I lucked up and found one brand new for $240, Was the last one they had. A local shop had it and they are going out of business and I decided to stop in and saw this for that price and I immediately bought it. The bezel action is one of the best I’ve seen. As a rule I always buy a watch on a metal bracelet because they are hard to get and expensive and you can buy all the straps you want from many different sources. Great review on a great watch.
I like screw pins also but I do like the added security of the pins because when they are properly placed back they don’t come lose, and I have heard many stories of people dropping or losing their watches because a screw pin worked itself lose and then it fell off their wrist. This is a real tool watch and personally I find the pins more secure than screws. Of course you can loctite them in but then you run the risk of breaking or stripping one out. Less to fail on the pin system. Just my humble opinion and been collecting watches for 40 years. This Laco is my new favorite and I am glad I stopped in that store.
Sadly, Orange superluminova does not work longer than 5 minutes. You'll note that before "Charging" the Lume, when the lights went out, the orange hand was invisible, but the green hands were legible. This is what you can actually expect in the field and is a known issue with all orange lume. Why these companies do this is beyond me. It is a known trait of red/yellow/orange superluminova and can be circumvented by putting green lume at the tip of the minute hand.
Nice to see a quality piece being reviewed properly, and it's a stunning watch from Laco which as you say can be overlooked by the more prominent German manufacturers. Thank you very much for another great review Sir 👍 Tam.
Thank you for watching Tam. Glad you enjoyed it. I am interested in reviewing all tiers of watches. Often its the case that Chinese, and Japanese brands dominate the low-tier. Swiss brands dominate the mid-tier, and high-tier. So it's harder for German brands to compete with Swiss brands in the mid-tier at under 1000 Euro. I did ask another good German brand; Stowa to loan me a piece for review as I like them, but they said no. The problem is often brands are only interested in loaning pieces to the larger (50K+ subscriber) watch channels. So that means I have to buy the piece with my own funds to review it. I would like to review more mid-tier pieces like this one in the future as they interest me more than the under £200 low-tier Chinese pieces. Regards.
Thanks for that excellent review, John. This is truly a great piece, the fact that you can opt for a better movement, better crystal and engraving, is just brilliant. As you know I’m still looking for a GMT, but I can tell you that if Laco did one like this, I would just get it. Love this watch. Thanks again for the review, John. Best Regards
Excellent review. 180 grams is hefty indeed considering Panerai stainless 44mm is 120 grams. Without handling one the Laco Squad looks like a fantastic piece.Especially considering dollar to value ratio.
I’ve been looking forward to this review since you mentioned it last week and it did not disappoint. Fantastic review and a great rubber nato strap. I’m not very familiar with Laco as a brand but I’ll be definitely looking further into their back catalogue. Thanks again for the review. All the best
Thank you for watching Ross. I had a disappointment this week to be honest with you. I was meant to be reviewing a Benyar chronograph today, but it arrived with a dead battery. Fortunately this piece arrived today so I reviewed it instead. Laco have an interesting history, see link below. Laco is often overlooked in favour of other German brands such as Stowa, Glashutte Original, and Nomos; which is a mistake as they have provenance. Regards. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laco_Uhrenmanufaktur
Watch Reviews, that’s a pity regarding the Benyar. I’ve seen a few of their watches on Amazon but I’ve never been sure on their quality, a review would be greatly appreciated. The laco more than made up for it. I almost bought a steinheart a few months ago but I’ve heard conflicting views on their customer service, but the Laco may be my first German watch
@@Star-Biscuit Check out my previous Benyar reviews. I reviewed a Submariner homage which had a stuck bezel. I also reviewed a Speedmaster homage, one of the subdials didn't reset correctly. I have this one incoming next week; which is the blue dial version of the one I reviewed. I am hoping the chronograph works correctly on this one. Also the rubber strap should be better than their poor quality bracelet. At only £35 one has to accept these kind of negatives. With regards to the Steinhart Ocean One series; they are excellent quality/value for the respective price. I have owned several and really liked them. Unfortunately they don't loan pieces to UA-camrs for review, so I will have to buy one to review it. Their customer servie is excellent. I returned a scratched Premium Blue; abd they immediately offered a full refund, or replacement watch. Regards. www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07H5Q1NF6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Watch Reviews , that’s good to know. I haven’t had first hand experience, only what others have said on review sites so it’s nice to know that the customer service is good. I have a friend who has one and it’s fantastic quality for the price like you said. 🤞 it’s third time lucky on the benyar watches
@@Star-Biscuit Their quality has improved over the years. Originally the Ocean One was made by Grovana in Tenniken. They had more quality control issues, and poor clasps. Now they are made by Palladium AG in Lyss, Switzerland. The quality control is much better, also the clasps have improved. If you have a 6-72 wrist I highly recommend the 39mm Ocean One. Often collectors make the mistake of buying the 42mm and quickly flip it as they dislike the flat straight lugs which have a gap between the case and wrist. Their new ceramic bezel Ocean One's, including the GMT Master Pepsi homage are all excellent. I can also highly recommend their Jubilee bracelet as its 10/10 quality. Next week I also have a Bersigar (Pagani Design) Daytona homage, and Casio DW5600 G-Shock incoming. I am going to space the reviews out to one per week though; as I want to reduce the time I am spending on my channel now its growing steadily. Regards.
