MICRO MONDAYS: The Farer Oxley GMT offers quarantine comfort, for the right amount of cost

Bruce Duguay

Editor’s note: This week on Micro Mondays we focus our gaze on a British brand that has made waves in the space over the last few years, delivering affordably priced watches with ample character to make them stand out from an increasingly crowded segment of the market. Farer are not immune to taking cues from the watches of the last century, but do so in a way that pays respect to the adventurous spirit of early tool watches, while at the same time bringing them into the 21st century with playful moments of colour and reliable contemporary movements. This year the brand is celebrating its fifth birthday, no mean feat in the age of crowdfunding campaigns that sometimes cannot even make the step from render on a screen to metal on a wrist. As a result, their success cannot be viewed through the lens of chance, but is, in fact, the result of consistently making watches that an ever-growing in-the-know community of enthusiasts are excited to strap on their wrists. In specific focus is the Farer Oxley GMT, a wristwatch that breathes new life into the increasingly unaffordable category of robust travel watches, something that is particularly poignant at a time when a GMT hand is the closest you can get to an intercontinental jaunt. While getting on a plane might feel like a far-off idea at the moment, the Oxley GMT might be the perfect watch to remind you that travelling to a strange and distant country is one of life’s most enjoyable experiences, and is hopefully something we’ll be able to enjoy again soon. 

Self-isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic has brought a diverse range of challenges and solutions to the watch enthusiast community. I hadn’t realised how much socialisation there was to be had with watches until the Zoom meetings and Instagram Live sessions started. It’s actually difficult to keep up with the mountain of content being generated, which is a great sign that our little hobby will weather this storm and emerge even more connected.

That said, our kind is no longer free to wander endlessly around watch shops and boutiques in search of the next novelty to add life to the collection. When I came across this Farer Oxley GMT online, I felt it was a perfect example of a quarantine spirit-lifting acquisition. This watch ticks all the boxes for a (reasonably) responsible pandemic purchase. First of all, purchasing it supports a small business and you can transact completely online. Secondly, the Farer is relatively sound value and plays in the affordable end of mechanical GMT watches out there. To cap it all off, it has good credentials and an adventurous energy to remind the wearer that there are going to be days ahead when unhindered travel makes a return.

The specific Farer I acquired is the Oxley GMT model with a black and silver tuxedo effect dial. From a distance the watch shows off an eye-catching contrast and continues the theme when worn on the black rubber strap with a brushed silver buckle. I particularly love the proportions of the simple round case at 39.5mm and the watch wears with minimal effort on the wrist. The only incongruous visual element is the crown rendered in bronze which, thankfully, is not oversized. The Oxley GMT’s dial is interesting enough on its own and doesn’t need any crazy exterior case flourishes.

The primary time is laid out on the central black area of the dial in an alternating combination of polished Arabic numerals and “I” indexes with a small date window at three o’clock. Farer’s attention to detail and thoughtfulness becomes apparent when you realise they didn’t have to add the quarter piece of the index at three o’clock to finish the symmetry of the dial, yet it’s there despite the value price point of the watch. The outer silver dial contains the minutes track and 24-hour GMT display. Thanks to the excellent spacing, proportions and minimal text on the dial, the watch face is uncluttered while clearly conveying all the necessary information expected from a good travel watch.

Night owls may lament that only the orange syringe-shaped hour and minute hands contain lume. In consolation, I can confirm it is a bright lume and gives the watch a cool minimalist night look, making up in part for the slight lack in additional readability. By far, my favourite hand is the long, slim blue seconds hand which stretches out to the far edge of the watch, seemingly tucking itself under the curve of the boxed sapphire crystal when viewed at an angle. The green GMT hand tickles the bottom of the 24-hour numbers and its hollow triangle is just wide enough so as not to be hidden when overlapped with the minute hand.

Farer chose a “top-grade” version of the ETA 2893-2 movement to bring life to the Oxley GMT, and it seems to have made a solid choice indeed. Under the display caseback, the ETA boasts Farer branding on the rotor edge and is finished to a standard that will make you proud at the next RedBar meeting.

The Oxley GMT can be had on a variety of straps or a stainless-steel bracelet and Farer has a dedicated section on their site to offer straps individually. This particular watch came as I mentioned on the rubber strap, which has a high degree of quality and detail to offer. The outer facing side of the strap has a sporty perforated texture on each end of the watch and Farer branding on the brushed buckle. When you’ve turned the watch over to show off the ETA movement, your friends will also be treated to the sight of the strap’s embossed wave lines. What will impress them, however, are the small metal tabs that make removing the strap unbelievably easy. This is a clear brand differentiator and indicator that Farer is a company that will take things to the next level, even if they don’t have to justify a price point around $2000.

All told, the Farer Oxley GMT stands tall on its own merits. For me as a collector, it will always be that watch that carried my enthusiasm through the uncertain and unnerving year that has been 2020 and allowed me to discover a small watch brand that truly believes in pushing the value of good design and value.