Farer enters the integrated bracelet game with 4 elegant options
Russell Sheldrake- The Farer Integra is the British brand’s first foray into integrated bracelet designs.
- The watch comes in four different dial options, with two being semi-precious stones.
- Available with both a bracelet and a rubber strap, the clasp on the bracelet features an intuitive micro-adjust system.
The British brand Farer has always brought its own distinctive sense of style and design to the wrist. The release of the new Integra line shows how Farer would apply these unique aesthetic codes to the most popular style of watchmaking in the modern market, the fully integrated bracelet sports watch. Already this year we’ve seen Farer go dressy and go diving, but to see them develop their style into this form was truly unexpected.
Let’s break down what makes this new release so special and how it works to differentiate itself from the rest of the market, and as with every new integrated release, there will be plenty of parallels to draw to other legendary models. First of all the barrel-shaped stainless steel case measures 38.5mm across and 10.3mm thick, and the brand says that this wears slightly larger than those dimensions suggest, as is true for most integrated sports watches. There is a satisfying raised bezel that, along with the rest of the case, features a polished chamfer to help add some definition to the case.
Moving inside this bezel we have four different dial options: salmon, blue, malachite, and mother-of-pearl. All four dials feature horizontal grooves that have been engraved into the dial to mirror the bracelet style. This feature gives vibes of the recent Piaget Polo launch that has a similar continuation, giving the effect of the bracelet and dial seamlessly flowing into each other. It’s also nice to see this being applied to the natural semi-precious stones as it helps to demonstrate the thickness of the stone used, which is always a big factor in perceived value.
Those of you who follow Farer will know they love a creative name, and the Integra is no different. The name for the collection comes from the Latin declension of the word ‘integer’, and therefore, they decided to go back to Latin for the names of each of these dials. The blue dial is Tenebris, the dative plural of tenebra that means dark or gloomy, the copper dial is Cuprum, which is simply the Latin for copper and the reason its atomic symbol is Cu; the malachite is Viridis, a term that can mean green or describe something that is young, fresh and vibrant; and finally the mother-of-pearl is Perlarum, which is Latin for little pocket and where we get the word pearl from.
Across these dials we have the typical-Farer extremely legible makers with a mix of Arabic and batons all covered in Grade X2 Super-LumiNova with the only point of difference being on the mother-of-pearl dial they have opted for their “backglow” effect, by having the markers made from Lumicast and then covered in a black overprint, a look that is becoming a bit of a signature for the brand.
Moving on to the bracelet, probably the most important part of any integrated sports watch, Farer has designed an H-link style that slims down the middle link a lot, allowing the brushed surface of the H-link to take prominence and the smaller, highly polished surface of the centre link to cut through without dominating.
An excellent addition to this bracelet is the clasp. It is a butterfly clasp that integrates nicely into the tapered bracelet, but it also has on-the-fly micro-adjustment that allows for up to 3mm of adjustment on either side of the clasp. It’s a great move from Farer to include something like this as it makes these bracelets endlessly more wearable in any condition and for any wrist size. You also get a rubber strap that has been segmented to reflect the style of the bracelet: this strap, however, just comes with a standard pin buckle.
Inside keeping it all running is the trustworthy Sellita SW300-1 that offers 56 hours of power reserve. A sign that the team at Farer were paying attention to the details is again shown in the custom rotor for this watch, which is unusually a full disc with cutouts to reflect the slats on the dial and the construction of the bracelet. It’s a nice touch as this rotor will also be colour-matched to the dial itself.
Closing thoughts
The new Integra from Farer brings a level of British charm to the sports watch world, and I’m very much here for it. Whether it’s the Latin names giving me a small tinge of enjoyment or the wonderfully incorporated micro-adjustment, there are a lot of things to be happy about when it comes to this watch. The four dial options are great and offer something completely different each time without stepping outside of what is expected for this style of watch.
Farer Integra pricing and availability
The Farer Integra is available now from the brand and from our London Time+Tide Discovery Studio. Price: £1,550, US$1,765
| Brand | Farer |
| Model | Integra |
| Case Dimensions | 38.5mm (D) x 10.3mm (T) x 42mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Blue, copper, malachite, mother-of-pearl |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet, butterfly clasp with micro-adjust Dial matching rubber strap, pin buckle |
| Movement | Sellita SW300-1, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 56 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | £1,550 US$1,765 |