There’s another bracelet these come in that has a cheaper sheet metal buckle. I’ve never seen the milled clasp like that! I’m in the USA. Also, the other version has a divers extension.
Thank you for watching auxmike. Yes, I have seen the pressed metal clasp version. They used to use that, and have now upgraded to using solid milled clasps. Regards.
Watch Reviews I don't know where about you are based but if you'll be passing by Banbury (Oxfordshire) by any chance somewhere in the future I'll be happy to lend it to you for the review 💁🏻♂️
Love this watch and pretty much all Laco watches..but I have one recommendation for anyone about to buy any Laco and that is to buy the watch on a strap and not a bracelet. Laco is not known for putting bracelets on their watches and that being said this is not their forte. What I am getting at is that the bracelets might not be of the best quality. No real fault to Laco and it’s nice they offer as an option when ordering though.
Thank you for watching Richard. The Steinhart is a better quality piece. The 39 GMT Jubilee bracelet is excellent quality, and very comfortable. Both the Coke and Pepsi ceramic bezels are done to a high standard. Also the BGW9 Superluminova is better quality. Regards.
Does that still ring true even when comparing with the Laco using the better Topgrade movement? I am on the fence between these 2 mainly because I like the originality of the Laco, and the Steinhart is pretty close to the Rolex GMT in terms of looks. It seems they’ve done just enough to differentiate it but is there too much of a stigma attached to it? I agree with you the lume on the Steinhart is superior. Great review btw.
@@richardross-adams2925 The only difference between a Top Grade and Élaboré; is they are regulated in 5 positions, rather than 3 positions. So yes, it is more accurate; but the build quality isn't any better for more money. There isn't any stigma to wearing a Rolex homage in reality. No one is going to mistake an Ocean One GMT for a GMT Master II. The Jubilee bracelet looks different enough due to the brushed centre links, rather than polished; which actually looks better than the Rolex Jubilee bracelet. Overall the 39 GMT is a better finished watch. The only negatives are the 1.5x cyclops (rather than 2.5x on a Rolex); and also the unidirectional bezel (rather than bidirectional on a Rolex). But these are minor negatives one can live with. The case polishing and bracelet build quality are a level above the Laco. For a 6-7" wrist size the 39 is a better fit too. Regards.
Thanks for the prompt reply. The model I’m referring to is the Batman, with the date window at 6 and no cyclops at all, also the picket fence hands, not Mercedes hands. Steinhart have done just enough to not be a replica of the Rolex from that point of view. Purely from a movement perspective, is the ETA 2824-2 Topgrade inferior to the ETA 2893-2?
Also, my wrist is 7.67 inches so I’m torn between the 39 & 42 of the Steinhart interns of size, but the 42 is Titanium only and that’s a whole different watch aesthetically speaking
www.laco.de/en/watches/squad-watches-sport-watches/mojave-mb
I lucked up and found one brand new for $240, Was the last one they had. A local shop had it and they are going out of business and I decided to stop in and saw this for that price and I immediately bought it. The bezel action is one of the best I’ve seen. As a rule I always buy a watch on a metal bracelet because they are hard to get and expensive and you can buy all the straps you want from many different sources. Great review on a great watch.
I like screw pins also but I do like the added security of the pins because when they are properly placed back they don’t come lose, and I have heard many stories of people dropping or losing their watches because a screw pin worked itself lose and then it fell off their wrist. This is a real tool watch and personally I find the pins more secure than screws. Of course you can loctite them in but then you run the risk of breaking or stripping one out. Less to fail on the pin system. Just my humble opinion and been collecting watches for 40 years. This Laco is my new favorite and I am glad I stopped in that store.
