Horological Meandering

MTF
[PuristS]
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VIDEO Favre-Leuba in 2017: Conquering Frontiers

“Conquering Frontiers”

Favre-Leuba crown logo

Early in the morning of August 7th, 1964, two alpinists find themselves in the heart of the almost vertical north face of Pointe Whymper in the Grandes Jorasses, which no one has yet conquered. There are prevailing icy temperatures. Time after time, rocks plunge thundering past the mountaineers into the abyss. Clouds are approaching. Keep going, or cut it short? Much is at stake – not just the success of the planned first ascent, but above all the survival of both men.

Thanks to the integrated altimeter and barometer, their wristwatches reliably show them not only the height, but also the impending change in the weather. Based on this vital information, the two-man roped party pitches a protective camp and thereby avoids a severe blizzard. Two days later – still in adverse conditions – exhausted but otherwise safe and sound, they reach the 4,184 meter-high summit.

The two daredevils: Genevan mountain guide Michel Vaucher and Italian alpinist Walter Bonatti.
Their watch: The Bivouac by Favre-Leuba.

HISTORY

Favre-Leuba was founded as a small workshop by a 35 year-old Abraham Favre in Le Locle and the earliest official mention was in 1737 (280 years old in 2017). Over the centuries, the brand has defined many of the innovations of the watch industry today. The watches had functions and resistance to climatic conditions that were favoured by explorers and scientific expeditions. Exporting to countries outside Europe like Brazil, Chile, Cuba, India and USA, it was already a "global brand" in the early 1900s. Favre-Leuba was the first Swiss watch brand marketed in India.

The brand's popular wristwatches superceded pocket watches in the first quarter of the 20th century, including the first monopusher chronographs in 1925 and manual-wind Datora with calendar in 1946. Precision chronometers were assembled and awarded multiple 1st prizes by the Neuchâtel Observatory.

In 1968, the brand introduced the Bathy – the world’s first mechanical wristwatch, which not only displayed dive time, but also current diving depth. Also in 1968, Favre-Leuba was one of the first brands to use automatic winding and double-barrel caliber combination in series production.

Favre-Leuba was Favre family-owned for 8 generations without interruption until the 1980s when it fell victim to the "quartz crisis". After sojourns through the Saphir, Benedom and LVMH Groups, the Tata Group acquired the company in 2011 to pursue a long-term strategy. They set about recruiting an experienced team for design, engineering, sales and marketing, based in Switzerland, as it should be. Together with the global power of the Tata Group (Annual Revenue USD 103 BILLION), this team has world market plans.

Japan was the first market to witness the brand representation and it is now being followed with India. Middle East, Hong Kong, Taiwan and markets across the European continent (Switzerland, Germany, Austria) will witness this next.

NEW TEAM

Thomas Morf, CEO

The CEO is an old friend of PuristSPro - Thomas Morf - former CEO at Carl F. Bucherer and before that at Maurice Lacroix Sales.  We held a couple of PuristS GTG (get together) in Hong Kong and Taipei [CLICK].

Trained in Engineering and Business Administration, he was tasked with launching Carl F. Bucherer brand globally. With PuristSPro, he succeeded and gained industry recognition.

Thomas is also founding partner of companies in the USA and Switzerland and a mentor of the Swiss Startup Factory (SSUF) in Zurich, coaching start-up companies early in their business ventures.

Thomas Morf is often described by many “as a scrupulous, ambitious, and enthusiastic” CEO in the industry. His challenge to himself: “…to bring back the legendary brand Favre-Leuba where it belongs, as the brightest star amongst the Swiss watch brands.”

COLLECTION 2017

The Raider and Chief lines are inspired by the brand’s legendary watches with relevant and new proprietary technologies to Survive; whether in their daily life or when conquering frontiers, at the highest altitudes or in the deepest depths, in the East or in the West, north or south of the equator, in the freezing cold or sweltering heat.

