Favre-Leuba Watches

Favre-Leuba Watches

Favre-Leuba isn’t just old-school — it’s second-oldest-in-Swiss-watchmaking-history old. And while the brand went quiet for a while, it came back swinging

with rugged tool watches, bold designs, and complications that push the edge of adventure.

If you want vintage dive and mountaineering energy — but don’t want the same old Sub homage — Favre-Leuba brings the heat.

A Little History

The brand dates back to 1737, when Abraham Favre began watchmaking in Le Locle, Switzerland. Over the next two centuries, Favre-Leuba evolved

into one of the most respected manufacturers of rugged tool watches, especially through the 1950s–70s.

Highlights from the golden era include:

  • Bivouac (1962) — the first mechanical altimeter watch, with an aneroid capsule to measure altitude and air pressure

  • Deep Blue and Bathy (1968) — early dive watches, including the first mechanical depth gauge watch

  • Sea Sky — a cushion-case chronograph with Valjoux 72 and bold colors

After a quiet few decades, Favre-Leuba was revived in the 2010s with backing from Tata Group (India), and has since released updated versions

of its legendary tool watches — still built in Switzerland, with an eye toward adventure.

What Collectors Love

Favre-Leuba has always been about purpose-driven design — with watches that feel engineered, not just styled.

Fan favorites include:

  • Raider Bivouac 9000 — the modern reissue of the original Bivouac, with a mechanical altimeter that reads up to 9,000m using a sealed capsule and hand-wound movement.

  • Raider Bathy 120 — updated depth gauge watch, capable of measuring down to 120m mechanically. Uses a membrane that moves a central hand.

  • Raider Deep Blue — classic 1970s diver reimagined, with cushion case, bold indices, and 300m WR.

  • Raider Harpoon — one of the most unique modern divers: a single-hand system where the minute hand also displays the hour via a rotating disk. Legibility-focused, built like a tank.

  • Sea Sky Chronograph — a throwback to the 1970s with colorful bezels and Valjoux-derived auto movements.

Movements are Swiss (ETA or Sellita), often modified or used as platforms for proprietary complications. Cases are big, sculpted, and unmistakably

Favre-Leuba — especially the thick, ridged bezels and angular lugs.

Why Favre-Leuba Deserves a Spot

Because it did complicated tool watches before they were cool — and it’s still pushing the envelope today.

While most brands went minimalist, Favre-Leuba doubled down on function. Altimeters. Depth gauges. Single-hand divers. And all of it

packed into bold, original case designs that don’t look like anything else on the market.

This is tool-watch credibility with historical roots — and a modern identity that’s not chasing vintage reissue trends, but building on them.

What’s Out There Now

Current collections include:

  • Raider Bivouac 9000 — 48mm titanium altimeter watch, limited production

  • Raider Bathy 120 — 48mm dive watch with depth gauge

  • Raider Harpoon — 46mm single-hand diver, 500m WR, available in multiple colorways

  • Raider Deep Blue and Sea Sky — more wearable at 41–44mm, with classic three-hand or chrono layouts

Pre-owned pieces — especially original 1960s–70s models like the Bivouac, Bathy, or Sea Sky — are increasingly collectible

though still reasonably priced given the history and innovation.

Fed’s Take

Favre-Leuba is the indie adventurer’s brand.

Every time I strap on a Harpoon or a Bivouac, I’m reminded that there’s still room in this industry for function-first design with real identity. The altimeter works.

The depth gauge works. The one-hand display? Surprisingly easy to read. It’s not for everyone — but that’s the point.

If you’re bored of cookie-cutter divers and want something with mechanical credibility, historical roots, and visual guts

— Favre-Leuba deserves your attention.

Check Out Our Favre-Leuba Inventory

Delray Watch is always on the lookout for unique Favre-Leuba watches — especially vintage Bivouac, Bathy, Sea Sky, and modern Raider series models.

If you have a Favre-Leuba watch you’re ready to sell or trade – reach out. We’re always buying.

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