One of the best vintage watch brands you've never heard of is back

The history of mechanical watchmaking is full of once great brands that unfortunately no longer exist.

With the widespread introduction of cheap and precise battery-powered quartz movements in the 1970s, most of the traditional watch industry, which was mainly concentrated in Switzerland, could not keep up. This industry-changing event, now known as the quartz crisis, led to the demise of countless brands.

One such brand you may not know is Favre Leuba. But it's time you got familiar with it because this little-known brand is making a big comeback.

The long history of a vintage sleeper

Favre Leuba is one of the oldest Swiss watch brands, with a history stretching back to 1737. Its history is full of twists and turns, including the ownership of Bovet in the 19th century and the introduction of the first Swiss watch in India in the 19th century. (The brand still has close ties to the subcontinent.)

But it is the brand's tool watches from the 1960s, such as the Bathy, the first mechanical diving watch with a depth gauge, and the Bivouac, the first watch with an aneroid barometer, that have made Favre Leuba a favorite among some vintage collectors.