Watches of Knightsbridge, ?London, September 16 2017

Sold for £3,000

Now that we?re all looking to less obvious brands to satisfy our watch collecting urges, it?s only a matter of time before vintage Favre Leuba pieces follow the likes of Heuer into the big time.
Few appreciate that Favre Leuba is the second oldest surviving dial name (after Blancpain) or that it celebrated its 280th anniversary this year. That?s not to say that it hasn?t had a rocky ride since being clobbered by the arrival of quartz in the 1980s, a situation that resulted in it being sold by the founding family early on in the decade.
Now, however, it seems to be in safe hands under the ownership of the giant Tata Group (which, among others things, has taken Jaguar-Land Rover from zero to hero) and FL CEO Thomas Morf demonstrated his regard for the brand?s history with the launch of the new Bivouac 9000 at this year?s Baselworld. All of which makes us think that original models from the 1960s and ?70s might be ones to watch. This Sea Sky GMT, for example, offers a 43mm case that makes it entirely wearable today together with a dial and bezel design that?s both practical and interesting. And the Valjoux Calibre 724 inside means the new owner shouldn?t need to worry about the availability of spare parts for servicing or repairs.
For future reference, Watches of Knightsbridge seems to have unusually good access to a wide variety of vintage Favre Leuba models, so keep an eye on its catalogues. 
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