Just bought this watch off eBay for a steal! Super excited to receive it. Excellent review!
Thank you for watching. Congratulations. Wear it in good health. Regards.
Now this is what I call an in-depth review.
Thank you for watching. Glad you enjoyed it. Regards.
Sadly, Orange superluminova does not work longer than 5 minutes. You'll note that before "Charging" the Lume, when the lights went out, the orange hand was invisible, but the green hands were legible. This is what you can actually expect in the field and is a known issue with all orange lume. Why these companies do this is beyond me. It is a known trait of red/yellow/orange superluminova and can be circumvented by putting green lume at the tip of the minute hand.
Great review as always. I am considering the modern version of this watch.
Nice to see a quality piece being reviewed properly, and it's a stunning watch from Laco which as you say can be overlooked by the more prominent German manufacturers. Thank you very much for another great review Sir 👍 Tam.
Thank you for watching Tam. Glad you enjoyed it. I am interested in reviewing all tiers of watches. Often its the case that Chinese, and Japanese brands dominate the low-tier. Swiss brands dominate the mid-tier, and high-tier. So it's harder for German brands to compete with Swiss brands in the mid-tier at under 1000 Euro. I did ask another good German brand; Stowa to loan me a piece for review as I like them, but they said no. The problem is often brands are only interested in loaning pieces to the larger (50K+ subscriber) watch channels. So that means I have to buy the piece with my own funds to review it. I would like to review more mid-tier pieces like this one in the future as they interest me more than the under £200 low-tier Chinese pieces. Regards.
i own this watch and its killer! great review.
Thank you for watching. Congratulations. Wear yours in good health. Regards.
Thanks for that excellent review, John. This is truly a great piece, the fact that you can opt for a better movement, better crystal and engraving, is just brilliant. As you know I’m still looking for a GMT, but I can tell you that if Laco did one like this, I would just get it. Love this watch. Thanks again for the review, John. Best Regards
Thank you for watching Mario. Glad you enjoyed it. I highly recommend the new 39mm ceramic Ocean One Pepsi on the Jubilee bracelet. Regards.
Excellent review. 180 grams is hefty indeed considering Panerai stainless 44mm is 120 grams. Without handling one the Laco Squad looks like a fantastic piece.Especially considering dollar to value ratio.
Check out my PAM01312 review below Sean. It may interest you. Regards, #WR4K
ua-cam.com/video/Ot2A3ruuIOY/v-deo.html
Fantastic review
I’ve been looking forward to this review since you mentioned it last week and it did not disappoint. Fantastic review and a great rubber nato strap. I’m not very familiar with Laco as a brand but I’ll be definitely looking further into their back catalogue. Thanks again for the review. All the best
Thank you for watching Ross. I had a disappointment this week to be honest with you. I was meant to be reviewing a Benyar chronograph today, but it arrived with a dead battery. Fortunately this piece arrived today so I reviewed it instead. Laco have an interesting history, see link below. Laco is often overlooked in favour of other German brands such as Stowa, Glashutte Original, and Nomos; which is a mistake as they have provenance. Regards.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laco_Uhrenmanufaktur
Watch Reviews, that’s a pity regarding the Benyar. I’ve seen a few of their watches on Amazon but I’ve never been sure on their quality, a review would be greatly appreciated. The laco more than made up for it. I almost bought a steinheart a few months ago but I’ve heard conflicting views on their customer service, but the Laco may be my first German watch
@@Star-Biscuit Check out my previous Benyar reviews. I reviewed a Submariner homage which had a stuck bezel. I also reviewed a Speedmaster homage, one of the subdials didn't reset correctly. I have this one incoming next week; which is the blue dial version of the one I reviewed. I am hoping the chronograph works correctly on this one. Also the rubber strap should be better than their poor quality bracelet. At only £35 one has to accept these kind of negatives. With regards to the Steinhart Ocean One series; they are excellent quality/value for the respective price. I have owned several and really liked them. Unfortunately they don't loan pieces to UA-camrs for review, so I will have to buy one to review it. Their customer servie is excellent. I returned a scratched Premium Blue; abd they immediately offered a full refund, or replacement watch. Regards.
