Channeling The Colorful Racing Culture Of The 1970s With The New Farer Racing Chronographs

Ask watch fans what makes Farer stand out, and chances are that you’ll quickly get an answer involving colors. The London-based brand has a knack for them. A great example is the Lissom collection that I reviewed last year. It’s a group of daily wearers that shows the importance of colors in creating a great series of watches. More proof of that comes with the introduction of the new Farer Racing Chronographs. While this style of watch is far from new to the Farer collection, this new trio introduces some lively new color combinations that look great. The inspiration for them comes from the famous racing liveries from the late 1960s and early 1970s. As a result, they have a great retro vibe that fans will love.

Going back a little bit, I want to put the spotlight on two chronographs that show Farer’s unique approach to color. The first is the Farer Bernina that Tomas reviewed in 2019. It was a wonderful white and red racing chronograph that immediately stood out from the usual fare thanks to its cool presence. The second is last year’s Moritz Green Chronograph, which combined lightweight titanium with a stunning dark green dial, bezel, and strap. These two watches are great examples of what makes the Farer Chronograph Sport range such an exciting series within the brand’s extensive lineup.

The story of the Farer Racing Chronographs

For the new trio of Racing Chronographs, Farer drew inspiration from classic racing. As mentioned, the colors of the three watches hark back to the bold team liveries of the late 1960s and early 1970s. This is an era that many fans consider the greatest ever in racing, when mechanical purity reigned supreme and racing was still dangerous. While we are not here to debate the dangers of racing, it is easy to see that, given the risks they took, the drivers in those days were true heroes. That’s why they deserve all the praise and glory they got.

It was also the era when racing teams were not scared to stand out. Just think of the light blue and marigold-orange Gulf Oil livery, the black and gold John Player Special livery, or the white, dark blue, light blue, and red Martini Racing livery. They were all introduced in those days and have become iconic for their style and use of color. As a result, they are still famous today. It’s this classic racing era that sparked the design and colors of the new Farer chronographs.

The details of the Farer Racing Chronographs

First, let’s talk specs. All three watches have the same 38.5mm stainless steel case with a 44mm length and 13.4mm total thickness. The classic case profile features distinctive concave ski-slope lugs that add character. In terms of finishing, the case displays brushed lugs with high-polished chamfers on the sides. The knurled bezel frame and crown, along with the pump-style chronograph pushers, also have a mirror-polished finish. As we’d expect from Farer, the crown features a solid bronze insert with an embossed Farer “A” logo.

All three watches have a bidirectional bezel with a ceramic insert featuring a 12-hour scale filled with BGW9 Super-LumiNova. As a result, you will also be able to track the time in a second time zone in the dark. If you turn the watches around, you get a good view of the Sellita SW510M b thanks to the flat sapphire crystal in the case back.

Farer uses the Elaboré-grade version of this hand-wound caliber. This means it is tested in three positions and regulated to an average accuracy of ±5 seconds per day. On top of that, the movement displays custom Farer decoration, blued screws, and polished chamfered edges, making it a joy to see. Furthermore, the caliber operates at 28,800 vph, features 23 jewels, and offers a 63-hour power reserve. The Sellita SW510 b displays central hours and minutes, along with small seconds at 9 o’clock. The chronograph features a central elapsed-seconds hand, a 30-minute counter at 3, and a 12-hour counter at 6.

The Farer Racing Chronograph Libre

Now, let’s go over the three models to get an idea of the different designs and colors. The first is the Libre, which was named after the Formula Libre and inspired by classic “big eye” chronographs. As you can see, the 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock is larger and rendered in three shades of red and burgundy. We also find burgundy on the bezel insert, hands, minute track, and dial text. The dark red shade contrasts nicely with the textured white dial.

Applied baton indexes, all filled with white Super-LumiNova, emphasize this contrast with their burgundy edges. The same goes for the large “12” that adds character to the dial. The central chronograph hand and the small hand of the 30-minute counter are a nice vibrant blue, adding another spark of color. Lastly, buyers can choose a case-fitted burgundy rubber strap, a variety of leather straps, or a Milanese bracelet to complete the look in style.

The Farer Racing Chronograph Gara

Next up is the Gara, which is Italian for “race” or “competition.” The classic British Racing Green liveries we all know and love inspired this colorway. The bidirectional bezel features a green ceramic insert, and the three sub-dials are green as well. These registers also feature a concentric-grained finish, white printing, and white hands. The sub-dials contrast nicely with the silver sunburst dial. Around the perimeter, we find applied, faceted hour markers filled with white BGW9 Super-LumiNova. The central hour and minute hands are painted a glossy British Racing Green and also filled with lume.

If you look closely, you will see some nice burnt-orange details. The minute track features orange numerals marking every five minutes, and the tip of the white running seconds hand is orange. Lastly, the yellow central chronograph hand beautifully completes the colorful ensemble.

At first glance, the Gara might seem straightforward. Look again, though, and you will see an intricate color palette designed to evoke memories of watching the Italian Grand Prix in the September sun. Once again, buyers can opt for a curved-end rubber strap, this time in green to match the bezel and sub-dials, or several leather straps available specifically for this Gara model. Of course, the stainless steel Milanese bracelet is also an option for a tougher look.

Farer Racing Chronograph Volante

The third and final model is the Volante, inspired by Farer’s best-selling Cobb Monopusher GMT, which Thor reviewed in 2024. It features a sky-blue sunburst dial paired with engine-turned cream sub-dials, which immediately give the watch a nice retro feel. Once again, the faceted and applied markers are filled with Super-LumiNova, just like the navy-blue main hour and minute hands.

The central chronograph hand and the tip of the sky-blue running-seconds hand add touches of orange. The bezel insert is also navy blue with a white luminous 12-hour scale. Lastly, you can choose a dark blue rubber strap, a custom leather strap, or the Milanese bracelet. All this creates a chronograph that is both retro in its overall appeal and modern in its color execution. It makes the Volante, which means “steering wheel” in Italian, a chronograph with great racing appeal.

Final thoughts on the new Farer Racing Chronographs

If you are a fan of classic racing chronographs, this new trio of Farer offerings might be right up your alley. Their use of color shows the smart, forward-thinking approach to watch design that we know the British brand for. As a result, the three versions all have surprising details that make them true Farer watches.

Furthermore, the size and dimensions are spot on, and the manual-winding caliber adds to the vintage charm. It makes these watches a wonderful option for people looking for the vintage charm of a classic chronograph with the modern technology to make it a reliable daily wearer.

Farer will produce 100 pieces of each variant. They are available for pre-order now on the brand’s official website for €2,150 / US$2,095 /£1,875. Considering what you get for the money, that is hard to beat. As a result, I expect these to sell quickly, so if you want one, you will have to act soon. Shipping of the watches will start on July 14th, so you might just be able to get one before you leave for the summer holidays.