# FAVRE LEUBA



## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

Hi guys,

I just received this nice FAVRE LEUBA










I didn't plan this purchase, but at *41,60 €* (55 $, I was the only bidder), I thought "why not" ? ;-)

And obviously, it's this type of watches I like&#8230; ;-)

It was quite dirty when I got it&#8230; I used a toothbrush/water+soap then a cleaning spray&#8230;

The plating goes off on many places :roll: apart that, it's OK :-!

One very good thing : there's a quickset day-date |> |> |> (always appreciated)

Infos provided by the india seller were minimal ;-)



> *ITEMS INFORMATIONS*
> 
> Brand Name : Favre Leuba
> Case Dia without Crown : 34 MM
> ...


And now, on to the pics :







A small surprise, in the cool morning weather&#8230;


&#8230; a bit of *mist* under the cristal :-x


I had to clean the watch pretty roughly because of its initial condition :-x I didn't put the case in the water like I did for the bracelet, but I had to use the toothbrush to clean between the lugs and maybe some humidity came into at this time :think:
When I opened the caseback to take a look at the movement, I didn't need to apply much force to unscrew it, so maybe the watch wasn't closed so well :think:

Anyway, the mist had gone away after a few seconds, short after I took the watch of my wrist (and never came back since then), so I guess it wasn't too bad.























*Movement :*



The rotor doesn't look so new :-d













I thought FAVRE LEUBA had its own movements, but what we have here is a good ol' ETA 2836-1

It's a 28800 A/h :-! so far, it keeps perfect time since this morning |>

*CONCLUSION :*

I'm a happy camper ! :-d

This is a very nice little watch, perfectly nice (after a good cleaning ;-) ) in a good condition&#8230; an it's another vintage swiss watch in the collection :-!


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## joeuk (Feb 16, 2010)

congrats Reno and great pics


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

joeuk said:


> congrats Reno and great pics


Thanks a lot, Joe


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

No mist today :-!


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## Eeeb (Jul 12, 2007)

Good to see a great brand that has not been Mumbai'ed


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

Eeeb said:


> Good to see a great brand that has not been Mumbai'ed


Well&#8230; actually, it *does* come from India :-d

&#8230; but the description said the condition is "original", and I reckon it is (at least the dial is not a repaint)&#8230; and considering the watch was really _dirty_ when it arrived, I wouldn't be surprised if no one had cleaned it since 1980 :-x


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## Eeeb (Jul 12, 2007)

India has been a great market for FL... but, fortunately, not all of them ended up in Mumbai


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## howards4th (Jan 22, 2012)

Congrats on a nice pickup. You can't beat that price, well done!


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

Eeeb said:


> India has been a great market for FL... but, fortunately, not all of them ended up in Mumbai


Indeed ;-)



howards4th said:


> Congrats on a nice pickup. You can't beat that price, well done!


Thanks howards4th 

I still don't understand why nobody but me bid on that one :think: it was a real bargain


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## skywatch (Aug 3, 2010)

Great catch, Reno! I love this vintage of watches - maybe because I was a teenager in the '70s and was just starting to get into watches then, so case styles like this are somewhat imprinted on my imagination. As for nobody bidding on it... I bet they were all thinking "Wow, I bet Reno would like that watch, I should let him get it." :-d :-d :-d In fact, I may have actually seen it come up on the Bay a couple weeks ago, and I remember being slightly tempted, but I was looking for Luchs at the time and I was trying to stay focused.


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

skywatch said:


> Great catch, Reno! I love this vintage of watches - maybe because I was a teenager in the '70s and was just starting to get into watches then, so *case styles like this are somewhat imprinted on my imagination*. As for nobody bidding on it... I bet they were all thinking "Wow, I bet Reno would like that watch, I should let him get it." :-d :-d :-d In fact, I may have actually seen it come up on the Bay a couple weeks ago, and I remember being slightly tempted, but I was looking for Luchs at the time and I was trying to stay focused.


OH ! So I must thank *YOU* for not bidding on it ! :-d ;-)

I know what you mean about this type of watches.

