Farer Mansfield Watch Review

Generally, if I were to recommend a cushion cased British watch with a funky coloured dial, there wouldn’t be too many options that come to mind. Perhaps only really something like the Duckworth Prestex Verimatic. But just like an equally British icon in the forever late big red bus, you wait for ages and two come along at once. We’ve already gone over the Fears Brunswick 40 (read our review here), which has become entirely synonymous with cushion cases; now it’s the turn of the colour-centric design maestros at Farer with the new Mansfield.

Now, this isn’t Farer’s first cushion case; that would be the Stanhope II which forms the rough blueprint for this particular capsule collection. That means a multi-layered case that falls somewhere between classic cushion and tonneau. The overall shape feels closer to tonneau, but the bezel is cushion, landing somewhere in the no-man’s land of sporty elegance. It’s a tricky space to occupy, but the new trio of watches walks the line more confidently than Johnny Cash.

The reason I’ve not named the watches yet is because, in typical Farer fashion, each of the three has a different name. Why? You’d have to ask the brand yourself, but it’s something they insist on. The new three piece collection includes the Lethbridge in silver and blue, the Durham in two-tone copper salmon and anthracite, and the tea-green Mansfield we have here.

The Lethbridge is classical, and while lovely, not as fun as I’ve come to expect from Farer. They’ve set their own bar a bit high. The Durham is odd, but as I’ve not seen it in real life (and I’ve been assured it’s miles better in the metal) I won’t comment too much. The Mansfield however is absolutely superb.

Not only is the light green – more matcha tea than mint, not quite saturated and bright enough for lime – absolutely gorgeous, but it has my preferred hour demarcations with Arabic numerals interspersed with baton indexes; the silver and salmon using all Arabic and Roman numerals respectively. The Farer Mansfield is just that bit sportier, and I love the contrasting ring of silver around the small seconds. Both the hour markings and that contrast turn what could be a strait-laced, classical looking watch into something altogether more Farer.

At 38.5mm wide with short, curved lugs, the Mansfield’s fully polished case sits perfectly on the wrist, relatively small and elegant, in a cool, distinctly modern way. The tonneau elements make it feel a touch bigger than most cushion cases, but not so different that you can’t imagine how it wears. That’s all to say, I really didn’t want to take it off.

Inside is the Sellita SW216-1, an upgrade from the ETA number used in the previous Stanhope II. It’s a manual wind with a 45-hour power reserve and is definitely worth a glance through the sapphire caseback. Manual wind movements are better looking anyway without that pesky rotor getting in the way, but this particular calibre has been wonderfully decorated with interlocking logos on the bridge and eye- catching blued screws. It’s also been mechanically improved (slightly) by removing the extra crown position normally used for setting the date. It’s a small touch, but one that purists (read obsessives) like me appreciate.

Honestly, this is what I want out of a modern, cushion cased watch. Don’t get me wrong, I own a classic white Brunswick and adore it; I also own the orange Duckworth Prestex (I have a type) and love that too, the former for more formal occasions, the latter as a bit of a beater. For me, the Mansfield lands perfectly between the two and, with Farer’s typical aesthetic quirks and an improved movement, is a very tempting prospect to fill the gap between them.