerned, I can not agree. I get occasional update (in internet) on what they make. It's not just the brand. I mean, a similar dial can be made in China, but it's totally different.
> 
> For example a lacquered enamel dial costs $10 and a real grand feu enamel dial costs about $2,000. But the thing is, not everyone will see the difference.
> 
> What I can agree with is that Laco, DEKLA and Stowa are all assembled in Germany


As much as I appreciate the more honest pricing from Dekla, compared with stowa and Laco; brutally speaking, I am not motivated to buy one.
The Cronos/San Martin/Hruodland etc watches from China are equally well built, if not better than stowa etc. Even with sw200 movement, they are at around 1/2 to 1/5 the price.
They have very well made cases, some have heat blued hands, some have the best looking diamond crown on the market (IWC aside), although very few offer double AR coating. 

I have owned stowa/Fortis/damasko/Muhle Glashutte, now all were sold. For now, I only buy Omegaish (for brand recognition and quality) and Chinese watches (for price quality ratio and decent quality).

By the way, printing is printing. I do not get the point of “pad printing”. I spent 30$ to customize my Cronos with Chinese normal printing, very satisfied.


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## StufflerMike

Gerrard8 said:


> As much as I appreciate the more honest pricing from Dekla, compared with stowa and Laco; brutally speaking, I am not motivated to buy one.
> The Cronos/San Martin/Hruodland etc watches from China are equally well built, if not better than stowa etc. Even with sw200 movement, they are at around 1/2 to 1/5 the price.
> They have very well made cases, some have heat blued hands, some have the best looking diamond crown on the market (IWC aside), although very few offer double AR coating.
> 
> I have owned stowa/Fortis/damasko/Muhle Glashutte, now all were sold. For now, I only buy Omegaish (for brand recognition and quality) and Chinese watches (for price quality ratio and decent quality).
> 
> By the way, printing is printing. I do not get the point of “pad printing”. I spent 30$ to customize my Cronos with Chinese normal printing, very satisfied.


„Printing“ is not „printing“. To get the point of „tampon printing“/„pad printing“ you need to know the different printing processes and the requirements.
While pad printing is great for achieving accurate results, it is slightly limited in terms of speed. And time is money.
You usually have to apply multiple colours separately. In terms of reliability and versatility, you really can’t beat it. One of the main advantages of using pad printing is that you can use it to print on three dimensional surfaces and products of all shapes and sizes. It doesn’t matter if your items are curved or have an uneven surface. Pad printing is also suitable for delicate and mechanically sensitive products. If you need to print fine subjects, you will find that the resolution of pad printing is far better than that of screen printing.

Anyway, all what counts is that you are happy with Chinese and Omegaish watches 😉


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## Gerrard8

StufflerMike said:


> „Printing“ is not „printing“. To get the point of „tampon printing“/„pad printing“ you need to know the different printing processes and the requirements.
> While pad printing is great for achieving accurate results, it is slightly limited in terms of speed. And time is money.
> You usually have to apply multiple colours separately. In terms of reliability and versatility, you really can’t beat it. One of the main advantages of using pad printing is that you can use it to print on three dimensional surfaces and products of all shapes and sizes. It doesn’t matter if your items are curved or have an uneven surface. Pad printing is also suitable for delicate and mechanically sensitive products. If you need to print fine subjects, you will find that the resolution of pad printing is far better than that of screen printing.
> 
> Anyway, all what counts is that you are happy with Chinese and Omegaish watches 😉


Thanks for the explanation of pad printing.
I am not sure whether Chinese watches use pad printing or not. But I can see pad printing machine is fairly cheap.
Also, I did not see anything special from Dekla’ printed dial, at least from the photoes I have seen.

I did see quite some months or years back, Dekla showed off a true 3d printing, which ends up like applied numerals, but they are only prototype shown by Dekla sicial media account.
i could imagine that printing is a slow process. But again with today’s technology, it is nothing fancy.

One point I also want to make is that, there are some smokes in watch industry. E.g, stowa under Jorg period claimed they did hand grinding on their watch case, come on, that watch case does not look sophisticated, not even as good as Archimede’s in terms of quality. Even Cronos pilot watch has (much) better watch case.


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## StufflerMike

Gerrard8 said:


> Thanks for the explanation of pad printing.
> …
> I did see quite some months or years back, Dekla showed off a true 3d printing, which ends up like applied numerals, but they are only prototype shown by Dekla sicial media account.


Well, the „prototype“ period at Dekla has passed as our (2021) Dekla FliegerFriday LE clearly proved.


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## StufflerMike

Gerrard8 said:


> ….One point I also want to make is that, there are some smokes in watch industry. E.g, stowa under Jorg period claimed they did hand grinding on their watch case, come on, that watch case does not look sophisticated, not even as good as Archimede’s in terms of quality. Even Cronos pilot watch has (much) better watch case.


I am not going into details about Archimede and Stowa watch cases, this is a Dekla related thread. Not sure about Stowa cases being finished by hand but I remember that Jörg posted about „….hand-finished *Schauer* watch cases. And indeed, the Schauer case finish is highly sophisticated, a comparison to Stowa and Archimede cases would be unfair.


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## Gerrard8

StufflerMike said:


> I am not going into details about Archimede and Stowa watch cases, this is a Dekla related thread. Not sure about Stowa cases being finished by hand but I remember that Jörg posted about „….hand-finished *Schauer* watch cases. And indeed, the Schauer case finish is highly sophisticated, a comparison to Stowa and Archimede cases would be unfair.


Quite sure stowa advertised “hand grinding”. It might be they retract claim on their website now.

