For the past year, my go-to daily watch has been a 1997 Seiko SKX025. I’ve gravitated toward this watch for many reasons, but one feature that has grown on me after initial dismissal is the day-date complication.
It holds true that no genuine dive watch needs the day and date displayed on the dial, but since the aquatic tool has become a preferred category for daily wear, it is a useful attribute. Favre Leuba acknowledges this fact by adding it to the Deep Raider collection, increasing the utility of the classic diver.
Favre Leuba is a favorite among vintage watch collectors for its novel and distinct tool watches from the 1960s, before it fell victim to the Quartz Crisis. The brand never shut down completely, but was more or less a shell of itself before changing hands and leadership in 2024.
The Deep Raider collection was a marquee piece of the brand’s grand relaunch two years ago. The newest version essentially adds a day-date complication to the Deep Raider Renaissance, the collection’s entry-point model.
It features the same 40mm stainless steel case with brushed surfaces accented by polished chamfered edges. The crown is signed with the brand’s hourglass logo in relief and has no crown guard.
The coin-edge 120-click unidirectional bezel holds a ceramic insert marked with a 60-minute track and a pip. Unlike previous models, it is black for all four dial colors.
