TRADITION REBORN

The release of 22 new watches across three lines has announced the comeback of the 287-year-old brand Favre Leuba. While the spotlight once again shines on its illustrious past, models like the Deep Blue Renaissance highlight why this return is worth being excited about.

- Somva Rauthan

Founded in 1737 by Swiss watchmaker Abraham Favre in Le Locle, Switzerland, Favre Leuba is popularly recognised as the secondoldest Swiss watchmaking company. But what makes the brand even more relevant to us in India is that Favre Leuba was the first Swiss watch brand to be made available in the country in 1865, with an office in Bombay and its products selling across British India. Over the decades, its exemplary watches have included the world's first mechanical wristwatch with an aneroid barometer for altimetry and air pressure measurement, the Bivouac (1962), and the world's first mechanical wristwatch that showed dive time and current diving depth, the Bathy (1968).

This year, Favre Leuba has received a shot in the arm with a resuscitation being led by CEO and Chairman Patrik Hoffmann, an industry veteran. Hoffmann's previous roles include being the CEO of Ulysse Nardin, and Executive Vice President of Watchbox-the platform of new and pre-owned watches, which was rechristened 'The 1916 Company' last year. The brand relaunched at Geneva Watch Days in August with 22 new creations, across three linesChief (land), cushion-shaped watches that reimagine a collection from 1970; Sea Sky (air), which has a strong focus on chronographs; and Deep Blue (sea), originally launched in 1964 and a testament to the brand's diving legacy. All come enriched with elements of the brand's renowned heritage models, including our cover watch, the Deep Blue Renaissance (Ref. 00.20308.101.02.200).

"We identified Favre Leuba as a brand with tremendous potential for a relaunch in today's market and recognise that previous attempts by various investors did not succeed. However, times have changed, and consumer tastes and values have evolved. We are confident that now is the right moment to bring back a brand with such a rich history and deep-rooted DNA," says Hoffmann.