This Retro-Inspired Chronograph Has Serious TAG Heuer Vibes for a Fraction of the Price

Most young watchmakers strive to establish an identity through a set design language and specific categories. British indie brand Farer has found success by going in the opposite direction.

Each Farer release tackles a new niche genre, such as super-compressor divers, small cushion case dress watches and integrated sports watches, using brand-new motifs tailored to the watch’s heritage. The most impressive aspect is how detailed and varied each release is, demonstrating immense commitment to the themes.

Farer

For its latest release, Farer takes on 1960s auto racing watches with the aptly named Racing Chronograph. It follows the blueprint established by icons such as the TAG Heuer Autavia, Rolex Daytona and Zenith El Primero.

In the brand’s customary manner, it presents a completely new design that is faithful to the source material without being derivative or obvious. The Racing Chronograph makes great use of color while staying within the historical bounds.

Farer

True to chronographs from the 1960s, the Racing Chronograph features a 38mm case and runs on a hand-wound movement. Like the Autavia, it features a bezel ring with a 12-hour count-up scale, but modernized with a ceramic insert and a Super-LumiNova track.

The hour hand, minute hand and applied hour makers also feature Super-LumiNova, with the emission colors varying by reference.

Farer

The dial has a tricompax layout with a 30-minute totalizer at 3:00, a 12-hour totalizer at 6:00 and a small seconds at 9:00, each sunken below the dial plate.

Three of a kind

My personal favorite in the collection is the Volante, which features a sky-blue sunburst dial with eggshell-white sundials. It is accented by a yellow 15-minute segment on the 30-minute totalizer, an orange chronograph seconds hand and a light blue small seconds hand with an orange tip.

The ceramic bezel insert, along with the hour hand, minute hand and chronograph subdial hands, is navy blue, completing the tonal blue effect.

Farer

The Gara reference features a silver sunburst dial with British racing green used for the bezel, subdials, hour hand and minute hand. It is accented with a yellow chronograph seconds hand and an orange-tipped small seconds hand.

Both the Volante and Gara use the same wedge-shaped faceted hour markers and matching tracks on the sundials.

Farer

The third reference, called the Libre, presents a completely different tricompax dial. It is a “big eye” format, meaning the 30-minute totalizer is significantly larger than the other two for enhanced legibility, and it is also broken into tonal red 15-minute segments.

The Libre has a grainy white dial plate, applied dash indices with a numeral 12 and unique subdial tracks. A burgundy bezel insert, hour hand and minute hand are complemented by light blue chronograph hands.

A manual transmission

Automatic chronograph movements did not hit the market until 1969, meaning that all of the iconic auto racing watches released in the first nine years of that decade were hand-wound.

Farer

Farer honors that tradition with the Sellita Caliber SW510M b hand-wound movement. It is the Elaboré tier, offering a 63-hour power reserve and custom finishing on the bridge with blued screws, all visible through a sapphire caseback.

Availability and pricing

The Farer Racing Chronograph is available now from Farer for $2,095. It is offered on a fitted rubber strap color-matched to the dial, nine different leather and suede pin buckle straps and, for an additional $20, a Milanese steel mesh bracelet.

Farer

Farer Racing Chronograph

Specs

Case Size	38mm
Movement	Sellita Caliber SW510M b hand-wound
Water Resistance	100m

• $2,095 at Farer

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