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HANDS-ON: The olive-green Farer Exmoor field watch feels like wrist-bound British tailoring with a sexy twist HANDS-ON: The olive-green Farer Exmoor field watch feels like wrist-bound British tailoring with a sexy twist

HANDS-ON: The olive-green Farer Exmoor field watch feels like wrist-bound British tailoring with a sexy twist

Thor Svaboe

Sharp design mixed with a distinct British aesthetic is a winning combination that has earned Farer a solid following among knowing enthusiasts. The brand was established back in 2015 when they made a proper mark on the microbrand scene with their colourful Universal series. Now they’re back with the Farer Exmoor field watch with its crisp olive-green design that’s a breath of fresh air in a category of mostly monochrome tool watches.

Farer has built a reputation as a small brand with an emphasis on vintage inspiration, often slim of design with fresh colours and bags of personality to spice things up and take them to another level. What distinguishes Farer from the microbrand pack is a British sartorial take on the simple, mechanical wristwatches we love, from dress watches to chronographs, infused with a quality that belies the price point. In particular, their use of colour consistently excites. In their quiet way Farer may have set new standards for accessible watchmaking with a twist, like British tailoring for the wrist (Farer, you may use that rhyming slogan for a small fee!).

The olive-green Farer Exmoor field watch feels like wrist-bound British tailoring with a sexy twist

Structurally, the olive green dial Exmoor is the archetypal field watch. It’s a great example of a solid everyday wearer with an emphasis on quiet craftsmanship and mid-20th century style. The case is a tough nugget of steel in a quite perfect 38.5mm size, that makes it sit snug and discreet on your wrist. At the same time, it’s got sufficient thickness and heft to give it real presence plus a 200m depth rating that shows it’s ready for an adventure or two. Under the decorated caseback lies the trusted Sellita SW221 automatic movement, while the crystal is a hardy double AR-treated sapphire job, ready for any tasks ahead.

For me, the Exmoor is a tailored sports jacket in tweed with a colourful twist in the details.  A bold, brushed case and bezel sets the tone, framing the bright colours of the dial that sex up the perception of a workaday field watch. Large lumed indices and clear light blue numerals gives us superb legibility. And then you notice those small flashes of colour in the important functional details. 

The olive-green Farer Exmoor field watch feels like wrist-bound British tailoring with a sexy twist

Colours can really lift a perfectly good tool watch, adding a personal touch, and that all-important sense of fun. Here, the hour and minute hands are a classic syringe shape with blue lume while the seconds hand is a bright blue, and the date is an outer circle pointed to by a fresh orange hand with an intricately designed Farer logo at the tip. These details are exactly what makes Farer special.

Farer knows that we love tool watches and I am an unrepentant strap-a-holic. But instead of castigating me, Farer reads my mind. This field watch comes bundled with no less than three timeless straps. A soft brown Horween leather strap, Farer’s own three-row integrated steel bracelet, plus they’ve thrown in a perfectly matched green NATO strap for those forays into the country.

Farer Field Watch Collection

Only a couple of weeks ago we were lamenting the industry’s lack of adaptation to our strap-changing needs, and this is a godsend. Especially as all of the strap choices come with quick-release fittings.  The Farer Exmoor is a genuinely compelling package, small and perfectly formed, with just the right touch of colour.

Farer Field Watch Collection price and availability: 

The Farer Field Watch Collection is $995US and is currently available.

Made in partnership with Farer. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.