A Triple Calendar Under 40mm: Finally, My Favre Leuba 1737 Has Arrived
The Long Wait for a Triple Calendar: My First Impressions of the Favre Leuba 1737
Some watches catch your eye. Others stay on your mind long enough for you to place an order the moment they become available. The Favre Leuba 1737 Triple Calendar was the latter.
There is something particularly satisfying about finally getting your hands on a watch you have been looking forward to for months. The anticipation, the occasional checking for updates, and the inevitable waiting game between placing an order and having the watch on your wrist — it is all part of the experience of collecting watches.
For me, the Favre Leuba 1737 Triple Calendar has been exactly that kind of watch.
When it was announced at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026, I knew I wanted one. I placed my order as soon as I could, only to find myself waiting longer than expected as delivery was postponed until October.
But the wait is finally over. And now that the watch is here, it is time to find out whether it lives up to the anticipation.
Why the 1737 caught my attention
I have a particular soft spot for complications that bring something interesting to the dial without making a watch unnecessarily large or complicated to wear.
The triple calendar is a good example. Displaying the day, date and month, with a moon phase thrown into the mix, it offers plenty to appreciate visually and mechanically. It also has a certain old-world charm that makes it feel different from the more ubiquitous three-hand watches and sports watches that dominate many collections today.
Yet finding a Swiss-made watch with this complication, in a case measuring less than 40mm, is surprisingly difficult — especially when you want to keep the price within a reasonable budget.
I had previously found another candidate in the Zenith catalogue, but the price of entry was a different proposition altogether. The Favre Leuba 1737 offered another route into this niche, with a 39mm case and a price point below CHF$3,500.
That combination was difficult to ignore.
Favre Leuba also has a history worth appreciating. Founded in 1737, the brand has a long association with Swiss watchmaking, and the new 1737 collection takes its name directly from that founding year. Rather than going down the usual sports-watch route, the collection revisits a more classical side of horology.
For me, it was the right combination of size, complication, design and price.
First impressions: A welcome arrival
Let's start with the unboxing.
Packaging is not the reason I buy a watch, but it certainly sets the tone for the experience. Thankfully, Favre Leuba gets this part right. The box feels substantial and thoughtfully presented, without giving the impression that corners have been cut to meet a price target.
It is a small detail, but an important one. When you have been waiting months for something, the first physical interaction with the product matters.
And then, of course, comes the watch itself.
My first impression was that it looked rather thick. At approximately 12mm, the 1737 is not an especially slim dress watch, and its calendar complication gives the case a certain visual presence. Before putting it on, I did wonder how it would sit on my wrist.
Fortunately, the experience on the wrist was better than I had anticipated.
Despite the initial impression, the watch remains manageable on my smaller wrist. The 39mm diameter helps considerably, and the proportions make it easier to wear than its thickness might suggest when viewed off the wrist.
Would I have preferred it to be thinner? Certainly. But I also appreciate that fitting an automatic movement and a multi-display calendar complication into a relatively compact case involves compromises. For now, I am happy with how it wears.
A dial that rewards a closer look
The silver dial was one of the elements that attracted me to the 1737 in the first place, and it has not disappointed.
At first glance, the watch presents itself as a fairly traditional calendar timepiece. Spend a little more time looking at it, however, and the different textures begin to reveal themselves.
The central sunray finish gives the dial a changing character as light moves across it. Surrounding this is a more intricately finished minutes track, while the outer date scale features its own circular-brushed texture. These details add depth without making the dial feel overly busy.
The layout is particularly pleasing.
The day and month are displayed through two windows at 12 o'clock, while the moon phase sits at 6 o'clock. A central pointer hand indicates the date along the perimeter of the dial.
I like how these elements are arranged. There is a pleasing sense of symmetry between the calendar windows above and the moon phase below, while the pointer date makes use of the dial's outer edge rather than squeezing another conventional date window into an already occupied space.
The applied hour markers, combining Roman numerals and baton indices in a warm gold tone, provide another point of contrast against the silver dial.
For me, this is where the 1737 succeeds. It has enough visual detail to remain interesting, but it does not try too hard to impress. The finishing is subtle rather than showy, and that suits the character of the watch.
It is the sort of dial I can imagine appreciating differently under different lighting conditions — something I look forward to exploring further through photography.
The mechanics behind the calendar
Beneath the classical exterior is Favre Leuba's FLD06 automatic calibre.
The movement operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, has 25 jewels and offers a power reserve of approximately 56 hours. It drives the hours, minutes and central seconds, together with the day, date, month and moon phase indications.
The movement is specified with a maximum deviation of ±5 seconds per day, a respectable target for a watch intended to be worn and enjoyed rather than kept purely as a display piece.