DO YOU HAVE A "TYPE" OF WATCH ?

;-)


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## skywatch (Aug 3, 2010)

Reno said:


> OH ! So I must thank *YOU* for not bidding on it ! :-d ;-)
> 
> I know what you mean about this type of watches.
> 
> ...


Heh heh... you might remember I made this little tribute to you for one of Olly's threads about WUS member's photography style. I don't have anything with your favorite "Royal-Oak-Style" bezel bolts, or else I would have used that of course!


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

skywatch said:


> Heh heh... you might remember I made this little tribute to you for one of Olly's threads about WUS member's photography style. I don't have anything with your favorite "Royal-Oak-Style" bezel bolts, or else I would have used that of course!
> 
> View attachment 671025


:-d I remember ! ;-)

Well, this Omega of yours is _brilliant_ anyway :-!


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## skywatch (Aug 3, 2010)

Thanks! Tres '70s n'est pas? ;-)


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

skywatch said:


> Thanks! Tres '70s n'est pas? ;-)


Absolument ! ^_^


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)




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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

Pics of the day


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## leonmike (Apr 20, 2012)

My 38 yrs old FL ...


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

leonmike said:


> My 38 yrs old FL ...


Very nice duomatic, leonmike :-!


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

*GOLD - FAVRE LEUBA*


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## andreis (May 8, 2012)

*Re: GOLD - FAVRE LEUBA*

Great Photo


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

*Re: GOLD - FAVRE LEUBA*



andreis said:


> Great Photo


Thanks andreis  and welcome to WUS !


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

*FAVRE LEUBA - BLACK BRACELET*

On a new *black* bracelet b-)


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## Eeeb (Jul 12, 2007)

*Re: FAVRE LEUBA - BLACK BRACELET*

Oh... a wonderful match! That bracelet is a beautiful bride to the watch. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

*Re: FAVRE LEUBA - BLACK BRACELET*



Eeeb said:


> Oh... a wonderful match! That bracelet is a beautiful bride to the watch. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts


Thanks Eeeb 

Funny thing, I purchased this bracelet only because it was cheap :-d I had no _special plans_ for it&#8230;

It goes really well with the FAVRE-LEUBA, and I tried it on a Vostok Komandirskie on which it was equally nice :-!










_Unfortunately_, the plating is not so good, and there are already many scratches, a bit everywhere&#8230;

The buckle is especially _damaged_ :-x










_Fortunately_, when I left my (nonetheless positive) evaluation on ebay, the seller read it, and sent me a *TOTAL REFUND* O_O thanking me for letting a positive evaluation (which was sincere, as I like the bracelet)

So in the end the bracelet cost me NOTHING :-d

The seller is *betterbands*, and is a gentleman for sure |> |> |> |> |>


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## bbc0 (Feb 18, 2013)

*Re: FAVRE LEUBA - BLACK BRACELET*

Nice watches. I have noticed that some FB watches have that 'hourglass' shaped symbol all over them and some do not. Anyone know why that might be? Could it be a later innovation? Just wondering.


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## Rdenney (Dec 24, 2012)

Reno said:


> I thought FAVRE LEUBA had its own movements, but what we have here is a good ol' ETA 2836-1


Favre-Leuba was, near as I can tell, an etablisseur like most other companies before the quartz crisis. The only movement that is their own design is their twin-power movement for extended reserve power. All their others seem to be based on A. Shild or ETA movements. But this was before the days when etablisseurs like FL bought whole movements--they would have bought an ebauche and provided all the finishing themselves.

They were part of a joint project, with Doxa, Girard-Perregaux, Eberhard, and Zodiac to add automatic winding to the hand-wind AS 1687, for example. Clearly, AS made the ebauches and parts, but the members of the consortium performed their own finishing and assembly. For one thing, the various incarnations of that movement (and I own two of them) include different numbers of jewels. EBEL, for example, bought the product of that effort (though they are not credited with having been a part of the joint project). My EBEL uses the same geared regulator device as does Favre-Leuba on their 1687-base movements, so maybe EBEL bought it from them.

