The original, still sold by the people who made it
By Sam Okafor, London ยท
Stowa was one of the handful of German makers that supplied the original Flieger watches in the 1940s, and that matters to me only because it explains why this one looks right where so many imitators look slightly off. The numerals are the correct width. The triangle at twelve is the correct size. The hands are the correct length. When you've drawn the same thing for eighty years you get the proportions settled.
The 40 mm case is the size I'd choose for this design. The original Fliegers were enormous, and modern versions at 44 or 45 mm look like costume pieces. At 40 mm and 10 mm thick on a 20 mm leather strap it's a practical everyday watch that happens to have pilot's typography. Sapphire, open back, 50 m, a Sellita automatic with 38 hours.
The obvious objection first. It's a design associated with a very particular moment in history, and some people won't want to wear it for that reason alone. I understand. I'd also say it looks more at home with jeans than a jacket, whatever the brochure tells you.
900 to 1,100 dollars is good value. The Laco equivalents are cheaper. This one is better finished.