One detail worth noting is the calendar adjustment system. Correctors integrated into the case at 2 and 10 o'clock allow the calendar displays to be adjusted while keeping the case profile relatively clean.
And then there is the caseback.
An exhibition caseback makes all the difference
I have to admit that an open caseback is always a welcome addition for me, particularly on a watch with a mechanical complication.
Turn the 1737 over and you are greeted by the FLD06 movement, finished in a warm 4N gold tone. Côtes de Genève, perlage, diamond snailing and heat-blued screws add visual interest, while the skeletonised rotor carries the Favre Leuba hourglass monogram.
It is a lovely contrast to the silver dial on the other side.
I appreciate that movement decoration does not necessarily make a watch more accurate or mechanically superior. But watch collecting has never been solely about functional performance. There is also the pleasure of seeing the mechanical components at work and appreciating the thought that has gone into presenting them.
In this case, the exhibition back elevates the overall impression of the watch. Without it, the 1737 would still be an attractive calendar timepiece. With it, there is another layer of enjoyment that makes the watch feel more complete.
For a watch at this price point, I consider that a meaningful plus.
The specifications at a glance
For those who prefer the details before the photographs, here is what the Favre Leuba 1737 Triple Calendar brings to the table.
Specification | Favre Leuba 1737 Triple Calendar |
Reference | 00.20501.108.16.105 |
Case material | Stainless steel |
Case diameter | 39mm |
Case thickness | 11.2mm |
Crystal | Sapphire crystal |
Caseback | See-through caseback |
Water resistance | 50m |
Movement | FLD06 automatic |
Frequency | 28,800 vibrations per hour |
Jewels | 25 |
Power reserve | Approximately 56 hours |
Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, day, date, month and moon phase |
Strap | Leather, with quick-release system |
Price paid / budget context | CHF$3,500 |
Specifications are based on published information for the reference; regional specifications and retail pricing may vary.
Finding value in a very specific niche
I would not describe the 1737 as an inexpensive watch. CHF$5,000-plus is still a meaningful amount of money, and there are plenty of excellent alternatives if all you want is a reliable Swiss automatic watch.
But that is not really the point.
What interests me is how few watches satisfy this particular combination of requirements: a Swiss mechanical movement, a proper triple calendar with moon phase, a case under 40mm and a price below CHF$4,000.
Once those criteria are in place, the field becomes considerably smaller.
The Zenith I had previously considered remains another option in this space, but the Favre Leuba makes the proposition more attainable. It also offers an exhibition caseback and a thoughtfully finished dial, both of which contribute to the experience beyond simply telling the time.
Of course, the movement architecture and the level of finishing should be considered in context. This is not a high-horology manufacture movement, nor is it trying to compete with the most elaborate calendar watches on the market. Its appeal lies in bringing a traditional complication into a more accessible price bracket.
And that is precisely why I was interested.
Final thoughts: Was it worth the wait?
It is still early days with the Favre Leuba 1737 Triple Calendar. These are first impressions rather than a definitive long-term review, and I will need more time with it to understand how it performs as an everyday watch.
But the initial signs are encouraging.
The packaging feels good, the dial finishing is pleasing, and the case wears better on my wrist than I initially expected. The exhibition caseback is another highlight, giving the watch an additional dimension that I particularly enjoy.
Most importantly, the 1737 fills a very specific gap in my collection — and, perhaps, in the market for smaller Swiss calendar watches.
I ordered it because the specifications and price made sense on paper. Now that it has finally arrived, I am pleased that there is more to appreciate than just the numbers.
Was the delay frustrating? Absolutely. Would I have preferred to receive it earlier?
Without a doubt!
But some watches are worth waiting for, especially when they offer something you have been searching for over a long time.
For now, the Favre Leuba 1737 Triple Calendar has earned its place on my wrist. The next step is to spend more time with it, get it out for a proper photography session, and see what other details reveal themselves along the way.
After all, half the fun of collecting watches is discovering what you missed the first time you looked.
And this time, I am looking forward to enjoying the watch rather than waiting for it.
Bonus: A little-known connection to Jaeger-LeCoultre
One interesting piece of Favre Leuba's history that I discovered while learning more about the brand was its association with Jaeger-LeCoultre.
In 1969, Georges Favre acquired the SAPIC Group, which owned Jaeger-LeCoultre at the time. This brought the two maisons under the same ownership, making them sister companies for a period of time.
The relationship even extended to the watches themselves. Historical Favre Leuba models included Reverso-inspired reversible watches and the Memoraider, an alarm watch closely related to JLC's Memovox lineage.
It is an interesting reminder that Favre Leuba was once operating within the same watchmaking family as one of Switzerland's most respected manufactures.
While my 1737 Triple Calendar has no direct connection to JLC simply by virtue of this historical relationship, knowing this little piece of history certainly adds another layer of appreciation for the Favre Leuba name.
