ReviewThe Highest High: Favre-Leuba Raider Bivouac 9000 Black

There is something very thrilling about mechanical gadgets that work flawlessly at heights where battery-operated electronic instruments start failing. For a climber, knowing the altitude is as important as knowing the depth is for a diver. In 2017, Favre-Leuba upgraded their historical 1962 original, the Raider Bivouac, to scale the tallest peak of the world—Mount Everest (8,848m). Adrian Ballinger, the famous American mountaineer who summited Everest last year wearing the Bivouac 9000, has stated, “Even under the harshest conditions of temperature as low as -40 degrees, the Bivouac 9000 performed flawlessly.” So quite literally at those heights, the Bivouac mechanical altimeter is the only functioning gadget mountaineers have.

This year the Raider Bivouac 9000 adds a new look in stylish black. Aesthetically, the Bivouac 9000 is quite a stunner with its contemporary style. Its impressive 48mm case, made of light, hard and hypoallergenic titanium, makes quite an impression. The main design priority was optimal readability, and this gets even better with the new deep black version.

The watch comes with a grey antelope leather strap like its 2017 predecessor. However, this edition is also available with the strap in black Kevlar or rubber instead of the leather option.

The watch comes with a grey antelope leather strap like its 2017 predecessor. However, this edition is also available with the strap in black Kevlar or rubber instead of the leather option. The Kevlar strap features an integrated RECCO® reflector that can help save lives. RECCO® technology, used by mountain rescue teams across the globe, was developed to search for missing or buried avalanche victims. The reflectors, which operate without a separate power supply, are located by search devices and, hence, are a useful tool to avalanche transceivers.

The sub-dials for the altimeter and the air pressure display are at three o’clock, with the small seconds at nine, and the power reserve indicator at 12. The red central hand tells the altitude, indicated on the bidirectional rotating bezel, carrying a scale divided into 50m steps, and going up to 3,000 metres. One full clockwise rotation thus indicates a climb in altitude of 3,000 metres. The small red hand of the sub-dial located at three o’clock continues to turn during the climb, and after three full rotations of the red central hand, it arrives at its final climb altitude of 9,000 metres. To prevent the bezel unintentionally moving to a different position, it is held tight in place by a two-way ratchet mechanism. Displaying such extreme numbers is quite the tall order, but clearly the Bivouac is up to the task.

Like its predecessor—the 2017 Bivouac 9000, seen here—the 2019 edition is also presented in an impressive, robust case of 48mm, in lightweight titanium

₹7,46,000

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The red central hand tells the altitude, indicated on the bidirectional rotating bezel, carrying a scale divided into 50m steps, and going up to 3,000 metres

₹7,46,000

Check Our Selling Price

The Raider Bivouac 9000 features a silhouette that's quite a signature of the Favre-Leuba Raider collection

₹7,46,000

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The watch uses a manual-winding FL311 movement, specially designed for mechanisms with an altimeter. The watch also features an indicator for the power reserve, which is an impressive 65 hours.