With revival heritage brands such as Favre Leuba, it’s always fun to see which references from the original catalogue they decide to reinterpret. At Watches & Wonders they have unveiled the Harpoon Revival, a modern take on a design from 1966 that’s celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. It’s an early example of what we’d describe as a GADA watch (go anywhere, do anything), with all-rounder specs that make it suitable for any situation without being a dedicated tool watch – now brought into the 21st century with a modern movement.
The overall design of the case and dial is largely faithful to the 1966 original. It has exactly the same proportions at 36.8mm in diameter with a 10mm thickness and the same water resistance rating of 50m. Today 50m is regarded as an everyday wear level of water resistance suitable for heavy rain and getting splashed while doing the dishes, but in the 60s when the dive watch archetype was at the height of its development and the limits of water resistance were being tested, it wouldn’t have been insignificant for a regular wristwatch, especially one as svelte as this.
One of the most distinctive elements of the original Harpoon was its dial and that’s also replicated faithfully here. That means a grey tone base with sunray brushed finishing that gives the watch a lovely monochrome appearance in conjunction with the matching flange minute scale. There are only three hour markers on the dial at 12, 6, and 9 o’clock, balanced at 3 by the date window. What makes the indices stand out is that they are all horizontal rather than oriented towards the centre of the dial as usual.
Completing the display, and my favourite element, is the Harpoon inscription at 6 o’clock, which uses the original typeface from 1966. I’m so used to watch brands using either cursive, elegant fonts or bold, almost blocky fonts (like the Favre Leuba name above) that having something a bit more chaotic and random in its shapes is exciting. Especially because the word is harpoon, it conjures images of a salty sea captain carving the name into a plank of wood to name his ship.
Beneath the dial is the calibre FLD04 automatic, the Favre Leuba version of the La Joux-Perret G100 date movement with 4 Hz frequency and 68-hour power reserve. It’s protected by a solid steel caseback with a depiction of the Favre Leuba hourglass logo, which is also found on the crown and dial.
The use of an LJP movement justifies the £1,800 price as it’s the calibre of choice among accessible independents and high-end microbrands. Frankly I just think this is a very smart looking watch with great character thanks to the inclusion of vintage inspired elements such as the hour marker arrangement and Harpoon logo.
Price and Specs:
More details at Favre Leuba.
Great new release from the resurrected brand of Favre Leuba, and what a beauty. Proof that vintage style dress watches are now becoming more mainstream rather than the continuous flow of dive style watches that we have seen for far too long. The grey dial in an unusual colour in terms of going against the current grain of colourful dials, but for me is just perfect. Can’t personally fault this watch, and at a great price. Definitely one to consider adding to the collection. As an owner of a vintage Favre Leuba, I can testify to their robustness and timekeeping.