RAIDER HARPOON

Raider Harpoon diver's watch displays time by emphasizing the essentials. It allows divers to read the MINUTES elapsed since the start of a dive – the most important unit of time under water – more quickly, easily, and accurately than ever before.

The Harpoon only features a minute hand, ensuring no confusion. The ingenious interplay between this hand and the rotating ring at the edge of the dial – which bears Arabic numerals for the hours and is driven by a patented mechanism developed by Favre Leuba – means that the time in hours and minutes can still be read.

Favre-Leuba Raider Harpoon

MOVEMENT  Automatic, patented mechanism for hour display

FUNCTIONS  Time display by minute hand and hour indicator, running seconds disk at the center for function control, helium valve

CASE  Stainless steel or stainless steel with GUNMETAL PVD coating; unidirectional rotating bezel made of anodized aluminum; screw-in crown; sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coating on both sides; screwed and aligned case back; diameter 46 mm, height 16.5 mm, water-resistant up to 50 bar / 500 m

DIAL  Blue or black; applied indexes; luminous (blue emission) indexes and hour indicator, minute and second hands, markings under seconds disk

WRISTBAND Stainless steel, folding safety clasp with diving extension system, or Rubber with pin buckle

RAIDER BIVOUAC 9000

Favre-Leuba is celebrating its 280th anniversary with a bang and making another very clear statement in the watch industry. Until now, the Raider Bivouac 9000 had been technically impossible. The design team drew inspiration from the company’s own history: in 1962, Favre-Leuba launched the world’s first mechanical wristwatch capable of measuring air pressure and altitudes up to 3,000 meters above sea level. While the Bivouac 9000 is a homage to the legendary model, every aspect has been improved and refined into a functional instrument to conquer extremely high altitudes.

The new Bivouac still measures altitude with an aneroid barometer, but uprated to an incredible 9,000 meters above sea level . In addition to the altitude and air-pressure display, the watch also features a power-reserve indicator, which gives the wearer plenty of warning when the watch needs to be wound. Entirely in keeping with the spirit of Favre-Leuba, the mechanism performs its complex task with as few components as possible, thus making it even more accurate and reliable.

Favre-Leuba Bivouac 9000

MOVEMENT Hand-wound; specially designed mechanisms for altimeter and power-reserve indicator; power reserve of 65 hours

FUNCTIONS Hours, minutes, small seconds, central hand to display altitudes of 3,000 m per full rotation, subdial for displaying altitudes of up to 9,000 m and air pressure in hPa, power-reserve indicator, date display

CASE  Titanium; bidirectional rotating bezel with anodized aluminum insert; screw-in crown; sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coating on both sides; screwed and aligned case back; diameter 48 mm, height 18.7 mm, water-resistant up to 3 bar / 30 m

DIAL  Stone-gray; applied indexes; luminous indexes and hour and minute hands, red hand for altimeter

STRAP  Leather with pin buckle

RAIDER SEA BIRD

In 2017, Favre-Leuba is also introducing the Sea Bird, a new ladies’ watch in the Raider line. The "Conquering Frontiers" design philosophy of Favre-Leuba can also inspire feminine designs where aesthetic beauty can be perfectly complemented by functionality, reliability, and robust sportiness.

Favre-Leuba Raider Sea Bird

MOVEMENT  Automatic or quartz

FUNCTIONS  Hours, minutes, seconds, date display

CASE  Stainless steel, sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coating on both sides, screwed and aligned case back, diameter: 37 mm (automatic) or 34 mm (quartz), water-resistant up to 10 bar / 100 m

DIAL  White, copper, royal blue, brown, applied indexes, luminous indexes, hour and minute hands

BRACELET Stainless steel with butterfly clasp

WHY FAVRE-LEUBA?

You are now wondering why it is "Favre-Leuba"?

The 4th generation family merged their 'A. Favre & Fils' company with Auguste Leuba's watch business in 1815 but watches remained branded as Favre until 1855 when 5th generation Fritz Favre married Adele-Fanny Leuba and the double surname was used.

Awwww.....LOVE.

VIDEO

Regards,
MTF