“Overall, Farer did a really great job. There are not many occasions, in which I don’t have a single thing to criticize about a watch. Sure, the zippers on the protective case had some issues. But apart from that, the watch really is flawless.”
Quick take – The Farer brand
While I’m sitting at my desk and writing these exact words, I’m wearing my new watch, the Worldtimer Automatic Roché from the British microbrand Farer. And I couldn’t be more excited. But let’s take it slow and turn back the time to exactly one week ago. This is when I finally made my decision to order this unique timepiece. See, this whole thing started, when I was doing some research for the first part of the “3 Best Microbrand watches” Series. Usually when I look through different microbrands, there are always some brands that just stand out from the crowd.
And Farer was one of them. The brand was founded in 2015 and they operate out of Great Britain. The foundation of Farer was laid when the founders were fed up with the overpriced watch market and wanted to build a brand which combines a modern take on vintage watches with premium quality. They managed to fulfill their vision through implementing a direct production model, using high quality Swiss movements and Switzerland-based manufacturers.
Besides wanting to bring back vintage style with a modern twist, there is more to the philosophy behind Farer. The word «Farer» means to travel and explore. And you can see that philosophy running through their entire collections of watches. The UK brand describes the inspiration behind its watches as follows:
«As a British brand, the spirit of adventure is at the heart of the Farer ethos – our collection of watches are named after iconic explorers, vessels and locations that perfectly define the true spirit of Farer: ambition beyond the ordinary. »
Back to why I ordered the watch. As I was saying, when I was doing my research on potential microbrands that could make it on to the list, I stumbled across Farer and their Worldtimer Automatic series. And I was immediately hooked by their World Timer watches, which come with a very modest price tag for a such complication.
Quick take – Farer World Timer Automatic Roché
Hands down my favorite complication in any watch is the world time complication. The thought of having a small thing on your wrist, that can mechanically tell you what time it is right now on the other side of the world, is just something that will never stop to amaze me.
Surely, the fact that I love to travel the world plays into this fascination. Also, since I’m working with people that sit on different continents, this tool comes in handy when making a call. Anyway, there just is something very special about a world timer function for me.
And that love for world timer watches brings me to a new model from the British brand Farer, one that they are simply calling the World Timer Automatic. The World Timer Automatic comes in three different variations, the Aldrich, the Markham and the Roché. Today, we are going to look at the last one of the 3, the Roché.
The “Roché” model comes in at a diameter of just 39mm and a case height of 11mm. The case itself is made from 316L stainless steel and features a brushed bezel and polished edges. Something worth mentioning is, that the side cut ins, are micro-blasted, which means that you have a height difference between side outlines and the inner part of the sides. The watch is powered by an automatic swiss made ETA 2893-1 Elaboré movement, which has a power reserve of 48 hours. And something that I really appreciate is that they made the caseback out of see-through sapphire glass. I love when watch brands do that.
But it’s when we get to the dial, where things get interesting. This model is characterized by a deep blue dial with a micro pique finishing which lays between a luminous city ring and a luminous 24-hour ring. And as always with world timer watches, there must be some form of world map or globe. And in the Roché we find a deep blue globe right in the middle of the dial. The Farer World Timer shows you an overview of 24 key cities, which represent the 24 time zones. The watch shows local time on traditional hour, minute, and seconds hands while using the 24h inner circle to display the time in one of the 24 key cities.
Overall, this watch has a lot to offer at a price point of just $1400, which is considered very low for a world timer complication. Once you order, you have the choice between a lot of different strap options, ranging from Milanese bracelet to a black Barenia leather strap.
You can grab yourself one of the Farer World Timers on their website. The watch on a black leather strap will set you back around $1400. Be aware that the price varies quite a bit, depending on your choice of straps.
First hands-on impression
Now that you got an impression on who’s behind the watch and the watch overall, let’s take a closer look at what is actually on my wrist. As I’m always saying, from the moment when the delivery rings your doorbell to the moment you have the watch in your hands, is one of the best there is.
