1960s Favre-Leuba Deep Blue (Ref. 59973) "U.S. Diver's"

Despite its obscurity relative to other major Swiss watch manufacturers, Favre-Leuba has the incredible distinction of being one of the oldest Swiss watch marques in existence -- with roots dating back to 1737.

Favre-Leuba was an innovator in the truest sense, though that comes with the territory of being the second oldest watch company in the world. More than just being in the first class of wristwatch making, the Favre-Leuba introduced truly incredible and also useful watches for the professional market, including single-button chronographs, the FL101 movement, automatic FL103 and 104 calibers, Reverso mechanisms, and watches with 50-hour power reserves. They also produced the Bathy in 1968, the first mechanical watch to showcase a depth gauge that displayed current diving depths.

Favre-Leuba introduced its first dive watch in 1960, however, in 1963 the company launched a diving model called the Deep Blue, which a variation of is still in production today. The Deep Blue's lifespan includes many different designs over the years, though early vintage models are most cherished by collectors.

This funky mod piece features all kinds of unique design features, including a bulky rectangular case, bright orange accents, unique hands, and a vertically stacked day-date window. This example also features the "U.S. Diver's" Aqualung logo as an additional detail of diving provenance. For the true diving enthusiast with a propensity for bold design, this would be an excellent addition to your collection.