The re-emergence of Favre Leuba has been hard to miss, owing largely to the Chief Tourbillon, a collaboration that resonates with daring ambition. Bringing together the revitalised historic maison and Jean-François Mojon, one of the most inventive movement creators of our time, the Chief Tourbillon isn’t just Favre Leuba’s first foray into haute complications, but a marker: the brand is determined to take up the mantle of innovative horology once again. Launched in a limited edition of just 25 pieces, this collaboration is a statement in design, engineering, and commitment to mechanical artistry.
Favre Leuba’s history reads as a saga of resilience and ingenuity. Founded in 1737, it’s one of Switzerland’s oldest manufactures, renowned for pioneering adventure watches and creative engineering. After periods of dormancy and several changes in ownership, 2024 marked a pivotal rebirth at Geneva Watch Days: industry luminary Patrik Hoffmann took the helm, supported by a team with profound expertise and vision. This revival isn’t mere nostalgia; it’s a reinvigorated mission, with three carefully curated and redesigned collections (Chief, Deep Raider, and Sea Sky) heralding a fresh chapter, all while reasserting the brand’s unique identity and commitment to technical progress. In this context, the Chief Tourbillon lands not as a safe, incremental step, but as a courageous leap – a rare and meaningful entry into the world of the tourbillon complication.
The dial of the Chief Tourbillon deserves immediate attention. The so-called ‘Sablier’ dial achieves that rare feat of being visually arresting and intellectually satisfying. Its three-tiered design, born of precise, multi-stage stamping, frames Favre Leuba’s signature hourglass emblem as a dynamic, living motif.
The pattern is a choreography of raised sunburst triangles and matte inlays, each executed on separate levels, converging to create depth and animation. Sunlight fragments across these surfaces, producing a subtle but ever-changing spectacle: each triangle refracting and reflecting a different shade, texture, or brilliance. This dial does not merely play with light; it plays with the very notion of surface and depth, breaking and reclaiming conventions in equal measure.
The close observer is rewarded: every viewing angle unearths surprises, and the tourbillon aperture at six o’clock sits poised at the centre of this architectural harmony, commanding the eye but never overwhelming the entirety.
Powering this showpiece is the FLT01 manual-winding calibre, a collaboration between Favre Leuba and Mojon’s revered Chronode atelier, based on a thoroughly reengineered Chronode C502. The 14.85mm tourbillon cage is itself a technical feast: a horizontally brushed upper bridge pays tribute to the hourglass emblem, supporting not only the escapement but the rehaut and flame-blued small seconds hand. The outer edge of this bridge, finished in circular graining, hosts the small seconds scale, showing the level of micro-architectural care lavished on this project.
With a 60-hour power reserve, 23 jewels, and a frequency of 21,600vph, the FLT01 finds its cohesion in Geneva stripes, anthracite grey finishes, flame-blued screws, and, most delightfully, the hourglass motif engraved on the ratchet wheel visible through the exhibition caseback. These finishing choices aren’t just visual; they serve as narrative links, binding the aesthetic of the dial and case to the heart of the movement. The result is a movement that, beyond its technical prowess, is simply a pleasure to view, contemplate, and wind each day.
The case of the Chief Tourbillon expresses both the functional and decorative: rendered in stainless steel, a 41mm diameter and 11.45mm thickness provide superb proportions. It’s a cushion case, of course, with sharply defined flanks and flowing upper surfaces, alternating between brushed and polished finishes. The knurled, monogrammed crown is a tactile delight. Curved sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coated, ensures that the spectacle of the dial remains undisturbed in varied lighting, while the sapphire display back invites a sustained viewing of the movement’s artistry.
Water resistance to 100 metres, sporty compared to most haute complications, speaks of the brand’s adventurous DNA. The bracelet continues this thought: three-link integrated, brushed and polished, with a swift change mechanism, it allows the owner to transform the personality of the watch without fuss. A complimentary black rubber strap is included for those seeking something more contemporary or practical.
The Chief Tourbillon is more than a technical demonstration. It is Favre Leuba’s unambiguous declaration of creative renewal, executed in a language that is both historic and boldly contemporary. In collaborating with Jean-François Mojon, the maison not only showcases horological strongness, but also signals confidence to challenge the accepted boundaries of its own tradition. This isn’t a faint-hearted move; for a house carving its niche anew in a landscape that venerates both history and innovation, introducing such a watch, limited, ambitious, proud, signals precisely the kind of courage and vision the field needs. With the Chief Tourbillon, Favre Leuba is not apprehensive about stepping forward. Instead, it proclaims a future that honours its roots, yet relishes the thrill of conquering new frontiers.
Favre Leuba X Jean-François Mojon Chief Tourbillon Hourglass Dial Technical Specifications
Ref. 00.20103.150.06.200 – 24,800 CHF, Limited to 25 pieces
Functions:
- Hours, minutes,
- Tourbillon carriage (1 minute rotation)
Movement
- FL T01 (based on Chronode C502)
- Manual-winding tourbillon
- 60 hours power reserve
- 21,600 VPH (3 Hz),
- 23 jewels
- Geneva stripes, anthracite finish, blue screws, ratchet wheel engraved with Favre Leuba logo
Case
- Stainless steel, water resistant to 10 ATM, curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, sapphire caseback
- Diameter: 41 mm
- Thickness: 11.45 mm
Dial:
- Three-level structure, 0.15mm raised circular sunray brushed triangles, matte triangles with a depth of 0.15mm and a foundational layer in the center of the two levels.
- 3D logo at the center;
- rhodium-plated polished indexes with Super-LumiNova C1 X1 blue;
- satin-brushed/sandblasted rhodium-plated hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova C1 X1 blue;
- flame-blued small seconds hand
Bracelet/Strap
- Interchangeable; integrated brushed & polished steel bracelet with double-link construction and folding clasp;
- supplied with an additional black rubber strap with Favre Leuba pin buckle
Watchbox
- The Chief Tourbillon comes in a high-grade wooden box featuring an additional strap, medallion and loupe.
