Did you know that one of the oldest watch brand's roots go back to 1718? In this blog we will tell exciting story of the Swiss watch brand Favre-Leuba and go hands-on with some of their novelties. Are you ready?

Taking time for Favre-Leuba

We follow an invitation of the brand's new CEO Philippe Roten to Zurich. Here, we dive into Favre-Leuba's brand universe. A carefully prepared space that awakes our adventurous spirit awaits us. Here, we soon discover that Favre-Leuba is all about conquering frontiers - both as a brand but also as a supplier of exceptional tool watches for people who dare to attempt the impossible.

Over a delicious dinner we get to know more about the latest Sky Chief Chronograph watches added to the collection of Favre-Leuba. But more about that later. We listen carefully to Philippe Roten's vision for the brand. They will continue to focus on the brand's strengths: heritage, savoir-faire, service excellence and global distribution. Talking about heritage, the brand's history goes back centuries and is truly interesting.

A unique history

In 1718, a gentleman called Abraham Favre began his watchmaker apprenticeship and was mentioned in an official document as an independent watchmaker in Le Locle as early as 1737. Later, he was even appointed Maître horloger du Locle, a high honor at that time. In 1815, the fourth generation of the watchmaker family joined forces with Auguste Leuba from Buttes in Val-de-Travers. Henry-August traveled around the world – from Germany to Russia, through Cuba to New York, from Brazil to Chile – to establish their own workshop’s finely-made pocket watches in remote markets. Fritz Favre was the successor to his father and successfully pursued his expansion strategy in Europe, America, and Asia. In 1865, he traveled to India and launched his brand on the subcontinent, which was to quickly develop into an important market for Favre-Leuba.

After the company headquarters were relocated from Le Locle to Geneva, Henri Favre-Leuba (1865–1961) assumed leadership of the family business and continued to steadily grow the brand. He remained president of the board of directors until his death. During his era, Favre-Leuba launched the first mono-pusher chronographs, just when wristwatches started to supersede pocket watches. After WWII, Favre-Leuba was able to count on a stable position in India thanks to their own office in Bombay. Step by step, the family company won back its position and relevance in other watch markets around the globe with branches in Hamburg, London, Rangoon, Karachi, Singapore, New York and others. They secured a well-functioning distribution with first-class customer service.

In the 1950s, Favre-Leuba introduced the manufacture caliber FL101, which was used in the Sea Chief, Sea King, and Sea Raider watch models. It was followed by the FL102 caliber with calendar used in its Datic models. The automatic movements FL103 and FL104 soon followed, both available without or with a calendar display.

The biggest breakthrough came in 1960, when the very first divers watch, Water Deep, was introduced by the brand. It was the stepping stone for the success it garnered in this category. This achievement was followed by the Bivouac which was released two years later. It was the world’s first mechanical wristwatch with aneroid barometer, for altimetry and air pressure measurement. It soon ranked among the indispensable equipment of those who overcame seemingly defined limits. Among others, it was the legendary Italian mountaineer Walter Bonatti who wore a Bivouac when he successfully conquered the north face of the Matterhorn on the most direct route.

To honor Favre-Leuba’s achievements of the 1960s, the Fédération Horlogère Suisse awarded first place to them in the Chronographs and Sport Watches category at the World’s Fair in Montréal. This great decade for Favre-Leuba was rounded off by the introduction of the Bathy, the world’s first mechanical wristwatch that not only displayed dive time, but also current diving depth.

Hands-on with the Favre-Leuba Sky Chief Chronograph

Today, Favre-Leuba follows a long-term strategy built on the historic strength and values of the brand The result is a collection of highly functional watches based on Favre-Leuba’s technical and aesthetic achievements, brought up to date with proprietary technologies and a strong, confident design, as well as a contemporary, innovative market presence. The first watches released under the new CEO of the company, are the Sky Chief Chronographs.

