Farer has launched a new line up of watches for summer, featuring bright dial colours, Swiss auto movements, 200m of water resistance and 38.5mm wide steel cases. All rounder or dive watch? Your choice really as the AquaMatic can do both jobs.
Our fave from the range is the Nazare, (above) which celebrates the epic big wave surf off the coast of Portugal. With a turquoise dial, metallic red bezel and steel bracelet it’s something different, not your usual Swiss watch and we think Farer are carving their own niche by creating stuff like this. The watch also comes with a NATO strap, plus a silcone strap, so you have options – all good.
All the AquaMatics have big day/date windows and legible text, which is a nice detail – many watch brands don’t get the basics like this correct. It is a function after all, glance down and check the date – helps if you can see it clearly. Lots of lume on the hands and markers too by the way.
The AquaMatic Biarritz is a curious mix of bright white and blood red colours, I’d say it looked like an ambulance service logo, but that might be considered passive aggressive abuse in today’s clown world climate. The dial is just a bit too busy with round markers, quarter hour rectangles and those big broad arrow hands. The red numerals on the bezel are just too much, so we say back to the template on this one and mix in some light blue or yellow contrast colours perhaps and lose the rectangle blocks.
Other colour choices include the Freshwater blue, which is a nice cool, minty looker, the oddball Cribbar, which mixes red, blue and yellow flashes on a black dial, plus the Thurso, which has a turquoise theme, including the silicone strap. Interesting sort of weathered/aged patina effect on the crown too. Will some buyers see this as a fault and ask for a refund? Just asking.
If we had to pick a UK best seller it has to be the blue Porthleven model. Blue dial watches always sell well, and adding the Cornwall surf resoart as the name just bosts the appeal. It’s a dynalic, deep sea blue colour too, really looks the business on the blue silicone or the steel bracelet. All the same price by the way at £950. Plus they come with a 5 year gurantee and let’s be honest, lots of Swiss rivals which cost three times as much do not have that manufacturer back-up.
The screw on caseback is kinda different too, and obviously most people have a flathead screwdriver to open it up – although if you don’t have watchmakers tools, a vice, secure clamp and a steady hand, we recommend you leave well alone. There’s no battery to change after all.
At £950 this is upagainst competition from Tissot’s excellent Seastar range, plus the Hamilton Khaki, or the great value Seiko 5 SKX, which is online at £300 and is slightly more trad/dive watch style.
More at the Farer site here.