A Watch Brand You’ve Never Heard Of Is Making Some Very Handsome Motor Racing Inspired Chronographs

Favre Leuba is not a household name, but that actually works in its favour. For decades the brand drifted in the background while the big players hogged the spotlight. Though, since its revival, the Swiss luxury watch brand has been clawing back relevance with a string of chronographs that don’t look like tired reruns.

The latest Chief Chronograph British Racing Green and Dune Editions are proof that this is a brand with history finally finding its swagger.

The Chief is built around a cushion case design straight out of the 1970s, which immediately gives it muscle on the wrist. This shape is not about delicate curves or disappearing into a cuff. It is a design that wants to be noticed.

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At 41mm across and 14mm thick it has presence without sliding into cartoon territory. Brushed and polished surfaces play off each other in a way that keeps the geometry alive, while the curved sapphire on top delivers clarity without distortion. It is water resistant to 100 metres, which means you can actually wear it rather than baby it.

The British Racing Green version taps into one of the most iconic colours in motorsport. Born in 1903, the shade is tied to champions who drove for glory rather than comfort. Favre Leuba has captured that mythology and turned it into a dial with real depth.

In sunlight it shimmers like a forest canopy, while in shadow it collapses into near-black hunter green. The sunray finish exaggerates these shifts, giving the dial a sense of movement before the chronograph is even running. It is bold without being loud, which is no easy balance.

The Dune edition sits on the opposite end of the spectrum. Instead of motorsport aggression it delivers refinement with a sand-toned dial accented by rose-gold markers and hands.

The finish is both brushed and sunray, which means the light dances across the surface in a way that feels warm rather than clinical. It is subtle but distinctive, and it expands the Chief into aesthetic territory most brands wouldn’t dare touch with a sports chronograph.

Where British Racing Green is weekend, Dune is weekday, and both pull it off without diluting the watch’s character.

Inside both versions is a caliber supplied by La Joux-Perret, a manufacture respected for movements that combine real performance with proper finishing.

This is not an off-the-shelf engine dressed up to look fancy. Through the caseback you get Geneva stripes, perlage, blued screws and a skeletonised rotor plated in gold. It is more than enough decoration to justify a see-through back and shows Favre Leuba is not phoning it in.

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Bracelet integration is another win for this brand. Too many cushion cases look like someone bolted lugs onto a block of steel, but Favre Leuba’s two-link steel bracelet actually flows into the case, with alternating brushed and polished surfaces that match the head.

Quick-release rubber straps are also included, which means you can flip the personality from desk to dive bar in seconds.

A Swiss Story Centuries Old

Favre Leuba has been around since 1737 and has a legitimate history of building watches that pushed boundaries, from altimeter wristwatches to deep-sea instruments.

Instead of trying to compete with Rolex or OMEGA on hype, the Favre Leuba Chief Chronograph manages to revives tool-watch credibility with design choices that feel distinctive, then dresses it in colours that actually spark conversation.

For the guy who wants a chronograph that separates him from the herd without making him look like he’s trying too hard, this is one worth paying attention to.