The watches are powered by the iconic automatic ETA Valjoux 7753 movement. It features several complications such as hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph with 30-minute counter and date display. Housed in a 43mm stainless steel case, it is protected by a curved sapphire crystal and equipped with a screw-in crown. In total, they issued six different dial variations and offer different vintage-style suede straps and a metal bracelet.

Our personal favorite is the version with a 'panda dial'. Its porcelain white dial is contrasted by black counters and sporty red cherry indexes. The dial is finished off with Favre-Leuba's signature appliquéd index marks. At around USD 2'800, this is a wonderful timepiece with a reliable movement, embodying the world's second oldest watch brand's heritage and signature style perfectly.

Did you enjoy this article? Then click here to discover more content by the Artworth team.

Do you ski? Or maybe you enjoy a calm tour with the snowshoes? Today, we want to share with you our experience with a very different winter sport that we discovered thanks to Longines. But let's start from the beginning!

Driving through winter wonderland

Our adventure starts near the Swiss capital of Bern. We pack our winter stuff into the versatile Land Rover Discovery Sport and arrive after a 3 hour drive at the famous Julier Pass in the Canton of Grisons.

We chose the Discovery Sport for this trip because of its flexible 5+2 seating, clever storage solutions and enough space for everyone. With its distinct contours, perfectly balanced proportions and characteristic design, it is also aesthetically pleasing!

After some kilometers of pure driving pleasure we arrive on top of the Julier Pass. Here, we are happy to be wearing our AW Driving Gloves. With the many times we get out of the car to take photos, our hands would feel uncomfortably cold to drive.

Exploring St. Moritz' rich history

After leaving the winding roads of the Julier Pass behind us, we arrive in the Engadin. It represents a long, high Alpine valley region in the eastern Swiss Alps. Protected by high mountain ranges on all sides and famous for its sunny climate and beautiful landscapes, the valley is home to the Alpine metropolis of St. Moritz.

Some of you might have guessed it by now, we will be attending the White Turf! It is already the third time that we will witness the spectacular races on the frozen lake. However, this time we also want to take a full day to explore the picturesque town. First up, we head to the Badrutt's Palace to attend the Grand Prix Cocktail presented by Longines. Here, we get to meet some of the jockeys who will race on Sunday. Also, we enjoy a wonderful view down on the frozen lake. The conditions are perfect for a thrilling day at the races!

Next up, we head to the iconic Kulm Country Club for dinner. Here, top athletes and celebrities gathered during the Roaring Twenties, including the silent film legend Charlie Chaplin and US President Calvin Coolidge. Watching the tumult in front of the pavilion from the finely carved arched windows was just as popular then as it is today!

Although recently renovated, the Kulm Country Clubs has luckily preserved the original Art Deco and wood. Where necessary, the windows and doors were custom-built, true to the original! Besides the excellent cuisine and charming interior design, the classy atmosphere and rich history of the establishment are doing the trick for us.

Elegant racing Sunday

After a relaxing night we get up early because we are eager to start into this exciting day ahead of us! Attending the White Turf is always something that we look forward to weeks in advance. As a unique, exclusive, top-class event with exciting horse-racing and gourmet catering, it is one of our favorite weekends of the year. Imagine regular horse racing but on a frozen lake. All taking place in winter sunshine among the stunningly beautiful, snow-capped mountains of St Moritz. Truly a dream come true!

Horse racing has a long tradition in St. Moritz. Very long actually! Because the first race-meeting took place back in 1907. Since then, the White Turf has established itself as annual event where race-horse owners, trainers and jockeys from all over the world meet up for a thrilling competition.

In order to get to the race track, we transfer by horse carriage from the hotel to the frozen Lake St. Moritz. Could it get any classier? At the race track we first get spoiled in the VIP area: champagne, delicious snacks and good company await us!

Besides enjoying the extraordinary catering, we get the chance to get some new watches on our wrists. Here, one of the highlights is definitely the new HydroConquest in green color. Actually, the timepiece is more of a khaki tone. It features a ceramic bezel that compliments the dial very well. Overall a very beautiful, sport watch that is extremely hard to beat in terms of value for money!