The case that Farer delivered this timepiece in, is gorgeous. The blue color combined with the soft interior, which keeps your watch safe and protected while it’s flying in from England, feels very high quality. The only thing that really annoyed me was the Zipper of the case. It always got stuck and I had to move it back and forward every time I wanted to open the case. I hope this only happens with my specific case. And if not, they have to fix that asap. It really kills the vibe.
But when I finally won the fight against the zipper, I was rewarded with a very exciting sight. The watch was still wrapped in plastic, but the beauty of the deep blue dial was shining through. So, I ripped the plastic away and was finally holding it in my hands.
The dial of the watch looks even more gorgeous than in the pictures, and that bar was set very high. The watch overall looks crisp and well rounded. The black Barenia leather strap felt a little bit stiff (has to wear in a little), but overall made a good first impression.
Wearability
The Farer World Timer Automatic arrived a few days ago and from that moment on, it never left my wrist. Except when I showered or went to bed, of course. And yes, I shower, even when I’m being forced to stay at home. You should too, by the way. But back to the topic, I feel like we got off course for some reason.
The watch has been on my wrist for some time now and I have to say that I am very delighted. The proportions looked good on paper but feel even better in person. The conservative case size of just 39mm combined with a height of 11mm and a lug-to-lug distance of 45mm make this watch very comfortable to wear on any occasion. In contrary to my recently reviewed Unimatic U1-FM, this feels like a breeze on my wrist.
The design of the Farer World Timer Automatic Roché
The design of the watch in combination with the world timer complication was what attracted me in the first place and what makes me want to stare at my wrist the whole time. The 316L stainless steel case has some very nice details like the brushed bezel, polished edges and micro-blasted side cut ins. Not sure why they did the last thing, but it certainly adds something unique to the look of the watch.
Speaking of unique, the crowns are pretty unique. you heard right, crowns. There are two crowns on the Farer World Timer. One in the classic position, at 3o’clock, which controls the main hands, date and the 24h inner ring. And the second crown, which is located on the top left at the 10o’clock position, is used for adapting the outer 24 cities ring.
As I mentioned in the Quick Take section, the dial is without any doubt the star of the watch. The dial features a gorgeous deep blue dial with a micro pique finish between a luminous city ring at the outer edge of the dial and a luminous 24-hour ring. And as always with world timer watches, there must be some form of world map or globe. And in the Roché we find a light blue globe right in the middle of the dial. It grabs your attention in a good way. Not too much, so that you wouldn’t be able to read the time but is also noticeable enough for you to enjoy.
Additionally, the dial has a small date window at the 3o’clock position, which fits into the overall dial look perfectly. I have my problems with date windows, but this one was integrated to perfection.
And to make the design of the dial complete, Farer decided to add some splashes of orange color to the blue-and-white dominated dial. When you take a closer look, you can see that the city of London is marked in an orange color, which also pays tribute to the English heritage of the Farer brand. You will also find the same orange touches on half of the 24h-dial numbers.
Oh, and before I forget, expect an impressive amount of lumina on the dial. Someone could say, that you might not need a lamp on your nightstand anymore. Jokes aside, Farer really delivered on that part. Basically, everything except the blue main base ring and the globe in the center, lights up, when you switch off the lights.
Final thoughts
Overall, Farer did a really great job. There are not many watches, which I don’t have a single thing to criticize about. Sure, the zippers on the protective case had some issues. But apart from that, the watch really is flawless. And let’s be honest, who cares about the zipper of the box, when it contains a watch that delivers on so many levels.
The design is spot on. The world time complication is executed nicely. They use a high quality swiss movement which you can see through the sapphire case back. They customer experience is great, they even sent me a handwritten thank you card with my name on it. This is what I call an excellent service. And all of this goes to show, that the guys at Farer really care about you and their products. And with that, I think that I have to say more.
If you are in the market for a high quality, well designed and affordable world timer, which punches way above its weight, then go for it!
