There are few brands as colourful and dynamic as Farer. They are the only brand in the world I can think of that creates individual displays for every watch within a single collection. Rather than taking the same display and changing the colours as is the norm. This leads to some truly eclectic collections like the Cushion Case. Today they return to the quintessential foundations of watch design with the launch of the Farer Three Hands Series III.
As the name suggests, this is the third time that Farer have explored the humble time-only, three hand concept with round case. However, compared to the previous two series, this time it has some significant upgrades. First and foremost the 39mm case has been re-engineered with an updated case middle and screw-down crown, which improves the water resistance rating from 50m to 100m.
That’s a significant improvement because there’s no more anxiety about rain and also it’s capable of surviving short periods of swimming – though I’d more view that as a protection against falling into the pool on accident rather than an invite to take it into the water intentionally. Plus you’d need to opt for the steel bracelet rather than the leather strap which would be damaged by the water.
There are three references within the Farer Three Hands Series III, each with their signature looks and named after historic ships. First is the Alert, which has a red stamped dial with a rock fissure pattern and fumé gradient. It has a lacquer finish adding a slight sheen to it below the Arabic numerals that are printed in Super-LumiNova in multiple sizes. The display is completed by pencil hour and minute hands and a burgundy seconds hand with Farer A tip.
Second is Venture, which on the surface appears like a blue version of the Alert but on closer inspection is quite different. The textured pattern is completely different with a softer, crackled pattern and instead of Arabic numerals it has long baton hour markers made from lumicast, a combination of Super-LumiNova and ceramic. It also features black hands with a gold tipped seconds hand.
Third is Aurora, the flashiest of the three. It features a guilloché dial in copper salmon with a sector style display. The hour markers here take the form of lumicast Arabic numerals that are arranged radially with black overprint. What that means is the luminescent portions of the numerals form the outer border of each number, giving the impression that they are backlit in low light conditions. It’s a distinctive and cool style. Here the hour and minute hands have been swapped from a pencil design to a tapered one.
All three watches house the top grade La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement with 68-hour power reserve. It’s amazing how quickly LJP have become one of the go to third party movement suppliers in the past year. Previously you might come across their movements in higher end watches but now they are accessible to a huge range of brands, including the likes of Farer who until recently relied heavily on Sellita. It’s always nice to see positive competition between manufactures like Sellita and La Joux-Perret when it benefits the consumer by increasing the quality of movements in our watches.
Despite the upgrades to the case and quality movement, the Farer Three Hands Series III remains accessible at a price of £1,025. Which feels perfect for a versatile watch suitable for all occasions, from formal occasions to robust activity.
Price and Specs:
More details at Farer.
