Founded in 1737, Favre-Leuba is one of Switzerland's oldest watch manufacturers, with a history spanning nearly three centuries. The brand earned a reputation for producing reliable, innovative timepieces and became particularly respected for its robust tool watches during the twentieth century. Favre-Leuba supplied watches to explorers, adventurers and professionals around the world, combining practical design with Swiss craftsmanship. Vintage examples remain highly collectible and showcase the brand's long-standing commitment to quality watchmaking.

What's on Offer

This attractive 1940s Favre-Leuba wristwatch issued to a member of the Civil Service in India (as per markings inside the casebook), embodies everything collectors love about vintage Swiss watchmaking. Housed in a compact stainless steel case and fitted to a grey NATO strap, it offers understated military-inspired styling combined with the quality and heritage of one of Switzerland's oldest watch manufacturers.

The cream dial is particularly appealing, featuring a clean sector-style design with bold Arabic numerals at the cardinal points, black baton markers and a subsidiary seconds register positioned at six o'clock. Adding further character is the red "Alresist" script above the seconds dial, a period detail that gives the watch a distinctive appearance, and we think is meant to indicate the moisture and shock resistants of the watch, "all-resistant"! The dial has developed a warm vintage patina over the decades, complementing the overall character of the piece beautifully.

Powering the watch is a manually wound Favre-Leuba movement, manufactured in-house by the company and representative of the robust Swiss engineering for which the brand became renowned. Rest assured the watch runs extremely well having just been serviced by our watchmaker in the last few weeks!

The smaller 29mm case size remains faithful to the proportions commonly found in watches of the era and wears comfortably while retaining all of its vintage charm.

Condition is excellent for a watch dating from the 1940s. The dial displays attractive ageing without compromising legibility, while the hands, numerals and printing remain clear and well defined. The stainless steel case shows honest signs of wear consistent with age but retains its original shape and character.