Next up, a model from the Conquest V.H.P. line catches our attention. With its white dial, stainless steel case and bracelet and quartz movement, this watch is a true all-rounder and ideal companion for adventures outdoors. Although Longines is a traditional watchmaker with a strong portfolio of mechanical timepieces, their V.H.P. line strives to offer the highest degree of precision and reliability. Two values we appreciate!

The third and last watch we want to introduce to you is one of our all-time favorites by the St-Imier based watchmaker. Called the Avigation BigEye, this timepiece pays tribute to Longines' rich history in producing watches and instruments for the aviation industry. We appreciate how closely this re-issue resembles the original one from the 1930s. It perfectly matches today's Zeitgeist with its well-sized lugs and pushers. Also, at 41mm it comes in a modern size that fits most wrists extremely well!

Giddy-up!

After spending some time talking about timepieces, it is finally time to watch some races! A stunning 13’500 spectators gather on this Sunday to cheer for the jockeys and their horses. Today's highlight is the Longines 81. Grosse Preis von St. Moritz with a prize money of 111k Swiss Francs. Eventually, Jockey Dennis Schiergen rides his horse Wargrave to a great victory. Congrats Dennis!

After the thrilling race we settle down in the Longines tent and enjoy a wonderful selection of delicious sweets as desert. At the White Turf, they really know how to spoil their guests!

Way too soon, the event is over and we have to head back home. It was once again a weekend to remember. Weather, gastronomy, races and wonderful company - that more than we can ask for. To us, the combination of elegance and adrenaline at the White Turf makes for an ideal getaway!

Are you eager to read more about our adventures in the Swiss Alps? Click here for the blogpost about our roadtrip to Aosta.

Do you find yourself getting caught-up in a daily routine with your lover? Today we want to show you how you could spice things up for Valentine's Day. Little spoiler: our recommendation includes culinary delights, high-end hospitality at the Gstaad Palace and plenty of adrenaline!

Romantic retreat at the Gstaad Palace

First of all, we recommend to leave your usual surroundings. In our case, we pack our winter clothes and head to the picturesque mountain village Gstaad in the Bernese Oberland. There, somethings special awaits our girlfriends. Like many other women, they dreamed of a life as beautiful princesses when they were little girls. Hence, we decided to take them out for a romantic retreat at the wonderfully situated Gstaad Palace.

The hotel is rich in history. Opened up in 1913, the Gstaad Palace has established itself as one of the leading 5 star hotels in the world and is extremely popular with both Swiss and international guests. Each season, the hotel is investing a substantial amount of money in the rooms and facilities of the hotel. Since 60% of bookings come from recurring guests, this is highly appreciated!

For us it is the first time at the Gstaad Palace. We are blown-away by the cozy rooms that are all designed individually. Although, the highlight is the spa. Why? A big fireplace with couches is inviting guests to settle down and relax in a calming chalet atmosphere. Exactly what is needed for a romantic retreat!

Culinary delights

We know that the quickest way to the heart of a woman is by gifting her chocolate. Hence, we stopped by at Läderach to get a FreshChocolate heart as a surprise!

It is the ideal gift to complement an extraordinary breakfast enjoyed in a suite. For the latter, the chef put together a wonderful choice of local cheese, charcuterie, fresh bread, sweet delights and deliciously prepared egg dishes.

There is nothing better than an extended brunch with a loved one, right?

Later that day we can choose from three exceptional restaurants for dinner. While La Fromagerie serves innovative cheese dishes and Gildo's Ristorante spoils guests with Italian delicacies, we decide to dine at Le Grill. It was awarded 15 Gault Millau points and has exceptional local meat on its menu.

While the food itself is already outstanding, the top chefs are preparing many dishes right at our table! This turns our dinner into a true experience for all senses. We get to enjoy a perfectly prepared Chateaubriand from local beef with a delicious Béarnaise sauce.