I wouldn't mind owning a Favre-Leuba with that AS base movement, since I seem to be building a collection of the watches that used them. I suspect when it comes time to find a Girard-Perregaux with that movement, however, I'll find my wallet insufficient to prolong my interest.

FL apparently sold _lots_ of watches in India, back when they were new, so it's not surprising to see them on the used market from there. But it is nerve-wracking. You built that risk into your price, though.

Rick "who has looked at ebay FL's a few times in the last month or so" Denney


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## Roland Ranfft (Mar 29, 2006)

Hi Rick,



Rdenney said:


> Favre-Leuba was, near as I can tell, an etablisseur like most other companies before the quartz crisis.


Thats not the complete truth: Fave-Leuba actually designed some own movements, among them the twin-barrel line, in my oppinion the best (affordable) manual wind design ever:
bidfun-db Archive: Watch Movements: Favre-Leuba 253

Regards, Roland Ranfft


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## Rdenney (Dec 24, 2012)

Roland Ranfft said:


> Hi Rick,
> 
> Thats not the complete truth: Fave-Leuba actually designed some own movements, among them the twin-barrel line, in my oppinion the best (affordable) manual wind design ever:
> bidfun-db Archive: Watch Movements: Favre-Leuba 253
> ...


Isn't that what I said in the sentence right after the one you quoted?

Of course, being an etablisseur didn't mean a company didn't do their own design work, or modify existing designs, or even make some of their own parts.

Rick "confused as ever" Denney


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## Roland Ranfft (Mar 29, 2006)

Hi Rick,



Rdenney said:


> Isn't that what I said in the sentence right after the one you quoted?


Still not completely: E.g. the members of the FL 101 line (unfortunately not yet in my archive) are often regarded as modified ETA movements. They look in fact similar, but have nothing common with them.

Anyway, the number of FL calibres is pretty managable. If I look at a register like the Flume K3, there are 19 genuine FL calibres, and 13 modified calibres from AS, ETA, Felsa, and Peseux. All in all a resonable percentage of genuine movements.

Regards, Roland Ranfft


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

*Re: FAVRE LEUBA - BLACK BRACELET*



bbc0 said:


> Nice watches. I have noticed that some FB watches have that 'hourglass' shaped symbol all over them and some do not. Anyone know why that might be? Could it be a later innovation? Just wondering.


Thanks bbc0

No idea regarding the logo though :think:

One thing is for sure : the _hourglass_ doesn't appear on all models indeed.


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

Rdenney said:


> I wouldn't mind owning a Favre-Leuba with that AS base movement, since I seem to be building a collection of the watches that used them. I suspect when it comes time to find a Girard-Perregaux with that movement, however, I'll find my wallet insufficient to prolong my interest.


Hey, you might be lucky  I got this fine GP four years ago for *150€* with an AS ebauche










The watch has been heavily rebuilt, hands, crown + acrylic (the seller admitted it), but the movement alone is a gem


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

New pics


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## Roland Ranfft (Mar 29, 2006)

Hi Reno,



Reno said:


> New pics


After 99 pics from the same watch most of us couldn't wait to see these further 17.
Unfortunately I can't join the party any longer because my router is smoking.

Regards, Roland Ranfft


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## Rdenney (Dec 24, 2012)

Roland Ranfft said:


> Hi Rick,
> 
> Thats not the complete truth: Fave-Leuba actually designed some own movements, among them the twin-barrel line, in my oppinion the best (affordable) manual wind design ever:
> bidfun-db Archive: Watch Movements: Favre-Leuba 253
> ...


Okay, you've forced me to look into this movement. There were the usual examples from India, but I'm not as courageous as the OP and I preferred an original dial (though some of the repaints from India were pretty good, though others...weren't). But I found one from China (only slightly less risky, it seems to me) that ticked the marks--a little-bit later Bauhaus with raised markers and thin hands, original-looking lume and dial, a reasonable diameter, and the cleanest FL 251-series caliber of any that I saw. This one has the cal. 253. The more I looked at it, the more I understood your opinion of it.

