Tell me about the Favre-Leuba Bivouac

[Koyote]

Hi all. I have one of these - passed down from my Grandfather. The bivouac has an altimeter, and that's all I know. Can you tell me more about it? Original price, movement, quality?

Thanks in advance...

[subkrawler]

Hi all. I have one of these - passed down from my Grandfather. The bivouac has an altimeter, and that's all I know. Can you tell me more about it? Original price, movement, quality?

Thanks in advance...

Don't know but we'd love to see some pictures.:-)

[bigmainecoone]

[quote=Koyote;1725519]Hi all. I have one of these - passed down from my Grandfather. The bivouac has an altimeter, and that's all I know. Can you tell me more about it? Original price, movement, quality?

This one's got an inhouse movement co-invented by Peseux and Favré-Leuba and patented in 1962 by Favré-Leuba. It was the first watch to combine watch, altimeter and barometer and was built for alpinists and gliders.

Release was 1963 together with it's "twin", the bathy 50 that used a similar mechanism for diving depth.

Quality: what do you expect from one of the oldest manufactures cooperating with Peseux? Only the best, i guess - and so you got it.

Movement: FL 40X based on a Peseux 320, 10.5", 17 jewels, incabloc, 18,000 A/h, 40 h power reserve. Patented bridge and membrane for altimeter/barometer.

Price: must have been around 260 sfr in1963

Price now: well kept models are priced at about 600,- € in Europe.

Enjoy this one, it's a real keeper ;)

[bigmainecoone]

From 1737 until 1987 Favré-Leuba has been family run and been producing finest watches. From then on until 2006 it was only a brand and part of the LVMH empire. Since 2006 FL is on the list of independent horlogers again, now located both in Basel and La Chaux-de-Fonds.

[Koyote]

[quote=Koyote;1725519]Hi all. I have one of these - passed down from my Grandfather. The bivouac has an altimeter, and that's all I know. Can you tell me more about it? Original price, movement, quality?

This one's got an inhouse movement co-invented by Peseux and Favré-Leuba and patented in 1962 by Favré-Leuba. It was the first watch to combine watch, altimeter and barometer and was built for alpinists and gliders.

Release was 1963 together with it's "twin", the bathy 50 that used a similar mechanism for diving depth.

Quality: what do you expect from one of the oldest manufactures cooperating with Peseux? Only the best, i guess - and so you got it.

Movement: FL 40X based on a Peseux 320, 10.5", 17 jewels, incabloc, 18,000 A/h, 40 h power reserve. Patented bridge and membrane for altimeter/barometer.

Price: must have been around 260 sfr in1963

Price now: well kept models are priced at about 600,- € in Europe.

Enjoy this one, it's a real keeper ;)

Thanks for the info. I will try to post pics but my digicam doesn't focus very closely!

My watch is pretty beat-up, as my grandfather actually wore it a lot. I had it overhauled some years ago, repairman could not get something right, so it winds very stiffly; but, it does run 39 hrs on a wind (sounds about right for the power reserve) and seems to keep excellent time - though it is hard to measure perfectly as there is no seconds hand.

It's a big watch - probably about 40mm diameter on the case, but very deep/thick. Very nice original band, though.

[bigmainecoone]

Hi,

looks like these?

http://cdn.openaccount.org/presentwatch/t/4/4/844-119.jpg?20081211

http://cdn.openaccount.org/presentwatch/t/4/3/843-119.jpg?20081211

Normally it shoud have a second hand ;)

bigmainecoone

[Koyote]

[/URL]
This is the one, though mine has the original bracelet and no second hand:

[URL]http://cdn.openaccount.org/presentwatch/t/4/3/843-119.jpg?20081211 (http://cdn.openaccount.org/presentwatch/t/4/4/844-119.jpg?20081211)

[2manywatchez]

Interesting watch! Can you explain how the altimeter is read? I'm not getting it from the photo.

[Koyote]

Interesting watch! Can you explain how the altimeter is read? I'm not getting it from the photo.

Wish I could tell you how to read it. I have the original instructions, and I have a PhD, but still can't figure it out! So I am not even sure that the feature works on this old watch. As near as I can tell, you read the elevation from one dial (I forget if it's the set of numbers on the watch face or on the bezel), then you have to adjust for the altitude in order to get the barometer reading. But I have never put in the time to really figure it out.