We may be well beyond the apex of the integrated bracelet trend, but that hasn’t stopped some brands from developing their own take on the genre. I’d add that a good watch is a good watch, whether it happens to be on trend or not. The British brand Farer isn’t really known to jump on trends as they unfold, instead very much marching to their own beat, so it comes as no surprise that they’d enter the integrated bracelet game when they were good and ready, if at all. Apparently, that time is now. The new collection is called the Integra, a name near and dear to the heart of automotive enthusiasts that may have grown up in the ‘90s.
The car came into its own in 1993, with the introduction of the third generation, which brought the B18C1 to the US (VTEC baby) in the GS-R… but this is a story for another time. The Integra in focus today is of a different variety. This is Farer’s first take on an integrated bracelet sport watch, and as you’d expect, they’ve handled it in a uniquely Farer manner. At a glance, this watch isn’t easily placed, and that comes down to how many of the small details are executed, each of which add up to a markedly different tone than your typical integrated bracelet sport watch.
The Integra collection is launched with four distinct references, each with a name that has some character. As an aside, I miss when products had fun, sometimes evocative names instead of a set of seemingly random numbers and letters. Integra, Prelude, and Passport were all perfect examples. Farer picks up on this with almost all of their watches, and it’s a detail worth appreciating. The collection uses a steel cushion case that measures 38.5mm across, and 42mm in length. A Sellita SW300-1 inside allows for a total thickness just a hair north of 10mm, for an all around pretty impressive package.
The link bracelet slots into a hooded section of the case between where you’d typically find a set of lugs, and it can be swapped for a rubber unit on the fly. The bracelet gets a healthy taper from 24mm to 16mm at the claps, which uses a quick extension system for max comfort on the go. It’s everything you want to see in an integrated bracelet watch, and while the general form may be familiar, the design and execution are unique to Farer. But the case and dial are the real focal point here.
The Integra collection consists of the Viridis, with a stone malachite dial; the Tenebris, with an ink blue dial; the Cuprum, with a salmon pink dial; and Perlarum, featuring a white mother of pearl dial. Each shifts personality rather dramatically thanks to the different materials and colors being utilized, and some even challenge what we’d expect to find in the genre. Each gets a date disc that’s been color matched to the dial, and each uses a similar design with Arabic numerals at the even positions, and a horizontal line motif with a circular center. There’s something a bit old-school about the design, and I suspect it will be a bit polarizing as a result. It would have been easy to go with a flat or lightly textured dial here, but Farer really leans into the concept with the use of unexpected colors and textures.
They don’t exactly feel like sport watches per se, but they are definitely Farer in personality through and through. The lovely case dimensions and tapered bracelet present as more chic than anything else, and that’s generally not an adjective I’d use when it comes to this brand. The movement has been fitted with a full 360 degree oscillating weight for an unexpected view through the rear caseback. The Cuprum and the Tenebris are priced at $1,650, while the Viridis and Perlarum are priced at $1,760. Farer
