History of Favre-Leuba

[watchculture]

Dear Horomundians, some interesting history provided by Favre-Leuba to share with you.....



EPISODE 1 : THREE CENTURIES OF HISTORY:
THE EPIC STORY OF FAVRE -LEUBA
This is the story of a discovery that became a passion, of a talent that became a profession, illustrated by priceless archives recounting this Swiss brand’s centuries-old history.

Favre-Leuba, timekeepers since 1718
The 18th century was the century of Enlightenment. Europe
teemed with inventors and thinkers, whose genius transformed
daring new ideas into crowning achievements. Musicians, artists,
philosophers and scientists stamped their times with their
courage, passion and remarkable talents.
One of them, Abraham Favre, the founder of today’s Favre-
Leuba manufactory, decided to try his hand at making watches.
Tucked away in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Neuchâtel Jura,
this church elder became initiated into the complexities of
watchmaking in 1718 under the watchful eye of Mr Gagnebin,
an experienced master watchmaker.
Their relationship was based on some carefully-planned
negotiations, as a notarized agreement signed on March 29, 1718
shows. In return for the knowledge imparted by Mr Gagnebin:


the contract...


“Mr Favre undertakes to provide Mr Gagnebin with lodging in his house in
La Chaux-de-Fonds, giving him the use of a room fitted with necessary furniture like a bed with proper bedding, chairs and a table with tablecloth and napkins as well as table and kitchen furniture, all according to the needs and wishes of Mr Gagnebin. He will also do his laundry and his cooking,
make him bread, sweep and tidy up his room, make his bed, clean and grease his shoes, and provide firewood as well as soup and candles. For the latter, the parties have settled on four livres a year. In exchange, Mr Gagnebin has proposed to have a nice work-bench made for Mr Favre by the summer on which they will be able to work together on the art of watchmaking.”




Horological knowledge in exchange for a furnished room,
polished shoes and firewood for heating up soup; such was the
agreement which led to the birth of one of Switzerland’s most
prestigious watch brands.
Graduating from passionate enthusiast to specialist, Mr Abraham
Favre decided to become a watchmaker. His profession was soon
recognized and officially recorded on “the thirtieth of March
seventeen thirty-seven” in Le Locle. In a carefully-preserved
document, Mr Abraham Sandoz-Genton, solicitor, confirmed
that “Mr Abram Favre, son of Mr Abram Favre, church elder
and part-time judge of La Chaux-de-Fonds” was officially
declared a “watchmaker”.
This official registration represented the first major consecration
of a life dedicated to the art of watchmaking as well as the
establishment of one of the very first watch companies in
Switzerland. Thanks to this ingenious craftsman’s pioneering
spirit and strong work ethic, this small company has gone from
strength to strength over the eight generations it has been passed
down from father to son.
Favre-Leuba has a long, impressive and astonishing history: the
first Favre watchmaker mentioned in the notarized acts of 1718,
a manufactory officially registered in 1737, a promotion to the
position of “Master watchmaker of Le Locle” certified in 1751, a
close working relationship until the end of the 18th century with
Jacques-Frédéric Houriet, the father of Swiss chronometry, and
an unbroken line of eight generations of watchmakers. Like other
renowned brands, Favre-Leuba can look back over a long and
illustrious history.
One story, probably true but never confirmed, is that the
writer and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau owned a
Favre timepiece. On his way to England in 1765, Jean-Jacques
Rousseau spent ten days with his friend Doctor Abraham
Gagnebin, a close relative of Abraham Favre and his son who
had the same name. Between walks and other botanical studies
in the verdant valleys of the Neuchâtel mountains, it is nice to
imagine them talking about the art of watchmaking and giving
expression to man’s enigmatic and intimate relationship with
time. Born in 1712 into a family of watchmakers, Rousseau
would certainly have been intrigued by the expertise and
craftsmanship displayed by Abraham Favre, his son Abraham
and his son-in-law Jacques-Frédéric Houriet. One example of this
expertise and craftsmanship is the magnificent 18th century
pocket-watch presented here, which is also on display at the
International Museum of Horology in La Chaux-de-Fonds.




Its steel movement bears the elegant and meticulously-engraved
inscription A. Favre fils au Locle. The dial and hands as much as
the English balance-cock and grid confirm its age. Louis XVI in
style, these features point to the years 1780 to 1790, making
this venerable watch over 200 years old.
When you admire this beautiful timepiece, it is easy to forget
that the end of the 18th century was a violent and dangerous
time. Triumphant in Paris, the French Revolution of 1789 had
divided the people of France, divisions that were felt as far away
as the Neuchâtel mountains. In both Le Locle and La Chauxde-
Fonds, revolutionary agitators clashed with the ideas of the
counter-revolutionaries. Despite the political and economic turmoil,
life went on. In 1795, a letter from Jacques-Frédéric Houriet shows that he was
still happily and confidently working with Abraham Favre’s
son, whose work he described as “meticulous” and “exceptional”.
Here was further testimony of Favre’s attention to detail and
mastery, qualities that have been transmitted from generation to
generation

