# New Friedrichshafen Erbstuck



## Hot Tubz (Mar 17, 2017)

There hasn't been a lot of action here in the last few days so I thought I would post some pictures and thoughts of the Friedrichshafen Erbstuck I received a couple of weeks ago. I am really enjoying this watch. It is a great change of pace from the only other watch in my collection. The watch is keeping great time and is being worn almost every other day.

The Cons:
- It seemed to take forever to deliver. 
(7 weeks) Maybe this is normal for a watch coming from Germany but I have a hard time waiting for purchases of any kind.

- I wish there was a little more patina.
The watch looks great I was just hoping it would look a little more beat up than it does.

The Pros:
- Size is perfect for me. 
I was worried it would be to big.

- Love the strap
Again perfect size for my 7.75" wrist

- Seems to sit well on my wrist.
My Ball tends to slip. I am not noticing that with the Laco

- Had 2 compliments on day one (none since)
One was a friend that knows I am now into watches, and the other was from an employee at the local fast food restaurant.

Here are some pictures:


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## wtma (Jul 26, 2014)

Congrats!! It's a great watch.
I'm waiting for my local dealer to bring in the Erbstück, if I like the look of it on my wrist I will probably get one. I wonder what did your 2 friends say about the watch? Would like to hear the story. Anyway...it took exactly 3 months (12 weeks, since the day I sent the payment until I actually received the watch) when I ordered a Damasko watch. Had bought a couple of watches too during waiting >.<
7 weeks seems quite normal I guess.


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## EricSF2015 (Jan 24, 2017)

Very cool watch. How about a wrist shot?


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

As far as I can see you got the "mildly aged grade" (Alterung “mittlere” Stufe). You should have gone for more patina when ordering.


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## ExoticLifestyle (Sep 9, 2017)

The aging looks great! I would have waited 7 weeks for a watch that looked that good. 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## Hot Tubz (Mar 17, 2017)

EricSF2015 said:


> Very cool watch. How about a wrist shot?


I will see if I can do that tonight!


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## Hot Tubz (Mar 17, 2017)

stuffler said:


> As far as I can see you got the "mildly aged grade" (Alterung "mittlere" Stufe). You should have gone for more patina when ordering.


I now remember reading about that option but it wasn't offered by the AD and I didn't remember.


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## Hot Tubz (Mar 17, 2017)

The first was a friend from work and he noticed a new watch on my wrist. I told him a little about it and let him try it on. The second was the cashier at the fast food restaurant. He just said "I like your watch". He was not wearing a watch. It seemed to busy to get into a conversation so I said thank you and proceeded to get fatter with my burger and fries!

The first I kind of expected but the second compliment came out of nowhere.


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## jsbx1 (Jun 27, 2014)

Hot Tubz said:


> - I wish there was a little more patina.
> The watch looks great I was just hoping it would look a little more beat up than it does.
> 
> View attachment 12505069


Hot Tubz,

I personally think your watch looks fantastic. Any less patina and it would not be an Erbstuck, any more and I'd feel cheated that I wasn't able to add my own dings and dents on my watch.

Gotta love that dial, case and strap!!!! It looks awesome

Waiting, with the rest, for wrist shots.

Tony

Ps. Getting 2 comments on your watch in 1 day, and within a couple of weeks of getting it, has to say something. I get the occasional comment from my Omega SMP, due to it's recognizability, however, I can count the number of comments I get from lesser known brands (to the general public) on about 2 fingers and that's after 4-5 years of wearing Sinn, Oris & Glycine......


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## MHe225 (Jan 24, 2010)

Hot Tubz said:


> _Original post edited:_
> (1) The watch is keeping great time.
> 
> (2) It seemed to take forever to deliver. (7 weeks) .... I have a hard time waiting for purchases of any kind.
> ...


*ad 3*
I can help you with this .... send me the watch and I'll make sure it will look more beat up. Can't guarantee *#1* anymore after I'm done :-d

*ad 2*
Make sure you never order from MKII - coincidentally, I made my final payment for the Project 300 today, with expected delivery sometime in Q1 of 2018. 
If you think that's long .... I signed up for this project and made a downpayment on March 16*

Kidding aside, you got a great watch and the photos are very nice |>
Congratulations and enjoy for may years to come.

* Oh, the year was 2010 .....


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## Laco Pforzheim (Oct 4, 2010)

Thanks for sharing this with us! |> We often hear about compliments for our Erbstück watches, but two on one day are really great! b-)
About the delivery time: as long as we have the watches on stock, we ship them immediately and normally the customers receive the watch within 3 - 4 days. 
For the Erbstück models we don't have any stock and every single piece is produced after incoming order. But for such a watch it is worth the waiting ;-)


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## VadimMkin (Jul 18, 2016)

Hot Tubz,

Congrats on your rare and full of character watch! Your watch pics made me reconsider my current saving for regular Paderborn and instead wait a bit more and get the Erbstuck. Laco is just amazing, proven by my Squad Tundra ))


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## hahaha3111 (May 25, 2013)

Just ordered one erbstuck and started to wait for it, really cool.


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## Sital (Feb 15, 2017)

stuffler said:


> As far as I can see you got the "mildly aged grade" (Alterung "mittlere" Stufe). You should have gone for more patina when ordering.


Is this still an option when ordering? I didn't see it on the US site.


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## Laco Pforzheim (Oct 4, 2010)

Sital said:


> Is this still an option when ordering? I didn't see it on the US site.


