[Laco] Valencia - Bailed on my Stowa after months of delays.
imgur.com/a/21ukF
imgur.comPosted Apr 29, 2015, 11:08 PM UTC
5226
imgur.comI ordered a Stowa Ikarus in December. It was originally supposed to come at the end of March, then it was delayed until the end of April, then delayed again until the end of May. I cancelled my order and picked up another of my bookmarked watches, a Laco Valencia. It seems like a pretty great value, and Laco's tweaks to the Miyota movement are a nice touch. My only concern at the moment is that the leather strap is so smooth it almost looks like vinyl...may look at picking up a Croc strap in the near future.
4
Nice looking watch, apart from that date window. What were they thinking?
4
Are you categorically against 6 o'clock date windows? I think Halios look great! Then again, Halios dial feels busier than this Laco, although it really isn't!
I think 6 o'clock date windows look great on busy watches!
1
Not the person you replied to, but to me what kills this is the lack of border or outline on the date window. It's amazing how much of a difference something so small does for me.
2
That is fair enough - for me, border/outline on the date window varies from watch to watch. I think lack of borders works on some watches - AP 15400 is a perfect example
3
God damn that definitely works.
1
I'm less bothered by the location than I am by the size. It's far too small.
2
Actually that's one detail that drew me to this dial. The date window is small enough that it doesn't detract from the sterility of the face, but the information is there if you need it.
1
I have the same watch, Love the way it feels on the wrist. I did change to a black contrast riveted strap though, I cant do brown.
2
Love the case
1
Looks like a really smooth wearing watch 👍
1
I think you'll regret not waiting for the Stowa...
Downvote me all you want, but Stowa's finishing is much better than Laco's. Worth waiting for.
-3†
Nah. I'll try again in a year or so when they have their act together. I'm not letting them sit on a chunk of cash while they continue to miss their own dates.
4
Unless they've changed their policies in the past five months, Stowa doesn't require payment until the watch is almost ready to ship.
2
I'd imagine it's a deposit?
0
I'm currently waiting for the go-ahead to make a payment to Stowa and I haven't put any money down.
2
No deposit when I bought mine last fall. From Stowa when I placed my order:
You will receive a notification when your ordered watch or item is under production. After this notification you can pay and we will send the item within 10 days after receiving your money.
1
Uh, Stowa doesn't require any payment/deposit upfront. They only bill you when the watch is ready to be shipped.
2
If this is how they operate, I'll have to agree with your call to cancel and get another brand. If they did eventually send it out, you'd have bitter feelings about the purchase experience since they'll have made you feel like an afterthought
-1
These kind of delays happen when watches aren't mass produced; Stowa assembles all their watches as they're ordered. That's why they're known for their great finishing and attention to detail.
1
This is true, but the process definitely requires a different mindset. While personal attention to detail is great, the downside of waiting on things (particularly multiple delays) is not what people are used to. You better deliver top notch quality if you make someone wait months for a product, when an alternative product is readily available without delay.
Stowa's reputation is built on the fact that they do deliver. In the OP's case, it didn't work out, and I understand his decision to go with the Laco. For Stowa to continue as a viable watchmaker, they need to avoid stories like this and exceed expectations when they do deliver.
For the record, I'm a Stowa fan and own an Antea.
1
In regards to the comments about Stowa not requiring upfront payment - i am aware of this. I am not clear on what happened in my case. I placed my order and a couple days later i received an email with instructions for payment, at which point i proceeded to remit. At the time i thought perhaps they were able to ship prior to the estimated ship date. It's not a big deal, in retrospect i shouldn't have even mentioned Stowa in this post.
For some reason people seem to think i'm comparing the Laco to the Stowa, which i'm not. Different watches at different pricepoints. As i mentioned, I'll try for a Stowa again at a later date. It's still "going to last decades" if i pick one up a year from now.
3
Going to have to agree with u/twenty0ne here. Laco makes nice watches, but they are a pretty big step down in terms of quality and materials compared to Stowa. In the grand scheme of things a few extra months to wait is pretty minimal when you're talking about a purchase that will likely last decades.
2
That lume is lovely - I do love the very spherical and round back on this model!