The Favres, however, have not been the only actors in this story.
Early in the 19th century, the Leubas joined forces with
them and helped build up the company. Under their combined
commercial and artistic expertise, the company flourished both
in Switzerland and abroad, gaining an international reputation
in the process. Besides a concern for quality and precision, the
watch trade demanded a keen sense of business.
From Le Locle to Valparaiso, Moscow, New York, Beirut,
Bahrain and Singapore: exotic names that conjure up exciting
journeys, enriching experiences and enduring impressions.
Souvenirs of this conquest of distant markets include Fritz Favre’s
passport, stamped in 1863 in Saint-Petersburg on the orders of
His Imperial Majesty Alexander II, Tsar of all the Russias, letters
sent from London and Panama, medals from the 1855 Universal
Exposition in Paris, a letter sent to Fritz Favre in Chile, accounts
of journeys from Bombay and Calcutta, etc. No country seemed
beyond the reach of this family business, giving it the dimension
of a truly international brand. This is shown by the company’s
letterhead from the end of the 19th century, reproduced
here.


certificate...

Ignoring the risks of travelling by coach, train, steamer or plane,
the Favres and Leubas have conducted business in the remotest
regions of the world, thereby confirming their dynamism,
unfailing optimism and passionate commitment.
Proud of its 300-year history, Favre-Leuba pays tribute to the
genius and dedication of its founders in the current Mercury
collection, taking the brand’s ancestral savoir-faire and creativity
to new heights. The collection’s symbolic association of past
and present suggests that time has not undermined the essence
of this exceptional brand. As powerful as it is impressive,
the collection evokes the eclipse of Mercury by Venus, which
occurred for the first time in 1737, the same year the company
was founded. This eclipse, an event of rare splendour that will
not occur again until 2133, symbolizes the birth of a company
destined to shine for centuries to come.

Episode 2 next.......

[watchculture]

Along with other renowned brands,
Favre-Leuba has enjoyed a long past, full
of memories, come-backs, difficulties and
successes, challenges and the transmission
of know-how. Thanks to a lot of tenacity
and a little bit of luck, the brand can look
back with pride over its 290-year history.
Now that we have related the story behind
this formidable line of watchmakers, we
invite you to discover the watches that
have had the most impact on the history
of the brand.


Even though Abraham Favre laid the foundation stone of the
Favre-Leuba building almost three hundred years ago, it was
from 1940 to 1970 that the brand made its most important
technical advances in the field of watchmaking, at a time when it
was producing almost 600,000 watches a year.
While many of us will have forgotten that Favre-Leuba created
the first twin-barrel movements, like the FL 251 calibre and
the extra-thin FL 269, the brand’s benchmark timepieces have
lived on in our memory, and will continue to do so.


BIVOUAC , the watch for every summit....
In 1934, the young ethnologist, Paul-Emile Victor, made his
first trip to Greenland. In 1947, this ecology pioneer founded
the French Polar Expeditions and went on to lead 31 missions
to the Arctic and Antarctic. From 1962 onwards, one instrument
emerged as his indispensable companion: the famous Favre-
Leuba Bivouac.





1962 – BIVOUAC
The revolutionary BIVOUAC has been regarded as an essential
instrument for mountaineers since its launch in 1962.
It is equipped with multiple measurement functions, one
of which indicates the altitude and the weather based on
barometric pressure. The aneroid barometer is a real mechanical
marvel that functions by means of a partial vacuum in a metal
capsule, which contracts when the air pressure is high and
expands when it is low. These variations are amplified and
transmitted to a mechanism which, coupled with an altimeter,
displays the information on the dial.

– Rotating bezel with mobile altitude scale
– Barometric scale with red marker at 760 mmHg
– Red altimeter-barometer hand
Housed in a stainless steel case, the movement has really
been really put through its paces, on all five continents
and in all conditions. History will remember the extremely
accurate performance of this legendary watch in the most
hostile environments, at least for as long as it remembers the
adventures of some very exceptional men who loved the great
outdoors. Aside from Paul-Emile Victor’s expeditions to the
Antarctic mentioned above, there were Michel Darbellay’s first
solo ascent of the Eiger and Walter Bonatti’s first conquest
of the north face of the Matterhorn. At the end of his climb,
this mountaineering virtuoso said, “I can only praise the good
performance of the Bivouac; a marvel and a friend!”


