Why We Love It
When it comes to vintage dive watches, we love the heavy hitters just as much as the next guy. The Rolex Submariner, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, and the Omega Seamaster 300 all have special places in our hearts - and collections. But for every well-known name in the dive watch world, there’s one or two that make us stop and say, “Now this is why we got into collecting watches in the first place.”
In the 1950s and 1960s, lots of brands got into the dive watch game, some using contract cases and movements, while others went down the route of building a purpose built, ground-up, sea going weapon to vanquish its competition.
This Favre-Leuba Bathy 160 falls into that select group of watches. It contains a diaphragm within the case that when submerged, water pressure forces an indicator hand to display a depth readout on the dial! So. Good. Of course, the Bathy 160 features other dive watch essentials, such as a rotating dive timing bezel, screw down crown, expandable clasp, and a substantial wrist presence that gives the Omega Proplof a run for its money!
If you are looking for a quirky, functional, and endlessly charming dive watch from the golden era of sports watches, you have to give this one a look.
The Story
While not a household name, Favre-Leuba can trace its impressive roots back to the early 18th century. However it was not until the mid-1900's that the brand came into its own - creating some of the esoteric and fascinating watches that vintage enthusiasts know and seek today.
After first focusing on precise chronometer grade timepieces, followed by dive watches, the brand began experimenting with technologies that would be tasked with adventure and exploration.
By the 1950's and 1960's, Favre-Leuba had pioneered a number of incredible, highly functional timepieces containing 'complications' such as barometers and depth gauges. While Favre-Leuba have made many fine watches in their history, it are these daring designs that cemented the brand in the hearts of enthusiasts.
Today the brand lives on, having released a handful of modern iterations of their designs of the past.
