Favre Leuba is a name that can be difficult to place in modern watchmaking — though not because it lacks history, but because there truly is so much to it. Founded in 1737 in Le Locle, and often cited as the second oldest Swiss watch brand in the world, its history stretches across nearly three centuries. The company has lived through the early Swiss watchmaking boom, family enterprises, international expansion, the Quartz Crisis, multiple ownership changes, and more than one attempt at reviving itself.

As CEO and Chairman Patrik Hoffmann suggested in his recent conversation with us, that history is precisely what gives the current revival credibility. The challenge now is not simply to reproduce the past, but also to decide what Favre Leuba should look like in the present and foreseeable future.

It’s fitting for the Harpoon to return now. Presented at Watches and Wonders 2026, the Harpoon Revival marks 60 years since the original tool watch made its debut in 1966. And one could say it arrives at a perfect moment, as Favre Leuba stamps down on what its next chapter is all about. After the global relaunch in 2024, this project presents a careful return to a distinctive piece from the brand’s storied archives.

Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival

The watch itself is compact, housed in a stainless steel case measuring 37mm across, 10mm thick and 43.5mm lug-to-lug, keeping very close to the proportions of the original. There is no attempt to inflate the Harpoon into something more contemporary by force. The polished case, steel bezel and black leather strap keep the overall character reserved, while the closed steel caseback reproduces the engraved medallion of the 1966 model, complete with the brand’s hourglass emblem and circular period-style inscriptions.

The closed steel caseback reproduces the engraved medallion of the 1966 model

Vintage Favre Leuba Harpoon from 1966

Much of the watch’s identity sits on the dial. Its gray tone follows the original Harpoon, now finished in a sunray-brushed surface providing a little more movement under light. The applied rhodium-plated hour markers were also taken from the 1966 design, including the slightly unusual horizontal orientation at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock — a unique detail that gives the watch its own personality.

The grey tone, sunray-brushed surface with rhodium-plated hour markers were taken from the 1966 design

At 6 o’clock, the Harpoon name returns in its stylized original typography, balanced by a framed date aperture at 3 o’clock. The hands are also filled with green-emitting Super-LumiNova, while the sapphire crystal and 5 ATM water resistance bring the watch close to everyday use.

The hands filled with green-emitting Super-LumiNova

Inside is the FLD04 caliber, based on the La Joux-Perret G100 automatic movement, running at 4Hz with a 68-hour power reserve. Pricing-wise, at CHF 1,800, the Harpoon Revival is sensibly pitched too. More importantly, this is the right kind of archival work for a brand like Favre Leuba: specific, modest in scale, and confident enough not to overstate the point.

Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival on wrist

Tech Specs: Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival

Movement Self-winding Caliber FLD04 (based on LJP Caliber G100); 68-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds and date
Case 37mm × 10mm (43.5mm lug-to-lug); polished stainless steel, with closed caseback featuring chemical engraving, hourglass emblem and circular inscriptions; water resistant to 50m
Dial Gray sunray-brushed, with stylized “Harpoon” signature at 6 o’clock; applied rhodium-plated horizontal hour markers at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock
Strap Black leather with integrated easy-change system; stainless steel pin buckle bearing the Favre Leuba signature
Price CHF 1,800