Besides serving mouth-watering dishes, Le Grill is doing an outstanding job in creating a romantic atmosphere. A live band is playing acoustic covers of popular and classic tunes. Meanwhile, the waiters serve the guests in a very kind, proactive and professional manner.

Finally, we get to the dessert. Upon arrival at the restaurant we ordered a soufflé. This was a wise decision since it takes the chef over an hour to prepare this delicacy! One can now only imagine how good it tastes... one of the best desserts we ever had and the perfect way to end the first whole day in Gstaad.

A gentleman's dream

Besides offering many aspects that will appeal to couples, the Gstaad Palace is also the perfect hotel for bachelors. We don't want to pass on the opportunity to enjoy a hot espresso in the lounge while reading the newspaper in the morning. How do you like this vintage Omega Cosmic by the way? Pieces like this one are available on our shop!

Besides excellent coffee, the bar has also an impressive collection of top-notch whiskies and cigars. Actually, the smoking lounge is one of the most charming places in the hotel. It is a true gent's place with nice furniture, classy atmosphere and a stunning view!

We can't help ourselves and light up a cigar and pour a glass of fine whisky while reading about the rich history of the iconic Gstaad Palace.

Adrenaline on the ice field

While our girlfriends enjoy an extended spa day, we head to Saanen for a special occasion. Next to the local airfield, car manufacturers like Jaguar or Land Rover are offering winter driving experiences. Since we admire British cars, we can't miss the opportunity of participating in such a training!

We get to drive many cars from the wide range of Jaguar Land Rover. Besides sports cars like the Jaguar F-Type SVR, we can also test SUVs like the Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography. It is fascinating to see how differently those car react to the manoeuvres on the ice field.

While we have a lot of fun on the snow and ice, we can also take advantage of an off-road training in which we learn more about the impressive capabilities of Jaguar and Land Rover SUVs.

Back at the Gstaad Palace we warm up in the lobby and meet up with our girlfriends before heading back home. They won't stop praising the outstanding room service because they put a new bouquet of flowers in our rooms on every single day.

That wraps up our extraordinary stay. Both we and our partners got to experience things we enjoyed to the fullest. What a Valentine's retreat!

Do you want to read more about classy couple trips? Click here to learn about our trip to the Lago di Como!

What city in Switzerland is best known for watchmaking? You might want to say Geneva. While many famous watch brands are headquartered in this international city, most inventions, know-how and talents come from smaller towns in the so-called Watch Valley. One town has become particularly famous for fine watchmaking. Want to find out why it is La-Chaux-de-Fonds?

Get to know the home of fine watchmaking

What do Patek Philippe, Girard-Perregaux, TAG Heuer and Ulysse Nardin have in common? They all manufacture their calibres in La Chaux-de-Fonds (CdF)! The watchmaking city was founded as early as 1656. Since it has become the most important centre of the watchmaking industry, its growth and prosperity is mainly bound up with it.

Today, the town’s grid street plan reminds one of New York City because in 1794, La Chaux-de-Fonds was rebuilt after a devastating fire. Besides watches, the city is known for being the home of famous architect Le Corbusier. Also, the car maker Louis Chevrolet was born there.

The climate in the Jura is harsh. Some refer to the area around La Chaux-de-Fonds as Siberia of Switzerland. With –41°, it holds the record for the lowest temperature ever recorded in Switzerland. The trees along its main street are trimmed at a height of 1,000 metres above sea level and make CdF the highest city in Europe.

In order to withstand the harsh winters, people in La Chaux-de-Fonds had to find an additional source of income. Hence, they specialized in the craft of precision mechanics because they could complete many tasks from home. For example, families completed several parts of mechanical pocket watches at their homes, before supplying them to local workshops. There, watchmakers assembled them to functioning timepieces, which then got sold to retailers in cities like London, Paris or New York.