Regarding schauer watch cases, whether they are hand finished or not, I do not have interest. Not to mention to have another guy’s name on my watch is the least thing I want.
Owners photo do suggest rather mediocre watch case in my untrained eyes. Better than stowa, probably. Better than most Ickler/Archimede (or San Martin, Cronos)? Does not seem to be.


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## CM HUNTER

Gerrard8 said:


> Quite sure stowa advertised “hand grinding”. It might be they retract claim on their website now.
> 
> Regarding schauer watch cases, whether they are hand finished or not, I do not have interest. Not to mention to have another guy’s name on my watch is the least thing I want.
> Owners photo do suggest rather mediocre watch case in my untrained eyes. Better than stowa, probably. Better than most Ickler/Archimede (or San Martin, Cronos)? Does not seem to be.
> 
> View attachment 17095034


Stowa did indeed claim hand grinding for their cases. My guess is that they were trying to put some value into the generic Chinese cases they used.


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## Gerrard8

CM HUNTER said:


> Stowa did indeed claim hand grinding for their cases. My guess is that they were trying to put some value into the generic Chinese cases they used.


It is also my guess. 
If they spend north of 50$, and buy Cronos/San Martin watch cases, what is the point of additional “hand grinding”.
It is indeed selling a bug as a feature.


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## StufflerMike

Out of the FF archives, Dekla 2018. One of the very first Dekla watches. You remember ?



















In 2018 with a double domed crystal😉


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## john_marston

Gerrard8 said:


> It is also my guess.
> If they spend north of 50$, and buy Cronos/San Martin watch cases, what is the point of additional “hand grinding”.
> It is indeed selling a bug as a feature.


As amazing value as San Martin etc are (I’m wearing one now) I don’t think it’s as simple as you describe. For one, their finishing doesn’t quite match the aforementioned German brands. At least, in some ways it’s on par with ~€1000-2000 watches, but then you’ll find some sharper edges, among other small QC issues, which differentiates the German brands from the Chinese.

No idea how Stowa cases are made (mine was at least of a higher standard than any San Martin I’ve owned). But Dekla is pretty transparant with their craftsmanship, and their value is undeniable.


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## Gerrard8

john_marston said:


> As amazing value as San Martin etc are (I’m wearing one now) I don’t think it’s as simple as you describe. For one, their finishing doesn’t quite match the aforementioned German brands. At least, in some ways it’s on par with ~€1000-2000 watches, but then you’ll find some sharper edges, among other small QC issues, which differentiates the German brands from the Chinese.
> 
> No idea how Stowa cases are made (mine was at least of a higher standard than any San Martin I’ve owned). But Dekla is pretty transparant with their craftsmanship, and their value is undeniable.


I know well where you are from.
No disrespect, but you certainly do not own enough watches north of 1000$, to see or say something tangible in finish and quality.

You stowa is a fully polished case (the technical process called galavized?), that is probably the cheapest way to finish a watch to give a wow factor to a newbie. It is not the machine polishing you see on an Omega or GS. Not as good as typical San Martin for sure, in terms of case quality. Early days, Seagull used a lot of such «shining» cases.

Your Chinese watch are typically around 100$ each, say steeldive. Again no disrespect, I just bought one Chinese watch cost less than 80$ (I know what I am after, actually not homage whatsoever). If you spend 300$ or so, into typical San Martin/Cronos/Hruodland range, the quality is several levels above.
Of course, if you just do festival shopping, like Aliexpress 11.11 you are familiar with, then you must expect some more than normal “small QC issues”. Btw, how many San Martin do you have? 1, 2 or 3?


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## john_marston

Gerrard8 said:


> I know well where you are from.
> No disrespect, but you certainly do not own enough watches north of 1000$, to see or say something tangible in finish and quality.
> 
> You stowa is a fully polished case (the technical process called galavized?), that is probably the cheapest way to finish a watch to give a wow factor to a newbie. It is not the machine polishing you see on an Omega or GS. Not as good as typical San Martin for sure, in terms of case quality. Early days, Seagull used a lot of such «shining» cases.
> 
> Your Chinese watch are typically around 100$ each, say steeldive. Again no disrespect, I just bought one Chinese watch cost less than 80$ (I know what I am after, actually not homage whatsoever). If you spend 300$ or so, into typical San Martin/Cronos/Hruodland range, the quality is several levels above.
> Of course, if you just do festival shopping, like Aliexpress 11.11 you are familiar with, then you must expect some more than normal “small QC issues”. Btw, how many San Martin do you have? 1, 2 or 3?


Hm, do you really know where I’m from?

You’ve made up your mind that San Martinish and Omegaish is where the value is, and everything in between isn’t worth it. Ok. But this gatekeeper shows your lack of class, I’m not gonna bother answer/reply further


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## brshatch

I don't think that's really the real value of the watch.

1. mass-produced watches will always be of a higher quality than individually made
2. I have seen watches made by famous watchmakers in Germany and each one has some flaws, but for me personally they are of great value.
3. Quartz movements are more accurate than mechanical movements. Why would you buy a mechanical if their specs are worse?
4. Any dials such as grand feu enamel or handmade like guilloche or hammered will always be of worse quality than painted or pressed. But for me handmade dials have more value because I know they are made by some person from Black Forest, and not a press machine in China

I think everyone decides for themselves. Sometimes there are unfair and seemingly unreasonable price increases. For example, one guilloche dial costs appx. 2,000 euros, although it takes 3-5 hours to make it. But you also need to take into account other administrative costs. If they were mass-produced at 500 pieces per month, they would probably cost 200 euros.

And I think, if a person does not understand the difference between Rolex and Steinhart, he does not need Rolex. It is better to save money.

IMHO

And by the way, even the simplest cases are machine polished. Electroplating is used by the cheapest watches for $5-10.


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