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A Closer Look at the Favre-Leuba Raider Sea King

Once you take a look at the Favre-Leuba watches released in recent times, one thing becomes apparent immediately; most of the Favre Leuba watches have the same case shape. The Sea king Rider, the Raider Harpoon, and the Rider sea king only differ in size. Even the nomenclature used for the watches followed a somewhat similar pattern; an aggressive name plus the marine term. Rider for the authoritative, and Sea King for the maritime name.

Individuality, of the shape of the case, doesn’t seem to be a priority for the Swiss watchmakers, but this isn’t a problem. Quite the contrary, the recurrent case shape through the watch models only goes to show what the brand stands for; a simplistic, minimalistic sea diving watch that works well in any setting. Skimming through the stock images of the Favre-Leuba Raider Sea Sky Chronograph will only provide you with a blurred perspective on the personality this watch has, so here are ten things you will find out only by wearing it.

It’s small

For context, let’s take a look at the sizes of other watches from Favre Leuba. The Rider Harpoon watch case has a width of 46 mm, a thickness of 18 mm, and a lug to lug length of 22m. The overall effect imposed by the Harpoon is a larger, broader shaped watch. It can scarcely be considered a daily watch unless your daily activities include regular underwater submersions or mountaineering. The Sea King, on the other hand, has a 14mm thickness, 41mm wide, and a lug to lug lent of 18 mm. Consequently, this gives the Sea King a smaller feel and look compared to other watches. This isn’t to imply that the watch itself is small, but more of a large-medium feel.

Diver in a suit

The Sea King doesn’t have the imposing feel you would get when looking for your typical diver’s watch, and just the size you would want to match with a suit or some casual wear. Its elegance and sleekness give it more of a dress-code personality, even though it does have a water-resisting capacity of up to 300 meters. Its bold wrist presence proliferates this fact, and so do the colors used to make it. More on that later.

No Rotating Bezel

Unlike the other watches manufactured by the brand itself, the Sea King doesn’t have a rotating bezel. So technically, it doesn’t even warrant the ‘diver’s watch’ moniker. The fact that it has neither a rotating bezel nor a lume pipe just goes to show that the designers weren’t necessarily aiming for the sea diver’s market. However, it does do a pretty good job for those who want to embark on some underwater adventures.

Classical Inspiration

The design for the Rider Sea King can be traced back to the brand’s iconic sports watches made in the 1970s. During that period, Favre-Leuba was at its zenith, and the Sea King’s offers a bit of nostalgia in this respect.

The Design

The case is made of stainless steel, with a somewhat tonneau-shape. To reduce visual mass, lines run across each side. On top of the case and around the bezel, you get a combination of both polished and brushed surfaces, a feature that is very aesthetically pleasing. Though this feature may be for the most art cosmetic, it does give the watch a more personalized feel. The bezel on the watch has two parts working in tandem perfectly. There is the inner bezel, right next to the crystal, then the fluted outer bezel. Both the design patterns on the respective bezels suggest that they can be screwed down. The overall effect is an attractive and masculine watch. The dial and everything in it is very reminiscent of the watch design used in the 70s. The hour markers are given a polished and applied squarish feel, and the hands and the date markers have the Super LumiNova paint for easy viewing. The dial is given a bit of depth with the angled minute track.

The color scheme

The dial’s appearance is minimalistic, with a tricolor scheme employed; grey, black, and blue. The scheme is nice and simplistic, but for some, it may be borderline banal, especially since the dial is grey in its entirety.

It’s a workhorse

Inside this silver case is an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement system that operates at 28,800 BPH, which is 4Hz. The watch also has a 42-hour power reserve. Such metrics are standard in dive watches since they are easy to fix and not so expensive to maintain. Although you cannot see this since the rear of the case isn’t transparent, as is the case with some watches, you can be assured that you’ve purchased a workhorse of a watch.

Double options

Depending on your tastes and preferences, you can pick either of two options, a leather strap that’s padded or the steel bracelet. The matched steel bracelet does complete the general theme in the watches design, but the leather strap tends to be more comfortable. When selecting the watch straps, it is vital to take into account the predominant weather of the area you will be wearing it in, because leather doesn’t mix well with humidity.

For the ladies

The Favre-Leuba Raider Sea King does have an option for women. This version is smaller and is aptly named the Raider Sea Bird. The measurements also change a bit, with the width reduced to 36 mm.

Price

The Raider Sea King is available in three dial colors, but for now, they are all exclusive to the steel case. For the bracelet, you will have to part with 2060 dollars, and 1850 dollars for the leather straps. Favre-Leuba is a historically significant brand and a pioneer in the design, manufacture, and distribution of watches. With the Favre-Leuba Raider Sea Sky Chronograph, this becomes crystal clear. With the well-made and highly refined design, the technology employed in its design, and the functionality of the watch, you will get value for your money. It is ideal for people searching for a “serious” Swiss watch that is unique and will remain fashionable for many years to come.

Garrett Parker

Written by Garrett Parker

Garrett by trade is a personal finance freelance writer and journalist. With over 10 years experience he's covered businesses, CEOs, and investments. However he does like to take on other topics involving some of his personal interests like automobiles, future technologies, and anything else that could change the world.

Read more posts by Garrett Parker

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