Are You Ready To Pitch The Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival?
“Now, art thou the man to pitch a harpoon down a live whale’s throat, and then jump after it? Answer, quick!” Herman Melville wrote these words and had Captain Peleg say them to Ishmael in the 1851 classic novel Moby-Dick. Now, I ask, are you ready to pitch the Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival? Answer, quick! And by “pitch,” I mean “wear,” but I’m sure you guessed that. The compact, water-resistant watch from the 1960s is back in gray, black, and blue modern versions that stay very close to the original.
The 1966 Harpoon had a gray dial, and during this year’s Watches and Wonders, Favre Leuba showed us a modern homage model with the same dial color. Starting today, two more colors — black and blue — are also available. We took a look at all three variants, plus the original watch from the ’60s for comparison.
The Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival (left) and vintage Harpoon side by side
The Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival aims for the hearts of nostalgic watch lovers
The 1966 Harpoon was a ready-to-roll, robust, water-resistant automatic watch for everyday use. With an uncomplicated time-and-date layout, the watch was designed to withstand a fair amount of abuse, and it was very practical in the tool-watch era. The Harpoon was also easy to recognize because of its original, minimalist dial design, featuring unconventional, horizontally oriented applied hour markers at 12, 6, and 9 o’clock and a stylized “Harpoon” signature at 6. The modern Harpoon Revival sticks to that design and retains (almost) the same modest proportions — a 36.8mm diameter, 43.5mm lug-to-lug length, and 10mm thickness. In addition to a modernized, sunray-brushed version of the original gray dial, the new watches are available with black and blue dials, all priced rather fairly at €2,100 / US$2,300 / £1,800 / CHF 1,800.
The three Harpoon Revival models also feature applied rhodium-plated hour markers and hands filled with Super-LumiNova C1 X2 GL for a strong, green glow in the dark. Their leather straps feature a pin buckle and a modern, easy-change system, allowing the wearer to switch to a different color without tools. Favre Leuba has given the original’s three-row steel bracelet a modern successor, but if you want to replicate the OG’s look, plenty of aftermarket bracelets are available. Still, the watches look retro as can be.
That’s a Harpoon, all right
The Harpoon Revival retains much of the original watch’s visual language, although Favre Leuba has made a few sensible updates. The dials now show a contemporary, very subtle sunray finish. It’s a sign of progress, I guess. It’s also a sign of luxury in a way. “When it shines brightly, it must be expensive” might be a bit of an oversimplification, but I think there’s some truth to those words. In most people’s eyes, a shiny finish does look more expensive than a matte one.
Additional shiny elements are the polished, rhodium-plated rectangular hour markers with tapered ends that catch the light nicely. And the same goes for the hour and minute hands. Compared to the original Harpoon, the peripheral minute track is simpler, and the luminous plots are gone. At 6 o’clock, the Favre Leuba name uses typography inspired by the original watch.
Inside the 50m-water-resistant polished steel case, under a case back featuring a medallion with Favre Leuba’s hourglass emblem and period-correct typography, beats a contemporary movement. La Joux-Perret’s automatic G100 three-hand caliber (here called the FLD04) is built on the architecture of the tough Miyota 9 Series but is heavily re-engineered and upgraded in Switzerland. It is a powerful 24-jewel, 4Hz movement providing a substantial 68-hour power reserve. And its moderate 25.6 × 4.45mm dimensions fit perfectly inside the small, thin case of the Harpoon Revival.
Hands-on with the Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival
Wearing the Harpoon Revival is pretty much like wearing an NOS watch from 1966, except it feels more solid than one from that era. Size-wise, what could go wrong? Well, nothing. A watch with a 36.8mm diameter, 43.5mm length, and 10mm profile will nestle cozily into almost anyone’s wrist. It certainly did on mine. I do want to try it on a metal bracelet, though. With a leather strap, it’s good, but it could be even better on a 1960s-style bracelet. Now, which dial do I favor? That’s easy — the gray one. It balances a chic sobriety with a touch of instrumental necessity rather neatly. And I do think the horizontal indexes are timelessly stylish.
The shiny case is also not a problem for me because the watch isn’t big enough to be too shiny. Plus, I think the polished, light-reflecting case adds a touch of vintage opulence. Favre Leuba pitched and struck me with this Harpoon Revival.
What is your opinion on the Favre Leuba Harpoon Revival? Which version is your favorite, and what do you think of the price? Let me know in the comments section below.
