1970s Favre-Leuba Harpoon 36000 Automatic 37mm
Ref: Harpoon 36000
Specification
Lugs : 18mm
Condition :Â Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material :Â Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold “Watch Only” and therefore comes without its Favre-Leuba box or Favre-Leuba paperwork. The watch comes paired with its original 18mm stainless steel sprung bracelet with a signed folding clasp and will fit up to a 7-inch wrist without the stretch. The watch is from Circa. 1970s and is in used but overall in fair condition, as you can see from the photographs. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cu1P-XPqc9RLirXVWxWbCooHqA5sorV5?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 23:55Â - https://youtu.be/YMhgxLhvTfQ
The Watch
Here we have a 1970s Favre-Leuba Harpoon 36000 Automatic with a curvaceous 37mm stainless steel case, flanks with crisp edges leading to flat-ended lugs tapered to a lug-to-lug length of 42.5mm and a case thickness of 11mm ensuring a comfortable fit. On the right side is a signed crown sitting slightly recessed. The flat crystal sits above a silver vertical brushed dial, and an outer minute track with lume pips surrounds applied slim baton indexes filled in black marking the hours, at 3 o’clock a framed day/date window, elegant slender baton hands tipped with lume are complemented by a tapered sweeping second hand. At 12 o’clock we have the Favre-Leuba motif and at 6 o’clock “Harpoon 36000” completes this dynamic timepiece. On the reverse, a screw-down case back, Favre-Leuba motif engraved in the centre, inside an automatic Favre-Leuba Cal. 1164, 21 jewels, a high grade, high beat 36,000 beats per hour movement. The watch comes paired with its original 18mm stainless steel sprung bracelet with a signed folding clasp and will fit up to a 7-inch wrist without the stretch.
Personal Note
Favre-Leuba is a brand that embraced the craziness of the 70s and did not shy away from incorporating some whacky design decisions, this Harpoon 36000 is one of their more tame designs from the period and still features some wonderful 70s case design with a sloping bezel and unusual case shape, all paired on a signed NSA sprung clasp bracelet! I would not hesitate to add this vintage gem to your collection.
The Brand
Abraham Favre became the master watchmaker of Le Locle in 1749, and with his sons Frédéric and Henry-Louis, he founded A. Favre & Fils in 1792. Frédéric's son Henry Auguste joined forces with Auguste Leuba in 1815 travelling the world and establishing workshops as they went, by 1851 their Favre-Leuba pocket watches won numerous awards. Fritz Favre succeeded his father and continued to expand the business in growing markets such as India, the growing company relocated from Le Locle to Geneva in 1896. Henri Favre-Leuba took over the reins in 1908 and in family tradition expanded the business further and remained as its head until his death in 1961, they produced the first monopusher chronograph in 1925. World markets opened up after the Second World War in 1945 setting up distribution centres in London, Switzerland, Bombay, and New York to name a few. In 1955 using their FL101 Caliber they released the Sea Chief, Sea King, and Sea Raider. The company was renamed Manufacture d’Horlogerie Favre-Leuba S.A in 1963. Sadly due to the influx of cheap quartz watches into the market during the 1970s by 1985, the family closed the gates of the business for a final time. All was not lost when the Tata Group in 2011 bought the rights to the name and moved its headquarters to Zug, Switzerland. The company celebrated their 280th year anniversary at BaselWorld in 2017.