From ice to ocean depths......
Before worrying about rust, watchmakers sought a way to combat
dust. It was from research into sealing their timepieces against
air-born impurities that the first water-resistant watches were
born. But it was thanks to the invention of the screw-down
crown that the first truly waterproof watch was made. Since
then, diver’s watches have undergone spectacular progress, aided
by their use in submarine combat units




1966 -BATHY
It was with the BATHY that Favre-Leuba created the first depth
gauge graduated in metres (50 m) and feet (160 ft).
Besides indicating the length of time spent underwater, the
BATHY gave divers a direct and accurate reading of their depth.
The BATHY still embodies the Favre-Leuba spirit: inventing new
precision instruments that unite the art of watchmaking and a
passion for sport.
– Water-resistance tested to 10 atm
– Unidirectional rotating bezel with 60 notches for calculating
diving time
– Decompression stages indicator
– High-resistance glass
– Fluorescent displays



Combining past and future
After various takeovers from 1969 onwards, the watch company
finally regained its independence in 2003. In a return to its
origins, it launched a new collection called Mercury in 2007.
Inspired by the eclipse of the planet Mercury by Venus in 1737
– the year that the Favre Manufacture was officially registered
– this collection marks the return of the brand to the centre of
the watch stage.

2007 - MERCURY
The Mercury collection illustrates Favre-Leuba’s on-going
commitment to quality and inspiration as well as its dedication
to perfection. It comprises three lines: Mercury Chronograph FL
301, Mercury Big Date FL 302 and Mercury Power Reserve FL 303.
These precious timepieces, fitted with automatic movements
with additional manufactory-made modules, are distinguished
by their superior design and the meticulous attention paid to
the finishing. A superb tribute to the Favre-Leuba Manufacture’s
almost 300 years of history!








VOYAGE TO THE CENTRE OF THE PLANET MERCURY
Winged messenger of the gods in Roman mythology, Mercury
was also the god of trade and travel. The Romans named the
planet closest to the sun in honour of him. Eclipsed by Venus in
1737 – such a rare event that it will not happen again until 2133
– Mercury has only given up very few of its secrets throughout
the centuries. With the aid of its mechanical genius and inspired
by the creative force of Mercury, Favre-Leuba reveals two of them.
ERI
The Embedded Running Indicator (ERI) is a two-tone counter at 3 o’clock in the
shape of an hourglass, the brand’s emblem. It is coupled with a seconds hand.
Partially hidden and enlivening the dial, this disc symbolises the conjunction of
Mercury and Venus and reproduces the interior power and vitality of the watch.
B/CLS
The patented bidirectional crown locking system (B/CLS) is designed to prevent
any unintentional manipulation of the crown from changing the date or time.
This mechanism relies on a double crown system: an inner crown that has to be
turned to unlock the system, which in turn allows an outer crown to be pulled out
to set the date and time. A red marker between the two crowns indicates when the
system is unlocked. This innovation also means that the movement can be wound
regardless of the position of the B/CLS. Finally, the system ensures total waterresistance,
even when it is unlocked and the outer crown is in the setting position.





“When men have reached their objective, they must not retreat.”
Plutarch
Although young Abraham Favre founded one of the most
venerable watch manufacturers, his descendants did much
more than simply apply Plutarch’s precept. Far from contenting
themselves with perpetuating their ancestral know-how, they
have continually re-invented it. Let us admire the path chosen by
this remarkable line of watchmakers and pay tribute to the oldest
known timepiece from the Manufacture still in existence.





Pocket watch with 2 hands, made between 1780 and 1790
Crafted in the Louis XVI style and dating from the last quarter
of the 18th century, this pocket watch in a silver case has a
movement signed “A. Favre fils au Locle”. It features a simple
white enamel dial with Roman numerals and the movement is
finely decorated in the English style. The balance-cock is pierced
and richly chased with foliage and acanthus leaves in the fashion
of the period. These same motifs, finely engraved, are repeated
over the entire movement.
We are sure that other magnificently worked Favre-Leuba pieces
will be added to this remarkable watchmaking heritage for a long
time to come.

[HerrK]

I am eagerly waiting for the parts to come.

Cheers
Christian

[watchculture]

good to see the revival of the brand that I remember seeing when I was a kid

[zephyr49]

Thanks Zach. While I've never encountered this brand before, it seems to do well in its R&D on its patents. I'll be interested in their price points too. While I'm not really interested in diving watches except for Panerais, the Bathy is a refreshing change.

Cheers!
Lionel

[Milan]

Thanks for the very nice report Zach. While I wasn't familiar with this brand I was happy to learn more about it storied history and their innovations through research. The new Mercury models looks very cool and original nicely representing their brands DNA.

[harb]

Thanks for that excellent report, Zach.

A Favre-Leuba was my first Swiss watch, and there's a bit of a story behind it.

It was 1989 and I was at a Cash & Carry (an all-purpose trade store for businesses). They had a old box of random watches, mainly digitals and other odds and ends which I was idly rummaging thru'. Amidst the majority of plastic watches I spotted this one.




At that time I had just started to gain an interest in watches but although I hadn't heard of the brand, I guessed that since it had an engraved case-back and logo on the crown it probably was of some interest. It was manual wind. And it said "Geneve" and "Swiss Made" on the dial, anyway, so that was enough for me!

Got it for £20, serviced, which I thought was a bargain!
At 34mm I find it a bit too small thesedays, but it still does get some wrist-time now and again.

[damien]

very interesting history indeed and brings back some memories of the 60s/70s. are the famiies still in control of the brand or has it been acquired?