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Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I give my watch for service?

The service interval of a watch depends on its use and the environment in which it is worn. Water resistance gets affected by worn seals or accidental impacts. We, therefore, recommend you have the water resistance checked once a year and have a full service performed every five to eight years. We always recommend that you visit an authorized service centre.

How often do I need to wind my automatic watch?

After long periods of rest, we recommend you turn the crown of your automatic Favre Leuba watch 15 to 20 times before putting it back on the wrist. It helps ensure that your Favre Leuba watch has sufficient power reserve and that the accuracy is within the tolerances.

With the movements of the arm and/or wrist on which the watch is worn, the self-winding mechanism winds the movement fully over time. To do this, the watch must be worn actively for several hours a day (approximately four to eight hours, depending on the activity of the wearer).

How does the helium valve of Harpoon watches work?

In diving bells, where professional divers accommodate at great depths during work that lasts several days, the pressure corresponds to that of the diving depth. The divers can therefore leave the bell without any adjustment time. Once the underwater work is complete, the diving bell is lifted back to the surface with the divers. The pressure level in the bell is continuously adjusted to that of the surroundings.

Now, the helium outlet valve on diver’s watches is used in such situations. Underwater, the diving bell is filled with an oxygen-helium mixture. During the overpressure at depth, tiny helium atoms from the ambient air can penetrate (diffuse) through the seals into the watch. If a pressure equalisation does not take place inside the timepiece when it emerges – similar to that in the diving bell – the watch glass could pop out. To prevent this, the helium atoms must be released again.

This is done via the special outlet valve developed by Favre Leuba for the Raider Harpoon. If the valve remains open, the watch is still waterproof for normal use. For any type of dive, however, the valve should be closed.

What makes the dial and hands of my watch shine?

For the dials and hands of our current Favre Leuba models, we use Super-LumiNova. The Super-LumiNova is charged by daylight or any artificial light source. To ensure luminosity at night, the watch should be exposed to bright light. Please note that the intensity and duration of the light varies depending on the model. The colour of the Super-LumiNova coating also varies depending on the model. The watches in the Raider line have a blue luminosity, while the Sky Chief has a green luminosity.

To what depth are Favre Leuba watches water resistant?

As the gaskets age, the water resistance of your Favre Leuba watch may be affected. It can happen due to blows to the timepiece. As described in our maintenance instructions, we recommend that you have the water-resistance of your Favre Leuba watch checked once a year by an authorized Favre Leuba Service Centre. Our watches are water resistant from 30 m to 500m, depending on the model.

What is the rate deviation tolerance of Favre Leuba mechanical watches?

Our watches have average rate deviation tolerances of 0/+14 seconds per day.

The accuracy of a mechanical movement depends on the habits of the owner and can therefore vary. A qualified Favre Leuba watchmaker can adjust the precision of a watch to the Favre Leuba tolerance.

What kind of crystal does Favre Leuba use for their watches?

Favre-Leuba only uses sapphire crystal for the current collection, which is characterised by high scratch resistance. If the sapphire crystal is exposed to a material as hard as or harder than sapphire, scratches may occur.

Therefore, we recommend you handle your watch with care and avoid contact with other extremely hard materials.

Can I have my vintage Favre Leuba restored?

Spare parts for Favre Leuba Vintage watches are very rare. Send us a request in the Contact Us section, and we will be happy to advise you on how to proceed.

How much value does my vintage Favre Leuba watch have?

If you want to determine the fair market value of your watch, we recommend that you consult an appraiser who specialises in vintage watches and jewellery.

The price of a used Favre Leuba watch always depends on supply and demand. To get an idea about a possible selling price, we recommend you visit online sales platforms such as Second Movement, eBay, or Chrono24. There you will usually find your or a similar model with the possible selling price.