Laco has introduced new versions of their Genf and Zürich pilot?s watches, two aviation inspired watches that hew fairly closely to tradition. Part of the appeal of a pilot?s watch, particularly those in the German ?flieger? style seen here, is the almost relentless simplicity. Dark dials with high contrast hands and numerals, upsized everything for increased legibility, and reliable movements befitting of a tool that pilot?s rely on to do their oftentimes dangerous jobs. The Genf and Zürich meet that criteria easily, and offer an additional level of authenticity coming from Laco, a brand that traces their roots to 1925, and has a long history of producing watches to German military spec.

These new versions of the Genf and Zürich are fairly simple to understand even if you?re not already a flieger enthusiast. The Genf takes the iconic type A dial design consisting of Arabic numerals at every hour except 12:00, which is marked by a triangle flanked by two dots and adds plenty of green Superuminova and oversized flieger hands. The Zürich uses the type B design, which prioritizes a large outer minutes display over a smaller hour track on an inner ring. There?s plenty of lume here as well, and Laco?s decision to not go with the tan, radium colored lume should please the always vocal contingent of enthusiasts who don?t go in for that sort of thing. On a watch like this, it can certainly be argued that the underlying design is vintage inspired enough, and the use of...