Favre Leuba just cannot catch a break.
Three changes of ownership since the historic brand went bust during the 1970s quartz crisis, it has appeared to be on a more solid footing lately but is now facing a lawsuit in the United States for bringing back the very Deep Blue name that adorned its dive watches in the 1960s.
Founded in 1737, just two years after Blancpain, the historic marque fell victim to the 1970s quartz crisis but was relaunched in 2011 after it was bought by Titan Company, a subsidiary of the mighty Tata industrial group headquartered in India.
But Titan pulled the plug on further investment in 2020 after reporting that it has poured almost $40 million into the business without making sufficient headway.
Favre Leuba was still alive, but effectively mothballed until it was bought in 2023 by Grenchen-based Silvercity Brands, who put industry veteran Patrik Hoffman in charge of another relaunch.
His aim from launch was to make around 4,000 watches in its first year and increase that to 80,000 to 100,000 within a decade.
Central to the relaunch was a fresh interpretation of its Deep Blue range, based on a 1964 dive watch of the same name.
A year on from the relaunch of Favre Leuba and the Deep Blue revival line, a New York-based company named Deep Blue Watches has initiated a lawsuit against Silver City Brands Limited and Favre Leuba for trademark infringement.
The suit alleges that their new watches are wrongfully using the “Deep Blue” trademark, which is solely owned by DB Time, parent company of Deep Blue Watches, and will hinge on whether Favre Leuba’s prior use of the name gives its it a defence that will allow it to continue using it today.
Favre Leuba has been asked to comment on the lawsuit, but has not yet responded.
DB Time Inc. claims to hold exclusive rights to the “Deep Blue” mark for watches and is committed to protecting its brand and intellectual property.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has Deep Blue registered as a Trademark for watches with its first use in 2008.
DB Time says Favre Leuba had abandoned all rights to Deep Blue with the USPTO before its own trademark was accepted.
“The unauthorized use of the “Deep Blue” name by Silver City and Favre Leuba is a serious matter, and DB TIME INC. is taking all necessary legal actions to address and rectify this infringement. Deep Blue Watches has built a strong reputation for quality, and the company is determined to defend its brand against any unauthorized use,” says Stan Bets, CEO of Deep Blue Watches.