This was the best of the Indian redialed versions of the FL with the cal. 253, and the seller has good feedback:

View attachment 1001070


But the movement looked as though there was some corrosion and it scared me.

This is the one I ended up with. It's less hip than the OP's, but it's more to my taste. I suspect late 60's, probably replaced in the 70's by the OP's find, as dress watches acquired...bellbottoms.

View attachment 1001076


View attachment 1001078


Notice the anglage. Some of the movements show more of a decouverture in the jewel holes than others, and this one is small but there, and seems to be well-polished from what I can see. The screw holes all show nice moulding. This movement is less decorated but more nicely finished, at least from what is visible here, than many current movements. In your database, you pointed out the full balance bridge in addition to the dual mainsprings. If this is what Favre-Leuba did in their own shops, then it's too bad they didn't do more.

Rick "thinking Favre-Leuba could have been a contender" Denney


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

Roland Ranfft said:


> Hi Reno,
> 
> After 99 pics from the same watch most of us couldn't wait to see these further 17.
> Unfortunately I can't join the party any longer because my router is smoking.
> ...


:-d

Well, sorry 'bout that.

I know I'm a _serial photographer_&#8230; :roll:


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## Tony C. (Dec 9, 2006)

*Re: FAVRE LEUBA - BLACK BRACELET*

Favre-Lueba made some excellent dive watches, and the iconic Bivouac (with an altimeter). I am partial to their early Deep Blue models, and have owned three of them. The one pictured below is a recent acquisition from a German collector (who took the fine photo).

View attachment 1001122


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## Roland Ranfft (Mar 29, 2006)

Hi Rick,



Rdenney said:


> If this is what Favre-Leuba did in their own shops, then it's too bad they didn't do more.


They did more, but unfortunately with limited commercial success, because customers and even some watchmakers don't notice the ingenious details. So if you find one of the extremely rare twin-barrel automatics, it may allow you to retire a little earlier. Even the more pedestrian automatics of the 101 line are pretty rare, but of course less exciting.

But back to the 250 line: If you actually calculate the loads applied to the winding parts, you'll find out they are near zero, and the rest is carried by jewels and huge bearings. I never met any industrially produced movement with a more durable winding section. Another detail is the balance bridge: It combines the precise bearing alignment of a bridge with the advantage to need just one screw - no real saving, but nice for servicing. Moreover almost all screws are the same, again fine for servicing. Last not least: I'm no watchmaker, but after having tinkered on few of them I have the impression that one can drop all parts into a box, and shake it to assemble the movement.

Regards, Roland Ranfft


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## Rdenney (Dec 24, 2012)

Roland Ranfft said:


> Hi Reno,
> 
> After 99 pics from the same watch most of us couldn't wait to see these further 17.
> Unfortunately I can't join the party any longer because my router is smoking.
> ...


Yes, some of us pay for bandwidth, heh.

But I did enjoy the watch resting on a Roy Lichtenstein poster, which was a nice touch for a 70's watch.

Rick "hoping it wasn't resting on a Roy Lichtenstein _painting_" Denney


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

Rdenney said:


> Yes, some of us pay for bandwidth, heh.
> 
> But I did enjoy the watch resting on a Roy Lichtenstein poster, which was a nice touch for a 70's watch.
> 
> Rick "hoping it wasn't resting on a Roy Lichtenstein _painting_" Denney


;-)


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## ricedrew2008 (Mar 19, 2013)

Beautiful FL.
I bought one recently myself. Sadly, i misjudged the size. Its a 32mm.
View attachment 1014372
View attachment 1014375
View attachment 1014376
View attachment 1014371


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## Roland Ranfft (Mar 29, 2006)

Hi there,

sorry to disappoint you, but this is what I usually call Mumbai Special - i.e. a painted cadaver. But don't worry, kick it back into the bay; with an other origin than India you'll likely get some premium to cover the shipping charges.

Regards, Roland Ranfft


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## vaskes (Mar 13, 2013)

Beautiful watch, Reno, the pics too. I love the gold / black color combination!
Many FL's in India, all "genuine", below £50 though. Might they be military (some of them at least)?

