The Raider Harpoon, the Bivouac 9000 and the Bathy 120 MemoDepth, together exemplify the ingenious engineering that is unique to Favre-Leuba. The second oldest Swiss watch brand introduced these in 2016, 2017, and 2018 respectively and the instrument watches, also known as ‘The Icons’ of Favre-Leuba’, are used by explorers from sea to summit voyages. The rugged form and robust functionality make them indispensable companions for those who conquer frontiers
The brand that was born in 1737 introduced a new collection of watches in the recent years. After the long silence, the new range of retro-futuristic instruments were inspired by the legendary timepieces from 1960s, but in a more contemporary style and design DNA. With the launch of Raider Harpoon, Raider Bivouac 9000, and Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth, three iconic watches launched year after year, the brand created a benchmark in the industry once again. These three unique Icons are one of its kind, and surpass any other diving or altitude watch the world has seen.
Bivouac 9000
1964, Walter Bonatti, one of the most successful mountaineers of all time is climbing in the Grand Jorasses. Faced with an impending storm, he turned to his Bivouac to gauge his distance from the summit. In a potentially life-saving decision, he sought out a safe area to create shelter from the storm. He knew from the altimeter reading on his Bivouac that it was too far to climb to reach the summit and safety in such drastic weather conditions.
In 2018, the iconic watch was re-engineered with contemporary technology and introduced back into the alpine world. However, this time the Bivouac is galvanized out of tough, but lightweight titanium and it is more robust than ever. Furthermore, it is ready to read and display the altitude and air pressure conditions to 3 times higher than of what its predecessor did. The new Bivouac 9000 measures the altitude from below sea level to 9000m, which is beyond the roof of the world. The 48mm diameter barrel-shaped case is crafted to the highest level to protect the inner mechanism of the watch. Inside, you will find a manual-winding FL311 movement. The innovative capsule used to measure the air pressure is made of new materials and the precise design allows it to measure minor changes in the surrounding atmospheric pressure, to convey the changing weather and the altitude thereof. This is the heart of the Bivouac altimeter technology. As the mountaineer ascends, the surrounding air pressure decreases and so the aneroid capsule expands. This incredibly small linear movement is translated via a mechanism onto the face of the watch to indicate both air pressure and altitude readings.
In its short history, the new Bivouac 9000 has been awarded the independently judged New Star Award 2018. Adrian Ballinger, a renowned mountaineer, summited Everest earlier in the same year wearing the Bivouac 9000. Securing the title as the first altimeter wristwatch to precisely convey a correct altitude reading all the way to the top of the world at 8,848m.
“At 8800m - my Raider Bivouac 9000 performed flawlessly all the way to the summit of Mt Everest” Adrian Ballinger, 20th May 2018.
Technical Specifications:
·MOVEMENT: Hand-wound FL311 movement, based on the EMC 3903M calibre; specially designed mechanisms for altimeter and power-reserve indicator; power reserve of 65 hours
·FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, small seconds, central hand to display altitudes of 3,000 m per full rotation, subdial for displaying altitudes of up to 9,000 m and air pressure in hPa, power-reserve indicator, date display
·CASE: Bidirectional rotating bezel with anodized aluminium insert; screw-in crown; sapphire crystal with antireflection coating on both sides; screwed and aligned case back; diameter 48 mm, water-resistant up to 3 bar/30 m
·DIAL: Applied indexes; luminous indexes and hour and minute hands, red hand for altimeter
·STRAP: Gray antelope leather with pin buckle
