Introducing: Two Limited-Edition Farer Endurance Models In Gunmetal And Jade

Farer is one of the OGs of the microbrand universe. Founded in 2015, the brand prides itself on British design and Swiss production. Over the years, Farer found a style of its own and a clever position within the greater watch market, making it a household name today. This week, the brand announced a new limited edition in two versions — the Farer Endurance with your choice of Arabic or Eastern Arabic numerals.

Farer will make 100 units of each version available with a price of £925 / US$1,045 / €1,085. Orders can be placed now, and deliveries are expected to commence on December 10th. With that out of the way, let’s have a closer look!

The Farer Endurance

Farer often finds inspiration in British history, and this is no exception. These two new models are named after the ship Sir Ernest Shackleton used on his 1914–1917 trans-Antarctic expedition. After successfully navigating the Antarctic, the ship got stuck in the Weddell Sea and sunk. The crew of 28 journeyed 800 miles in a lifeboat, eventually landing in South Georgia after spending months on the ice. In the case of the Endurance, nomen truly est omen.

Farer takes inspiration from such themes, but it does not theme its watches after them if you catch my drift. In this case, the story merely provides a name and a spirit for the watch, nothing more. I believe this is a good thing. It anchors the watch in the brand’s greater story without resulting in gimmicky or contrived creations.

The company’s British roots are key. This goes beyond the British historical themes and into the designs, proudly labeled by Farer as “British design.” Unlike Scandinavian, Italian, or Japanese design, it isn’t easy to characterize British design. It is more eclectic and rooted in old crafts and history. You would, therefore, be forgiven if you had not immediately identified the Farer Endurance as a true British design. Hopefully, this little bit of background will paint the picture. In any case, let’s have a closer look at the actual watches now.

Farer Endurance specifications

The new Farer Endurance has a 39.5mm stainless steel case. Its modest 45mm lug-to-lug and 10.8mm thickness should make it quite wearable. Farer applies a titanium carbo-nitride PVD finish, resulting in a gunmetal-gray appearance and improved scratch resistance over bare steel. Up top, we find a box-type sapphire crystal with an antireflective coating on the inside. The case back features a sapphire display window and is held in place with four screws. Farer rates the water resistance at 50 meters, which is plenty for daily use but not enough to visit the wreck of the Endurance. Then again, few watches can manage that at a depth of 3,008 meters.

Inside ticks the La Joux-Perret caliber G101. Farer uses the highest-grade version, called “soigné.” This 24-jewel caliber ticks at 28,800 beats per hour and features an impressive 68-hour power reserve. The G101 is the no-date version of the LJP G100 caliber. This, in turn, shares much of its layout with the Miyota 9039 movement, although it is produced in Switzerland and features several upgrades, higher-grade finishing, and more elegantly shaped plates. Farer does not provide accuracy numbers, so I would assume it is the factory-specified average ±7 seconds per day.

A black and jade guise

All of the above is perfectly fine. These are specifications one might expect at this price. There is nothing earth-shattering here. The Farer Endurance gets its appeal from its looks. Farer pairs the simple gunmetal-tone case with a dial with different levels and finishes. The center is raised and vertically brushed, while the ring surrounding it features radial brushing. A white minute track, jade-colored luminous numerals, and an orange-tipped seconds hand provide contrast. Seiko uses similar mint-on-black color schemes, but I think Farer’s version is more appealing. It feels more refined and purposeful.

Farer always adds subtle details to keep you interested. The characteristic crown with its bronze cap is, of course, present. But have a closer look at the numerals, too. They consist of solid lume — a mixture of lume and ceramic — with a layer of glossy printed lume on top. In daylight, the resulting combination looks subtly sophisticated. In the dark, it makes the numerals look like 3D-framed sculptures. Very cool!

The two versions differ in one aspect only — the hour markers. One features a mixture of Arabic numerals and batons, while the other comes with a full set of Eastern Arabic numerals. Farer has produced 100 of each variant.

Initial impressions of the Farer Endurance Limited Edition

Although the outspoken color scheme separates this Farer Endurance from its siblings, it certainly looks like a Farer watch. The brand cleverly built a design language that it treats with great care. The use of color and details like the Farer “A” on the seconds hand and the bronze-inset crown give the watches an instantly recognizable aesthetic. I am sure this played a big part in cementing the company over the past nine years.

These specific limited editions give me Mercedes AMG vibes. These would have looked fantastic on Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas when they drove the black version of their otherwise silver arrows in a statement against discrimination. Oh, wait…they already have a watch sponsor, right?

I think Farer did another great job with the two versions of the Endurance Limited Edition. Are they for everybody? No, the brand has plenty of subtler versions with broader appeal. But if you like the look, these make for an attractive offering. I can only assume 200 pieces (total) will not last long, so it’s best to head over to the Farer website if you want one.

What do you think of the new Farer Endurance Limited Edition? Let us know in the comments below!