Last updated on December 11, 2024
I recently came across this gentleman’s antique silver Zenith trench watch from Favre Leuba dating from 1916. The Favre Leuba name was not one I was particularly familiar with. I spent a couple of weeks scouring the internet for as much information as I could find about the brand and this particular watch. As it often happens, by the time I had decided to buy it, some other lucky collector had already purchased it. Rather than waste hours of my time, I have created this post to share what I have learnt about the brand and the movement within this Zenith-Favre Leuba trench watch.
Trench watch
A trench watch is a type of wristwatch that gained popularity among soldiers during World War I, though it was first used years earlier during the Boer Wars. Pocket watches proved impractical for combat, so trench watches were designed to be both durable and reliable. They often featured water-resistant cases and luminous dials, making them suitable for the harsh conditions of trench warfare. Trench watches also came with leather or fabric straps, allowing soldiers to easily wear and adjust them in the field.
A brief history of Favre Leuba
Favre Leuba, one of the oldest watch brands, traces its origins to 1737. It was founded by Abraham Favre in Le Locle, Switzerland. Abraham, initially an apprentice, became the master watchmaker of Le Locle in 1749. His son, also named Abraham, expanded the business with his own sons in 1792, establishing A. Favre & Fils.
In 1815, Abraham’s grandson Henry-Augustus partnered with Auguste Leuba. They launched the Favre-Leuba brand and expanded into Germany, Russia, and the Americas. The Favre and Leuba families later merged when Fritz Favre married Adele-Fanny Leuba. Over the years, they strengthened the brand’s reach through international exhibitions, including London, New York, and Paris in the mid-1800s.
Favre Leuba launched several innovative calibres and movements throughout the 1950s, like the manual FL 101, with automatic variants FL 103 and FL 104 featuring date functions. Known for pioneering “tool watches” in the 1960s, Favre Leuba introduced models like the Bivouac, the first mechanical watch with an aneroid barometer for altitude. Additionally, they created dive watches such as the Water Deep, Deep Blue, and the Bathy, the world’s first wristwatch to measure dive depth.
Despite its success, the brand struggled with the quartz crisis post-1969. Though it partnered with Jaeger-LeCoultre under the SAPHIR Group in 1965, Favre Leuba could not withstand the shift. Ultimately Favre Leuba exited the industry in 1985 and later re-emerged under new ownership.
A brief history of Zenith
Founded in 1865 in Le Locle, Switzerland, by 22-year-old Georges Favre-Jacot, Zenith revolutionised watchmaking by centralizing production in a single factory. This streamlined process enabled the creation of precise movements. Initially named Fabrique des Billodes, the brand adopted the name Zenith in 1911, inspired by Favre-Jacot’s view of the stars as a symbol of ultimate achievement.
Zenith’s commitment to precision quickly built its reputation for excellence. In 1909, aviator Louis Blériot wore a Zenith watch on his historic flight across the English Channel, establishing the brand’s presence in aviation timepieces. Zenith’s precise chronometers gained acclaim throughout the early 20th century, winning numerous observatory competitions and reaching international markets.
In 1969, Zenith launched the El Primero, one of the first automatic chronograph movements. It operated at 36,000 vibrations per hour, allowing for time measurement to 1/10th of a second. However, the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s led Zenith to shift to quartz models and pause El Primero production in 1975.
With renewed interest in mechanical watches, Zenith revived the El Primero in the 1980s. Acquired by LVMH in 1999, Zenith continues to blend innovation with heritage. Renowned for precision, durability, and the legendary El Primero movement, Zenith remains an iconic name in Swiss watchmaking.
Collaboration between Zenith and Favre Leuba
The dial is signed “Favre Leuba”, “Zenith” and “Swiss Made“. In 1901, the founding families of Favre Leuba and Zenith had close personal ties. Henry Auguste Favre of Favre Leuba, who already operated a successful branch in Bombay, took on the distribution of George Favre-Jacot’s Zenith watches in India and Burma. Throughout their long collaboration, which extended into the 1960s, several watches, especially high-grade chronometers, bore both brand names on the dial.
Zenith calibre 20.5
The watch has a high-grade hand-winding Zenith calibre 20.5 movement, which is keeping good time. The movement is protected by an inner cover, there is some play in the inner hinge. The movement is signed with the Zenith name and the serial number dates it back to 1916. The Zenith 20.5 watch movement is an open face calibre equipped with a bimetallic screw balance featuring four adjustment screws and a Breguet hairspring. It incorporates a cam disc regulator and is fitted with a negative stem mechanism. The movement offers stem wind and set functions, along with a sub-second feature. It was introduced around the year 1912. It has 15 jewels, a power reserve of 32 hours and a frequency of 18,000 vph.
Case and dial
The watch measures 33mm in diameter excluding the articulated lugs and the winding crown. The case is .935 silver and there are Continental hallmarks inside the case back. Continental hallmarks, unlike British hallmarks, do not include date letters. The case is in good condition. There is a slight marking from an earlier thread through strap on the back of the watch. The acrylic lens is in good condition, but is not original to the watch. The dial is enamel and it has suffered some damage, notably by numbers 4 and 10, with radiating hairline cracks. The watch has the original blued steel hands, a subsidiary seconds dial and an outer minute track.
The contrasting colour of red 12 was used to establish the correct orientation of the watch by drawing the eye to the location of 12 o’clock. The reason for this was that men had been used to wearing pocket watches. They came with either savonnette (hunter) movements or Lépine (open face) cases. On a hunter case, the 12 was located at a right angle to the winding crown. In contrast, on an open faced watch the 12 was directly below the winding crown. Because wristwatches were open face they looked like an open face pocket watch adopted to wear on the wrist, therefore the 12 was not in the expected place next to the winding crown. As a result, the 12 was drawn in colour to draw attention to the correct orientation.
Summary
This Zenith trench watch from Favre Leuba is a nice-looking watch, with an interesting history. I was pleased to learn a little about Favre Leuba and its collaboration with Zenith. Sadly, as has happened several times in the past, I was too slow in my research. However, some other lucky antique watch collector has this trench watch in their possession.
Related content
Favre Leuba at Wikipedia.