GENUINE VINTAGE FAVRE LEUBA GENEVE SEA CHIEF WINDING SWISS WRIST WATCH | eBay

And is it legal to advertise them as genuine?


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## Reno (Sep 23, 2008)

vaskes said:


> Beautiful watch, Reno, the pics too. I love the gold / black color combination!


Thanks vaskes (and welcome to WUS !) 



> Many FL's in India, all "genuine", below £50 though. *Might they be military (some of them at least)?*
> 
> GENUINE VINTAGE FAVRE LEUBA GENEVE SEA CHIEF WINDING SWISS WRIST WATCH | eBay
> 
> And is it legal to advertise them as genuine?


No idea about the military origin&#8230; :think:

Regarding the "genuine" part&#8230; I'm not an expert. What I _think_ is that they're authentic FL, probably rebuilt (or at least serviced), with (obviously) repainted dials&#8230; so maybe not 100% original, but authentic, yes.


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## Hartmut Richter (Feb 13, 2006)

vaskes said:


> Many FL's in India, all "genuine", below £50 though. Might they be military (some of them at least)?


I'm not an expert on FLs but in my general experience, there are a lot more pseudo-military ones than the real thing. And just because a soldier wears one in his spare time does not make it a military watch.....



vaskes said:


> And is it legal to advertise them as genuine?


Not really, but unless someone complains or sues, they usually get away with it!

Hartmut Richter


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## vaskes (Mar 13, 2013)

Thanks for your answers, Reno and Hartmut (and for the welcoming, Reno) 
I was thinking they might be military, possibly left over by some British officers when the UK was still an empire. 
Anyway, the fine FL mechanisms are certainly more important than a repainted dial, but as I am new in the watch enthusiast world, I'd rather stick to more classic choices for the time being...
Cheers !


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## Sparcster (Apr 11, 2009)

vaskes said:


> Thanks for your answers, Reno and Hartmut (and for the welcoming, Reno)
> I was thinking they might be military, possibly left over by some British officers when the UK was still an empire.
> Anyway, the fine FL mechanisms are certainly more important than a repainted dial, but as I am new in the watch enthusiast world, I'd rather stick to more classic choices for the time being...
> Cheers !


Hi there and welcome to the world of vintage

Im pretty sure these were never issued to British officers... and the watch you added the link to looks like its made of different parts... which many appear to be coming out of India. Due to the humidity, these watches generally show signs of water damage (hence the repainted dials in a range of colours). The choice of painting the dials black, helps in selling them as 'military style'... and thats all they should be viewed as - style... I would not want to own one of these, even if given to me for free!

Marc


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## vaskes (Mar 13, 2013)

Very enlightening Marc, me neither. Thank you.


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## Mirius (Mar 18, 2011)

vaskes said:


> I was thinking they might be military, possibly left over by some British officers when the UK was still an empire.
> Anyway, the fine FL mechanisms are certainly more important than a repainted dial


And it is this fantasy that the sellers take the fullest advantage of. They drop a few hints which potential buyers accept because they reinforce the fantasy and lo, a sale is made! The seller is happy as he has made a nice profit without doing more than stretching the truth somewhat and the buyer is happy because he has retrieved a valuable relic from the hands of an ignorant native.


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## Roland Ranfft (Mar 29, 2006)

Hi Mirius,



Mirius said:


> The seller is happy ....and the buyer is happy


This is how a good deal is defined. Imagine what is finally left after visiting a restaurant .... nevertheless both parties become happy because they got what they desired.

Indeed, I often post my oppinion about such cadavers here, disregarding the feelings of the owners. But I'm not certain wether this is clever: Shouldn't I be happy that people waste their money for such things and stay away from watches I'm interested in?

Regards, Roland Ranfft


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## dbonddental (Feb 15, 2011)

vaskes said:


> Anyway, the fine FL mechanisms are certainly more important than a repainted dial
> Cheers !


Here I must desagree with you because the autenticity and the state of the dial makes a lot in the price of a watch.