Jaquet Droz - The philosophy of the unique

One of the pioneers in CdF's watchmaking history was Pierre Jaquet-Droz. He was born in 1721 on a small farm but took a serious interest in clockmaking and precision mechanics. He produced a series of “grandfather” clocks featuring increasingly sophisticated movements. They soon outclassed anything that had yet been produced! He even enhanced his watchmaking movements with music and marvelous automata. It didn't take long for the wealthy and demanding clientèle to discover his extraordinary creations.

Today, Jaquet Droz is best knows for their automations and in-house Ateliers d’Art. The latter has the aim to preserve the centuries of special expertise that define the brand’s identity. The meticulous work involved in miniature painting, carving, engraving and paillonnée enameling is highlighted in some exceptional pieces in their collection. For example the Magic Lotus Automaton. This masterpiece features a hand-engraved and hand-painted white mother-of-pearl dial and black onyx subdial. Its marvelous decoration in 18-karat red and yellow gold requires a lot of manual work of highly skilled professionals. Featuring a mechanical automaton movement with push-button, this masterpiece offers a magnificent mechanism animating pond, carp and lotus flower. It is the result of age-old craftsmanship!

Another classic of the brand is the Grande Seconde, a piece inspired by a pocket watch created in the 18th century. The hour and minute display at 12 o’clock overlapping the seconds counter at 6 o’clock. It has become the distinct look for Jaquet Droz' timepieces.

One of our favorite watches by Jaquet Droz is the sporty yet elegant looking Grande Seconde Skelet-one Ceramic. It is simplistic, clean and comes with the distinct Jaquet Droz look. Yet, the skeletonization and rather prominent crown add a sophisticated touch!

Schwarz Etienne - Manufacture since 1902

In 1902, another watch manufacturer enters the picture. The industrialization is disrupting Europe's economy and Paul Arthur Schwarz and his wife Olga Etienne decide to go ahead and found the company Schwarz Etienne. This La Chaux-de-Fonds based family business specializes in manufacturing mechanical movements for other watch brands or sophisticated clients such as the Vatican and Leonid Brezhnev, former President of the Soviet Union.

Today, Schwarz Etienne develops and sells watches under their own brand name, gradually becoming recognized as a fully-fledged manufacturer with distinct qualities: creativity, innovation and expertise!

Our favorite watch from their current collection is the Tourbillon PSR. The movement of this breathtaking timepiece is manufactured entirely in-house, even including the hairspring! Two of the main features are the small second retrograde complication at 11 o'clock and the tourbillon at 1 o'clock. In addition, it is powered by a visible micro rotor.

While the two steel versions come with either green Aventurine fine stone or blue Opal fine stone, the rose gold features Hematite Specularite fine stone. These fine details really do the trick for us!

Greubel Forsey - Art of invention

One of the latest actors to enter the stage of fine watchmaking is Greubel Forsey. They impersonate the new age of manufacturing high-end timepieces. Without a rich history to bank on, Robert Greubel and Stephan Forsey decided to dedicate themselves entirely to improving the performance of existing complications but also to invent innovative mechanisms since 2004.

In 2009, Greubel Forsey moved into their new manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is an architectonic masterpiece! Combining a painstakingly restored farmhouse from the 17th century and the actual atelier. The latter houses the development and production workshops. Its sloping roof gives the impression that it could have risen from the ground!

Only few know that Greubel and Forsey have invented a series of new complications. With the Invention Piece 1 they open up whole new vistas for their first major invention: the Double Tourbillon 30°! Four years of meticulous research were devoted to developing this revolutionary mechanism.

While the Invention Piece 1 symbolizes a milestone for Greubel Forsey, the GMT collection has won our hearts. It displays a spinning globe as a real-time reproduction of the Earth’s rotation, offering an intuitive view of time all over the world as well as a day/night indication.

