Farer is returning to their three hander collection this week with the release of three new references comprising a Series III of the concept. In typical Farer style, all three watches bring their own distinct design, color palette, and texture to the table, each with a hint of whimsy. The three watches are the Aurora, the Venture, and the Alert, and yes, they all have a tie into British exploration lore. These watches represent a return to the brand’s first and most distilled vision, and as usual, it’s the small details that bring these relatively simple designs to life.
All three of these new watches use a steel 39mm case with a mix of brushed and polished surfaces. This houses an automatic La Joux-Perret G101 with soignée finish, the highest grade available. A range of straps and even a steel bracelet are offered for this case, and that’s about where the similarities end.
Things begin with the Alert, which gets a deep red dial that fades to black at the perimeter. The dial itself uses a ‘rock fissure’ pattern beneath its surface, creating an interesting, volumetric texture. Arabic numerals are placed atop in varying sizes to highlight the cardinal positions, while a set of pencil hands, and a red seconds hand, track the time. The Alert is named for the HMS Alert, a Cruizer-class sloop in the Royal Navy first launched in 1856. It would go on to explore the British Arctic, helping to map the Arctic wilderness.
Next, we find the Venture, which boasts a blue dial that similarly fades to black. This one goes with a crackled texture that feels a bit more tactile than the Alert, and once again it creates a sense of depth at the center. This example uses long applied bars of lume at the hour positions, with an index ring at the perimeter. The Venture takes its name from the Edward Bonaventure, which became the first English vessel to reach Russia in the mid 16th century.
Finally, the Aurora shines with a copper dial that’s been given a flinqué guilloché finish. Applied Arabic numerals of a very different variety appear here, with black detailing creating a sense of contrast. A set of tapered black hands track the time, and once again lume is used creatively underneath the hour markers. This one is named for the SY Aurora, a steam yacht that served as an Antarctic expedition vessel from 1911 to 1917. This one also has a history of use in Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
All three of the watches present a unique identity built around a wearable platform, and all three are priced from $1,150 on leather straps, and raise to $1,170 on a bracelet. These watches are available to order now directly from Farer.
