Favre Leuba: history, models and value

Founded

1737

Founder(s)

Abraham Favre

Headquarters

Grenchen

Owner / group

Revived brand, owned by Ethos Ltd. (via Silvercity Brands AG)

Favre Leuba: origins and founding

Favre Leuba dates its roots to 1737, when Abraham Favre was recorded as an independent watchmaker in Le Locle, in the Neuchâtel Jura. In 1792 his son and grandsons founded A. Favre & Fils in Le Locle. The family sold pocket watches far beyond Switzerland: in 1865 Fritz Favre brought the company's watches to India, and after the Second World War the firm had an office in Bombay.

Founders and family

Favre Leuba was a family business for eight generations, from Abraham Favre in the 18th century until the family sold it in 1985. Members of the family travelled to distant markets to sell watches, including Henry August Favre around 1820.

Favre Leuba history and milestones

• 1955: the first in-house movement, the hand-wound FL101, used in models such as the Sea Chief, Sea King and Sea Raider.
• 1957: the automatic calibres FL103 and FL104.
• 1962: the slim twin-barrel calibre FL251 and the Bivouac, a mechanical wristwatch with an aneroid barometer that shows altitude and air pressure.
• 1964: the Deep Blue dive watch, water-resistant to 200 meters.
• 1968: the Bathy, a mechanical dive watch showing both depth and dive time.
• 1985: after the quartz crisis, the Favre family sold the company. The name then changed hands several times, including periods with Benedom SA and LVMH.
• 2011: Titan Company of India's Tata Group acquired the brand.
• 2016–2017: the Raider collection; the Raider Bivouac 9000, presented at Baselworld 2017, measures altitude mechanically up to 9,000 meters.
• 2023: the Indian watch retailer Ethos took over Favre Leuba GmbH from Titan through its subsidiary Silvercity Brands AG.
• 2024: relaunch at Geneva Watch Days with new Chief, Deep Blue and Sea Sky collections.

Famous Favre Leuba models

• Bivouac: the 1962 altimeter watch, used by mountaineers. Japanese climber Junko Tabei wore one on Everest.
• Bathy: the 1968 depth-gauge dive watch.
• Deep Blue: the 1964 diver, reissued in 2024.
• Sea King, Sea Chief, Sea Raider: 1950s and 1960s watches, often with in-house FL calibres.
• Raider Harpoon and Raider Bivouac 9000: modern models from the Titan era.

Movements and technique

In the 1950s and 1960s Favre Leuba made its own movements, from the hand-wound FL101 to the automatic FL103/FL104 and the twin-barrel FL251 with about 50 hours of power reserve. Its instrument watches used aneroid capsules to measure air or water pressure. The 2024 Deep Blue uses an automatic La Joux-Perret G100 movement with a 68-hour power reserve.

Favre Leuba today

Today's Favre Leuba is a revived brand. It is based in Grenchen and owned by Ethos Ltd. of India through Silvercity Brands AG, with Patrik Hoffmann as CEO. The 2024 collections are priced at roughly CHF 2,250 to 4,375 at launch, in the mid-price segment, and India is an important market.

Favre Leuba prices on the pre-owned market

Collectors focus on vintage pieces from the 1950s to 1970s. Original Bivouac and Bathy watches with working pressure gauges are the most sought after. Watches with in-house FL calibres usually interest buyers more than simple models. Dial originality, a working complication and a clean case drive value.

How to recognise a genuine Favre Leuba

Check that the movement matches the model: a Bivouac or Bathy needs a working pressure mechanism, and in-house watches should carry the correct FL calibre. Redialed or rebuilt vintage watches are a common problem, so look closely at the dial printing and fonts. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers the general checks.

What is your Favre Leuba worth?

Whether you have a 1960s Bivouac or a recent Raider, you can get a free watch value estimate from a few photos. For estates and insurance, a written watch appraisal is also available.

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