The latest addition to this iconic collection is the GMT Sport. A newly developed titanium case positions this GMT in a "sports" league of its own. The limits of ergonomics and wrist comfort have definitely been pushed back with the launch of this timepiece. A totally new case form, perfectly round from above, while revealing the accentuated arched and ovoid shape from other angles, was invented by for this watch. Additionally, lugs and strap were integrated in order to achieve a functional form that perfectly fits any wrist. It is definitely one of our favorite watches ever manufactured in La Chaux-de-Fonds!

We hope to have given you a comprehensive overview of the watchmaking industry in La Chaux-de-Fonds including some notable manufacturers. Get in touch with us if you are interested in knowing more about watchmaking in Switzerland!

Interested in reading more about fine watchmaking in the Watch Valley? Read this blogpost about Jaeger-LeCoultre's manufacture in the Vallée de Joux!

We got the opportunity to drive both the Jaguar F-Pace SVR and the newly launched Land Rover Evoque for a long weekend. It was quickly decided that we wanted to take the two SUVs to the beautiful Lake Como!

A challenging road ahead

Getting from Biel/Bienne to Como is not that easy. Especially if one decides to take a mountainous route. Since we want to test the two cars we take them all the way up to the Simplon Pass. We enjoy driving up the winding road while catching a glimpse of Switzerland's beautiful nature!

The next challenge awaits upon arrival in the city of Como. The roads are narrow and congested. We need to manoeuvre carefully!

Finally, we arrive at the gate of our villa that is beautifully located righ at the board of the lake.

Dolce Vita

Even people who have never been to Italy might be familiar with the easygoing lifestyle of the Italians. They know how to live the "dolce vita", a sweet lifestyle! We have come to Como to experience exactly that! Hence, we start our stay by opening a nice bottle of wine by Terravigna on the terrace of our villa. The marvelous view let's us enjoy a great glass of red even more!

Two things we had to bring along were Swiss chocolate by Läderach and smoky whisky by Ardbeg. We could not go on holidays without having a classy gents night doing whisky and chocolate pairing! Usually, we talk about watches and cars during these gatherings. Vasco just got a beautiful Longines Legend Diver Watch so this was the talk of the night!

Exploring Como

Como is known for its stunning lake, the many ancient villas and the beautiful old town.

We enjoy driving our cars through the narrow allies of the town to get a strong espresso in the morning.

After spending some time shopping and sightseeing, we drive along the beautiful lake on a winding road. This ride is pure pleasure with vehicles like the Jaguar F-Pace SVR or the new Land Rover Evoque. However, keep in mind that the narrow roads require advanced driving skills!

The many magnificient villas along the lake offer great locations for lunch dates or relaxing afternoons at the pool. One such place is the Villa Lario.

Situated on the right board of the lake in the commune of Pognana Lario, the property has several small villas and an incredible infinity pool to offer. Honestly, the pool might be one of the most beautiful in the world!

We enjoy a nice evening having an apéro with a glass of Dom Pérignon, while taking in the stunning view over the Lake Como.

How did the two cars compare in Como?

As car fans we love the Jaguar F-Pace SVR with its 5.0 litre Supercharged V8 engine and top speed of 286km/h. The sound is loud and deep from the F-Type inspired variable valve active exhaust system. You would not expect a SUV to be this sporty. Yet there was still enough space for all we bring allong on this trip, which came in handy! Furthermore, we really loved the thrilling acceleration while driving on the winding roads around the Lago di Como.

Unlike the F-Pace SVR, the Range Rover Evoque was just launched recently. It was awaited by all fans of the smaller modell line of the British SUVs. The result is a stunningly looking smaller version of the Velar, a car we truly love for its design and driving comfort. An important detail we admire about the Evoque is, that it has been designed to be 85 percent recyclable/re-usable and 95 percent recoverable at the end of the vehicle’s life.

In comparison, the Evoque was better to get around town due to its size and driving comfort, while the F-Pace SVR was more fun to drive on the roads around the lake because if its acceleration and sound!

Are you looking for more road trip ideas? Read about our trip through South England here!