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## parrotandpitbull (Sep 9, 2009)

As my collection of watches from the 60s and early 70s grows, Im finding it difficult to find a Favre L. that fits my requirements. I dont like to have many watches of a similar type. How many white dialed watches with chrome or steel cases can one have? I know, I know, a hundred or more! ( dont wear gold anymore and all my Deco watches languish unworn, poor guys.) My favorite of this type in my collection, is my Titoni Titoflex because of the beautiful curving lugs. One option in an F.L. would be a textured dial. If I could find one. I buy varied color dials and the occasional larger square or rectangular cased watch. Most recently a green dialed Cyma and a big square sculptural Luch 2209. By the by, you guys were seriously under impressed with the green Cyma when I posted it for comments. Except for one person with excellent taste. But Im digressing as per usual. Im leery of Indian watches, except those made in India like HMT and the under valued Timestar. So what do I do? The OPs watch is great but not for me. Ive seen F.L. "Harpoons" that had great dials but they werent fated to be mine. Anybody know what the Harpoon model is? I have only run across 3. Any suggestions of what to look for outside India is welcome. Or a trusted Indian dealer? If this post runs true to form, well I wont go there.....


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## Rdenney (Dec 24, 2012)

parrotandpitbull said:


> As my collection of watches from the 60s and early 70s grows, Im finding it difficult to find a Favre L. that fits my requirements. I dont like to have many watches of a similar type. How many white dialed watches with chrome or steel cases can one have? I know, I know, a hundred or more! ( dont wear gold anymore and all my Deco watches languish unworn, poor guys.) My favorite of this type in my collection, is my Titoni Titoflex because of the beautiful curving lugs. One option in an F.L. would be a textured dial. If I could find one. I buy varied color dials and the occasional larger square or rectangular cased watch. Most recently a green dialed Cyma and a big square sculptural Luch 2209. By the by, you guys were seriously under impressed with the green Cyma when I posted it for comments. Except for one person with excellent taste. But Im digressing as per usual. Im leery of Indian watches, except those made in India like HMT and the under valued Timestar. So what do I do? The OPs watch is great but not for me. Ive seen F.L. "Harpoons" that had great dials but they werent fated to be mine. Anybody know what the Harpoon model is? I have only run across 3. Any suggestions of what to look for outside India is welcome. Or a trusted Indian dealer? If this post runs true to form, well I wont go there.....


Here's a FL Harpoon II that had a high-beat version of the AS1687 (FL cal. 1164 or 1165 or something like that). It was still a classic 60's Swiss watch, with a sunken piepan dial, baton markers and stick hands. The one I saw was a day-date version, and the movement was quite similar to the Zodiac cal. 86 (which was used in the Zodiac SST), except that the Zodiac had a revised quick-set date feature and hacking seconds. Girard-Perregaux used the same movement in their Gyromatic HF model.


(Found on Photobucket through a Google search).

All the Favre-Leuba watches of that era seems to have brushed-metal pie-pan dials, so any time I see a painted dial on that style of watch, I'm immediately suspicious. I bought my hand-wind Favre-Leuba (with the excellent in-hoouse cal. 253) from an ebayer in China. The dial seemed original because it was brushed metal not painted. And the dial is indeed original.









Favre-Leuba did have quite a presence in India, which is partly wrapped up in the history of Zenith, too. Favre-Leuba was Zenith's agent in India, for example, and the Favres of FL were friendly (though not closely related) to the Favre-Jacots of Zenith.

Most of the cheaper Favre-Leubas from India have rather garishly painted dials compared to how they would have looked. The painted dials are the result of original dials in poor conditon, and the intention is usually to hide the fact that the watch has lived too long in a wet environment (many have corrosion on the movements because of that). But one can find them without the wild colors and piles of lume. Without that, though, the FL's look a lot like many other watches of the era.

Look at the Favre-Leuba watches in Roland Ranfft's database: Ranfft Watches. Follow the link to the archive and wristwatches, and then search on "Favre-Leuba". You'll see a number of examples of that brand from the period.

