Laco Baumuster "B" UNLIMITED EDITION / Caseback for Limited Edition

[DeDe]

Hi,

I also think, that there must be a difference between the serial version and the WUS version. The differnce can be the crown, the engraving, a non hacking or automatic ETA, ...) but it should be a another version. The case back engraving is not a difference for me, it is only cosmetic .

[daviswalker]

I'll add my voice as well. Put simply: Laco sold us an LE. It was part of the description of the watch that we purchased, and it is a watch "feature" that has value. By offering the watch essentially unmodified as an unlimited edition, Laco is changing the spec of the LE, and taking away some of the value of the item that they sold us. I completely understand the reasons for offering the watch unlimited, but those reasons were not laid out as part of the product for which we laid down a deposit and waited.

I would say that some change to the spec to keep the LE limited should be expected of Laco.

Dave

[Paulo]

The unlimited edition has no numbering, that would be enough to distinguish it. Can't see a reason why Laco should mod any of the features of the watch, which should be a B-Uhr hommage, as with a bunch of WUS enthusiasts help them reached the Laco's heritage truest hommage design.

To be honest the exclusivity doesn't bother me much. I've never seen around anyone wearing a B-Uhr hommage and I don't expect it to be different after Laco produces the ulimited version...

What I would like to suggest here is that Laco could produce a nice series of 50 brochures about the making of the WUS LE.

[Crusader]

The situation is not dissimilar to the Stowa Flieger Original LE which, as it turns out, is much, much closer to the unlimited edition than many LE owners had bargained for (the caseback is the only difference if you go for the non-LE top version, essentially).

For me, the thrill of owning a Stowa FO LE is that I was there from the beginning; In some of the features of the LE (as well as the non-LE) I recognize the things I have put into the discussion process. In a very small way, it is more of "my watch" than purchase and ownership would suggest. While these same features are also present in the non-LE, the discussion process of which I, like many others on Watchuseek, was privileged to participate, was about the LE - and the non-LE is merely a copy in my eyes, but not the watch that was discussed for nearly two years.

Personally, I can't see how either Laco or Stowa would throw good ideas garnered through a forum discussion process with historical, technical and artistic experts to the wind, and produce intentionally a lesser watch for a non-LE than they could. After all, we are dealing with mainstream prices; this isn't like a tens or hundreds of thousands have been paid for a unique watch. I see it as our contribution to keep two independent makers of affordable and exquisitely styled watches in business.

Having said that, I do like frank_be's suggestion of the massive caseback modeled on the Stowa massive caseback (and the originals), i.e. have the oblong boxes on the inside, and the LE number on the outside. That should be easily manageable for Laco, IMHO, and a fair request from the forum members.

[hotnerd]

Guys, we take this stuff too seriouly. Are we really in business of exclusivity on the forum??? I enjoy the forum because I want to include and share with as many people.

Martin is absolutely right! All 50 of us were there from the beginning. We should be promoting our work, not protecting it from other forum members. We should be proud to be part of the forum and Laco history. That to me is more special than complaining about losing value on a 550 Euro watch because others will get a similar watch.

Paulo, I like your idea of nice booklet like Stowa is planning for FO LE

You guys duke it out while I enjoy my Laco

[fachiro1]

I'll say it again, when I buy a limited edition, I'd really like it to be a limitied edition. Participating in discussions, being part of a projected, etc...etc...that's all fine and dandy, but the fact is, if the watch is the same, then it really isnt a limited edition with exception of the numbering. Is my logic flawed?

Like I mentioned above, if Prosce came out with a GT2 and then decided to make all 911's gt2s for the same price, I'd be pretty pissed.

Don't call it a limited edition then, because it really isn't

Like the Stowa LE MO, that is a limited edition. Or the Flieger auto LE, that is a limited edition witht the side engraving and the engraved rotor.

I'm happy for the people that can get one that missed the boar the first time around, but to offer the watch now as a regular production model doesnt make our watch really a limited edition anymore.

[CKH2359]

My understanding is that Laco is using forum WIS inputs to create a watch, and if the watch is well received, Laco will mass produce and sell the same design. Which they did, good for them!

I understand where fachiro1 comes from. "Limited" supposed to mean exclusiveness. Besides the numbering from 1/50 to 50/50, and a change in engraving in the caseback, there is basically no difference to the watch. Then what the 50 of us is holding on, should be called "prototype" watches.

Laco could do this for the unlimited serial watch: use mineral glass instead of sapphire, use tritium instead of superluminova, have one normal strap (brown), include the "Laco" logo, stainless steel case satin-finish and charge it cheaper, say at euro 400. In this way, it still benefited from the WUS design contributions and yet made the WUS forum watch exclusive.

In addition, I also support the idea of a Laco redesigned caseback (provided it doesn't cost too much).


Cheers
KH

[fachiro1]

Hey, I enjoy the forums too, just like everyone else. We can all have the thrill of owning this watch and the thrill of being part of a design, etc. etc...but that still doesnt change the fact that a limited edition is not really a limitied edition. And I guess it is kind of being exclusive in a way, and there's nothing wrong with that. Some of us do want to have "exclusive" things, otherwise, let's all get a limited edition g-shock; nothing wrong with that.

We approached Laco and asked them to make a forum watch for us. My understanding was that it would be an exclusive, limited edition piece. Like the dutch forum, they had 5 or 6 of the a dial autos, no logo made for them, and some other forum had some kindof ensignia made for their dials.

So when Laco comesout and says their going to release "our" watch as a production watch, well, I'm sorry I feel kind of disappointed, but that is just me, andI think this sentiment is shared by others as well, I don't think it is just me.



Btu hey all, that's fine, it's all not big od a deal anyways. It is kind of cool that we all had a say in the design and that we were the first fiftey to get this, and yes, the caseback engraving is one of a kind.

[Paulo]

Please gents, there are no exclusive LE at this price, it's just that simple...

[Sandy]

The caseback engraving is one of a kind, but for how long?

The black color is already wearing off after only a couple of weeks; a few more months and it will be gone entirely. It's not so much an engraving as it is an etching, and a weak one at that.

The contract number on the side of the case is an engraving; too bad the caseback wasn't done the same way...