for sale Laco Beobachtungs Uhr B-Uhr Original 1943

[skim41]

Dear All,

 

I have for sale my original LACO B-Uhr. The watch has matching numbers, and the serial number refers back to february-march 1943.

 

The case wears the FL23883 number, on the back it has the serial number H4444. For its age the case looks very good, and except for some markings for opening it is very well preserved. The crown is the original "Zwiebeln" or onion crown.

 

The glass has got small scratches which are partially polished away, somewhere in its history somebody has polished it.

 

The strap unfortunately is not the original one as from the factory in 43, but a 99% original replica supplied by Juergen from S parts.

 

The caseback reads the following:

Bauart: Durowe

Gerät nr: 127-560B

Werk nr: H4444

Anforderz: FL23883

Hersteller: Lacher & Co.

 

For those that are not familiar with these watches:

 

The German term Beobachtungsuhr goes back to pilot's watches of WW II. Strictly translated it has to be an „Observer's watch“ or „Observation watch“ but on most watch related fora you'll read "navigator's watch“, "pilot's watch“, "B-watch“ or even "Flieger“*.

 

 

These B-watches have been made for the German Luftwaffe by only 5 manufacturers:

A. Lange & Söhne

Laco (Lacher & Co)

Stowa (Walter Storz)

Wempe (Chronometerwerke Hamburg)

IWC

and contained high quality pocket watch movements:

 

 

* Lange & Söhne: cal. 48/1

(due to limited capacities watches have been assembled by Huber/Munich, Felsing/Berlin, Schieron/Stuttgart, Schätzle & Tschudin/Pforzheim, Wempe/Hamburg).

* Laco: Durowe cal. D 5

* Stowa: Unitas cal. 2812

* Wempe: Thommen cal. 31

* IWC: cal. 52 SC (SC= „seconde central“)

 

 

The specifications of these watches had been defined by the „Reichsluftfahrtministerium“ (RLM) – Imperial Air Ministry.

Due to those specifications all B-uhren had the following features in common:

 

 

A case diameter of 55 mm

Marked on the back with FL 23883 (FL = flight, 23 = navigation)

Equipped with large crowns in order to be used with gloves

Hacking movement (the second hand stops when pulling out the crown / essential for a precise time setting)

Breguet balance spring

Regulated and tested as chronometers

Long leather strap (to be worn on the sleeve of a flight jacket).

 

There were two B-Uhr types - earlier, simpler Bauart A or A-type (1939, shown above) and from 1941, uncompromisingly military-styled Bauart B or B-type (shown below, don't be confused by the likeness between the type designation and B-uhr name). Ironically, A-type, with its more civil looks, is more scarce.

 

These watch were a Luftwaffe property, they were given to observers before the flight and had to be returned just after the landing.

 

 

And finally for the price: Im after 2.950,- EURO for this rare piece of watch history.

 

If there are questions do not hesitate to contact me by mail or pm. I will update the thread this evening with more pictures, if any specific pictures need to be taken please ask.

 

Regards

Rogier