Rick "who spent a couple of hours digging in ebay before getting past the Indian offers to watches that were original and still cheap" Denney


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## Tony C. (Dec 9, 2006)

As I've mentioned previously, while there are a lot of modest quality and/or poor condition Favre Leubas around, there are nice ones to be found for those who show patience. Aside from my Deep Blue divers, here's a simple Daymatic. Can anyone see an interesting and unusual detail on this particular watch?


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## Marrick (May 2, 2007)

Tony C. said:


> Can anyone see an interesting and unusual detail on this particular watch?


Ra markings around the Swiss Made perchance?


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## Tony C. (Dec 9, 2006)

Marrick said:


> Ra markings around the Swiss Made perchance?


Exactly. We're used to seeing the "T" Tritium references, of course, but Radium references are far less common.


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## Datreedude (Mar 11, 2013)

Since this thread has been made, I will post my FL here. I've always had a love-hate relationship with Favre Leubas, but finally found one that I feel comfortable with.


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## Hartmut Richter (Feb 13, 2006)

Nice watch. Felsa Cal. 699 (Cal. 690 with power reserve indication):

bidfun-db Archiv: Uhrwerke: Felsa 699 Permutator

Hartmut Richter


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## SSTEEL (Mar 3, 2013)

Nice watch and great job!

Not had time to read every page of this thread yet, but I found this thread whilst trying to find info on a very old 2836 that I have, its stamped 2836, not 2836-1, or 2836-2, so its obviously a very old eta 2836, it has different parts to what I am used to. The settling bridge is clearly different, as can be seen in my photos below...

SANY3544 by Micky.!, on Flickr

SANY3543 by Micky.!, on Flickr

Can anyone point me to a resource, or wiki on the history of the 2836 movement, and its development throughout the years?

Thanks in advance.


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

Hey guys, check it out! Got me a FL similar to the one above.


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

Does anyone know where we can get the years and models produced by FL? I noticed the movement 2836 above, it is likely to be the 36000 a/h instead of the 2836-1 going at 28800 a/h. Nice movement !!!


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## sidney004 (Oct 1, 2012)

favreleubafan said:


> Hey guys, check it out! Got me a FL similar to the one above.


Saw that one on Ebay! How's it running? Congrats.


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

So far so good, not repainted, this Indian seller appears to be decent, he sent the watch through dhl and I paid shipping afterwards!


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## James A (Jan 5, 2014)

Hi,

It might be just me but I am having trouble seeing your images.

Heres mine. Missing the outer minute ring but everything else is correct. I really like these dials and they capture the light nicely. These days is hard to fine an intact dial.
One of the other reasons I like this is for the the lovely twin barrel movement within.


bidfun-db Archive: Watch Movements: Favre-Leuba 252

Regards


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

Wow that's a nice one, I also have a mechanical twin power but its a repainted dial, I love favre leuba they are good and inexpensive.


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## bspargo (Jun 21, 2011)

Favre Leuba is probably my favourite brand. Here are two of my beauties, the Memo Raider with a JLC Alarm movement inside and the Hi-Beat Sea Raider, Both with original bracelet. The Roulette wheel Deep Blue, the moon raider and the Bivouac are all on my list, though they are hard to find in the affordable price range!


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

Wow these are nice vintage, of course the bivouac, I'd buy one to but as you mentioned, they are nowhere to be found!


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

It is sad they aren't more popular!


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

I'm trying to find the difference between the duomatic and twinmatic movement, I guess they are the same cal.269? Right


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## Tony C. (Dec 9, 2006)

My favorite FL model is their '60s _Deep Blue _diver. Like the _Bivouac_ models, these were of far higher quality than their standard fare. Here's one of mine, in exceptional condition.


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

Wow another amazing vintage! Where do you guys get all of these? I want some to!


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## Tony C. (Dec 9, 2006)

favreleubafan said:


> Wow another amazing vintage! Where do you guys get all of these? I want some to!


Patience, my friend. Lots of patience.


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

Cleaned, oiled, adjusted, new hands, relumed, new glass and ready to go!