Sure, you still have the chance to get the watch with the aging grade you want. As the biggest part of our Erbstück customers want the mid aging grade (level 2 aging), we have decided to make this as standard version of the watch. If there is no further comment from the customer, he will get a level 2 Erbstück. Besides this aging, we have the level 1 aging without scratches and the level 3 aging with big scratches and broken out hands.
For the level 1 and level 3 watches, we may please ask you to contact us or our dealers directly, so we can create an extra order for this watch...
At the moment unfortunately we don't have the chance for an option to choose directly on the website :think:


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## Sital (Feb 15, 2017)

Laco Pforzheim said:


> Sure, you still have the chance to get the watch with the aging grade you want. As the biggest part of our Erbstück customers want the mid aging grade (level 2 aging), we have decided to make this as standard version of the watch. If there is no further comment from the customer, he will get a level 2 Erbstück. Besides this aging, we have the level 1 aging without scratches and the level 3 aging with big scratches and broken out hands.
> For the level 1 and level 3 watches, we may please ask you to contact us or our dealers directly, so we can create an extra order for this watch...
> At the moment unfortunately we don't have the chance for an option to choose directly on the website :think:


Thanks so much for the quick reply.


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## Ultraman (Mar 14, 2009)

Hi,

Are there any pics of what level 1, level 2 and level 3 looks like?

Is it possible to provide the specs of each level with more details?

Is it possible to get aged stainless steel on the case without the rust effect for the Erbstuck models?

I sent a couple of emails and queries directly to Laco but unfortunately I have no response.

Thanks.



Laco Pforzheim said:


> Sure, you still have the chance to get the watch with the aging grade you want. As the biggest part of our Erbstück customers want the mid aging grade (level 2 aging), we have decided to make this as standard version of the watch. If there is no further comment from the customer, he will get a level 2 Erbstück. Besides this aging, we have the level 1 aging without scratches and the level 3 aging with big scratches and broken out hands.
> For the level 1 and level 3 watches, we may please ask you to contact us or our dealers directly, so we can create an extra order for this watch...
> At the moment unfortunately we don't have the chance for an option to choose directly on the website


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

Ultraman said:


> Are there any pics of what level 1, level 2 and level 3 looks like?


There are pics on the www you can flick through to get an idea. Just do a google pic search. However, you will learn that they all are looking a bit different, even being made in the same level. I have to admit that level 3 watches are difficult to find since most afficionados insist on non broken hands in favour of readability.

Here are some of my pics which already have been posted here on WUS.

Level 3

























Level 2



























> Is it possible to provide the specs of each level with more details?


Most likely not, the higher the level the more artificially aged an Erbstück is up to totally broken hands and heavily corroded cases and backs and hefty scratches and notches. Since every Erbstück is a unique piece and individually crafted you have to leave it to the Laco employee to decide what the watch will ultimately look like (within the level).



> Is it possible to get aged stainless steel on the case without the rust effect for the Erbstuck models?


I do not think so. Just aged stainless steel will not match the other signs of hefty wear and tear. It might be that level 1 backs look like the California back, less rust but signs of wear and tear nevertheless.


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## Ultraman (Mar 14, 2009)

Thanks for you reply, Mike. The images will help my decision!


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

Ultraman said:


> Thanks for you reply, Mike. The images will help my decision!


My pleasure.


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

Friedrichshafen Erbstück in Friedrichshafen (Aero Expo)


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## Laco Pforzheim (Oct 4, 2010)

Looks like the Friedrichshafen Erbstück, but is a Replika Erbstück with 55 mm diameter ;-)


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

Laco Pforzheim said:


> Looks like the Friedrichshafen Erbstück, but is a Replika Erbstück with 55 mm diameter ;-)


Thanks, I stand corrected.


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## sal4 (Jun 11, 2015)

Hot Tubz, your Friedrichshafen Erbstuck looks amazing! I generally do not like new products that are "artificially aged" but that watch looks fantastic. I would rate the level of aging as nearly perfect. Hope you are enjoying wearing it. |>


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## drdas007 (Oct 2, 2012)

Simply beautiful! I hope I my Laco ages to look like these and becomes an "Erbstück" in its own right!


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## arogle1stus (May 23, 2013)

Vunderbar!!! My grail Fleiger watch

X Traindriver Art


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## epiKcollector (May 10, 2018)

that thing is atrocious, laco is not my cup of tea, the quality isn't there and they are so expensive! stowa does it better imho I hate laco haha its such a ****ter as Archie would say !


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## Stirling Moss (Nov 16, 2015)

epiKcollector said:


> that thing is atrocious, laco is not my cup of tea, the quality isn't there and they are so expensive! stowa does it better imho I hate laco haha its such a ****ter as Archie would say !


I don't know about that, but definitely overpriced!


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

epiKcollector said:


> that thing is atrocious, laco is not my cup of tea, the quality isn't there and they are so expensive! stowa does it better imho I hate laco haha its such a ****ter as Archie would say !


I'd say that you and Archie have no clue at all.


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## oceanfan (Feb 28, 2011)

Can Laco do a Nurnberg Erbstuck? 55mm too


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

oceanfan said:


> Can Laco do a Nurnberg Erbstuck? 55mm too


As far as I know the Replika 55 is only available in the FLIEGERUHR ORIGINAL line up and I do think Laco want to keep it that way.


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## carlhaluss (Oct 27, 2007)

That is really one great looking watch! I learned a lot about the different agings of the watch as well.

We actually had a Laco dealer here in Vancouver for a while, but it seems no longer. I am always so reluctant to order anything online with first seeing it in real life. Although, from all the comments on here , I believe the risk is minimal.

Hope to see more pics and wrist shots.

cheers,
Carl


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## Katruje (Jan 13, 2017)

The 'distressed' Lacos are absolutely beautiful. They still look/feel like new watches, but with really nice aged details. I've bot the 45mm B-type dial, and looking for the matching A-type dial.


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## Maddog1970 (Sep 28, 2015)

My bronze Erbstuck Friedrichshafen


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