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07H5Q1NF6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Watch Reviews , that’s good to know. I haven’t had first hand experience, only what others have said on review sites so it’s nice to know that the customer service is good. I have a friend who has one and it’s fantastic quality for the price like you said. 🤞 it’s third time lucky on the benyar watches
@@Star-Biscuit Their quality has improved over the years. Originally the Ocean One was made by Grovana in Tenniken. They had more quality control issues, and poor clasps. Now they are made by Palladium AG in Lyss, Switzerland. The quality control is much better, also the clasps have improved. If you have a 6-72 wrist I highly recommend the 39mm Ocean One. Often collectors make the mistake of buying the 42mm and quickly flip it as they dislike the flat straight lugs which have a gap between the case and wrist. Their new ceramic bezel Ocean One's, including the GMT Master Pepsi homage are all excellent. I can also highly recommend their Jubilee bracelet as its 10/10 quality. Next week I also have a Bersigar (Pagani Design) Daytona homage, and Casio DW5600 G-Shock incoming. I am going to space the reviews out to one per week though; as I want to reduce the time I am spending on my channel now its growing steadily. Regards.
There’s another bracelet these come in that has a cheaper sheet metal buckle. I’ve never seen the milled clasp like that!
I’m in the USA.
Also, the other version has a divers extension.
Thank you for watching auxmike. Yes, I have seen the pressed metal clasp version. They used to use that, and have now upgraded to using solid milled clasps. Regards.
Lovely lookin watch. I have the same movement in my Hamilton khaki field :) Thanks for the review John.
Kind regards Tomasz
Thank you for watching Tomasz. The Hamilton Khaki field is an excellent watch. I would like to review one. Wear it in good health. Regards.
Watch Reviews I don't know where about you are based but if you'll be passing by Banbury (Oxfordshire) by any chance somewhere in the future I'll be happy to lend it to you for the review 💁🏻♂️
@@Tomalyo Thank you for the offer Tomasz; that is very kind. I am from London originally. I emigrated to Ireland 10 years ago. Regards.
Watch Reviews No worries :)
Love this watch and pretty much all Laco watches..but I have one recommendation for anyone about to buy any Laco and that is to buy the watch on a strap and not a bracelet. Laco is not known for putting bracelets on their watches and that being said this is not their forte. What I am getting at is that the bracelets might not be of the best quality. No real fault to Laco and it’s nice they offer as an option when ordering though.
Thank you for watching. Wear yours in good health. Regards.
Watch Reviews 4K Love my Atacama and Tundra Squad watches.
What would consider as the Swiss equivalent to this watch?
The Steinhart Ocean One 42. Regards, #WR4K
Funny, but confusing...
Thank you for watching Achim. Regards.
If you had to choose between the Laco Mojave and the Steinhart Ocean 39 GMT what would you choose?
Thank you for watching Richard. The Steinhart is a better quality piece. The 39 GMT Jubilee bracelet is excellent quality, and very comfortable. Both the Coke and Pepsi ceramic bezels are done to a high standard. Also the BGW9 Superluminova is better quality. Regards.
Does that still ring true even when comparing with the Laco using the better Topgrade movement?
I am on the fence between these 2 mainly because I like the originality of the Laco, and the Steinhart is pretty close to the Rolex GMT in terms of looks. It seems they’ve done just enough to differentiate it but is there too much of a stigma attached to it?
I agree with you the lume on the Steinhart is superior.
Great review btw.
@@richardross-adams2925 The only difference between a Top Grade and Élaboré; is they are regulated in 5 positions, rather than 3 positions. So yes, it is more accurate; but the build quality isn't any better for more money. There isn't any stigma to wearing a Rolex homage in reality. No one is going to mistake an Ocean One GMT for a GMT Master II. The Jubilee bracelet looks different enough due to the brushed centre links, rather than polished; which actually looks better than the Rolex Jubilee bracelet. Overall the 39 GMT is a better finished watch. The only negatives are the 1.5x cyclops (rather than 2.5x on a Rolex); and also the unidirectional bezel (rather than bidirectional on a Rolex). But these are minor negatives one can live with. The case polishing and bracelet build quality are a level above the Laco. For a 6-7" wrist size the 39 is a better fit too. Regards.
Thanks for the prompt reply.
The model I’m referring to is the Batman, with the date window at 6 and no cyclops at all, also the picket fence hands, not Mercedes hands. Steinhart have done just enough to not be a replica of the Rolex from that point of view.
Purely from a movement perspective, is the ETA 2824-2 Topgrade inferior to the ETA 2893-2?
Also, my wrist is 7.67 inches so I’m torn between the 39 & 42 of the Steinhart interns of size, but the 42 is Titanium only and that’s a whole different watch aesthetically speaking
I meant, confusing to read the time; so many distractions on the Dial, no clear stucture - with nice colours. But not really practical.
Thank you for watching Achim. Regards.