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1960s Favre-Leuba Bivouac (Ref. 53213) "Barometer & Altimeter"
Despite its obscurity relative to other major Swiss watch manufacturers, Favre-Leuba has the incredible distinction of being one of the oldest Swiss watch marques in existence -- with roots dating back to 1737.
Favre-Leuba was an innovator in the truest sense, though that comes with the territory of being the second oldest watch company in the world. More than just being in the first class of wristwatch making, the Favre-Leuba introduced truly incredible and also useful watches for the professional market.
Introduced in 1962, Favre-Leuba Bivouac ref. 53213 was the first watch to feature a functional aneroid barometer, this allowed the wearer to measure their altitude and air pressure, while also telling the time by making use of the in-house Cal. 10032 manual winding movement. In an era when exploration and mountaineering were at a height in popularity and pop culture, the Bivouac quickly became an indispensable tool, of which has an impressive pedigree of achievements.
The Bivouac ref, 53213 was famously worn by Walter Bonatti on the first ascent of the north point of Pointe Whymper, as well as his ascent of the Matterhorn. Paul-Emile Victor, a famous French polar explorer, also relied on the Bivouac on his numerous Endless Ice expeditions.
| Stock # | FVLBB53213 | |
| Brand | Favre-Leuba | |
| Style | Bivouac | |
| Model | 53213 | |
| Serial | 18XX | |
| Size | Men's | |
| Material | Stainless Steel | |
| Dial | Silver | |
| Millimeters | 40 | |
| Strap | Favre-Leuba "Gay Freres" Bracelet |
CASE & BRACELET
The stainless steel case is in overall exceptional condition, appearing to have been only worn a handful of times as very minimal signs of use are present and all of the factory dimensions, finishing, and geometry are fully present. The original bidirectional ratcheting bezel bakelite bezel is in exceptional condition, showing minimal signs of use apart from a hairline crack in between the "6" and " "8" markers. The case retains its original Favre-Leuba signed crown. The case back is also in great condition, with all of the factory markings fully present and most of the factory black enamel intact. The original Favre-Leuba "Gay Freres" stainless steel bracelet is in excellent condition, showing minimal signs of use and only light stretch, the bracelet retains 22 links and will fit up to a 7 1/2-inch wrist.
DIAL & HANDS
The original two-tone silver dial is simply stunning, featuring a sunburst center and a concentric finish for the outer dial. The dial itself is in near perfect condition with only a few nominal spots of age. The dial features strontium lume, which was only used in the early 60s, and all of the lume plots remain fully intact with no degradation present when inspected under U.V. light. Some of the lume plots have taken on a creamy patina and some feature a black patina. The original strontium lume hands match the creamy patina of the dial perfectly and show no degradation under U.V. light inspection.
ACCESSORIES
None. The watch was recently serviced and is keeping time perfectly, the aneroid barometer is also functional. The watch will come with a 1-year warranty on accurate timekeeping.