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

I love this lume color!!!


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## Hartmut Richter (Feb 13, 2006)

I agree that it's an excellent relume job - even if it does destroy the originality somewhat. On a watch that can be had for significantly less than 1000$, I personally believe that a relume is OK since it does eradicate much value and makes the watch more useful for everyday life. If it was a 1970s Zenith chronograph, I would think different.....

Hartmut Richter


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

Obviously, I wouldn't have done this on a zenith but this one had lume originally and it seemed logical to resurrect the thing. For the rest, it was done to preserve the watch itself, when processionally done, it looks good.


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## Hartmut Richter (Feb 13, 2006)

Well, several vintage Zeniths also had lume (Tritium) but it's long gone. On those, I still wouldn't relume the hands and dial - the chronographs especially are rare pieces of horological history!

Hartmut Richter


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## bspargo (Jun 21, 2011)

Hey, just found this thread in another forum. Has some good info on Favre Leuba, and a god selection of pics of various 70's models. you might enjoy!
https://translate.google.com.au/tra...t5181-quelques-favre-leuba-vintage&edit-text=
original:
Quelques Favre-Leuba vintage

I really love the FL watches. And every so often i see a new one pop-up that i haven' t seen before. I just picked one such watch up off eBay, I'll post here when it arrives of course, but it uses their hi-beat FL1164 and it's not a sea-raider!

I'd also be curious if anyone has any magazines or catalogs showing the FL selection back then? I've just found some on abebooks, so hopefully that might shed more light on the complete range when they arrive.

cheers,
Ben.


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## Tony C. (Dec 9, 2006)

bspargo said:


> I'd also be curious if anyone has any magazines or catalogs showing the FL selection back then?
> 
> cheers,
> Ben.


Here are links to a 1972 Japanese catalogue selection:

FAVRE LEUBA�@ƒtƒ@�[ƒuƒ‹�Eƒ‹�[ƒo�@ƒJƒ^ƒ�ƒO1

FAVRE LEUBA�@ƒtƒ@�[ƒuƒ‹�Eƒ‹�[ƒo�@ƒJƒ^ƒ�ƒO2


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## favreleubafan (Dec 7, 2014)

Wow, this is a really good reference, thanks a lot!


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## Rdenney (Dec 24, 2012)

Thanks for the links. I'd love to find catalog pages like that for 60's models. 

Rick "catalog ephemera is always scarce" Denney


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## sarvesh (Mar 30, 2016)

I got this from a watchmaker (not from ebay). Whats your thought on these?


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## shea2812 (Jun 25, 2016)

Looks legit to me. Here is mine. Dial still unmolested. Been having this a while, only of late I am paying more attention to it again. Do like thinner casings on manual wind watches and this Sea Chief is one of my few manual winds. Despite the less than pristine dial I do find that I prefer vintage watches than more current crops of watches.


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## Spandy22 (Nov 15, 2014)

Sorry to hijack the thread but just wondered if the FL daymatic auto can be hand wound? I've just picked up one and don't want to risk damage. Any help appreciated. Will post some photos.


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## Spandy22 (Nov 15, 2014)

https://i.imgsafe.org/dd06905b2f.png


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## Rdenney (Dec 24, 2012)

Spandy22 said:


> Sorry to hijack the thread but just wondered if the FL daymatic auto can be hand wound? I've just picked up one and don't want to risk damage. Any help appreciated. Will post some photos.


The movement is an ETA 2452 or some close relative (only some of which had a date feature). Yes, it can be handwound, but like all early automatics, it spins the reverser wheels when doing so. So, wind slowly and gently enough to get it going, and then just wear it. These movements started with a fixed hairspring stud carrier and moved to a mobile stud carrier, but that detail is hidden by the autowinder, so its harder to determine the exact caliber. The base handwind movement is the ETA 2390. The pictures of the watch itself didn't load, but the movement suggests 1950's.

Rick "seeing the keyless works in the photo" Denney


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## Spandy22 (Nov 15, 2014)

Thanks RDenney for the advice, much appreciated.


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