Put your hand up if you’ve ever heard of Farer before. I bet that most of you outside this niche interest probably haven’t. Fear not, however, for I am to change that! Helping me to do so is one of their newest releases, the Aquamatic Biarritz. As those of you fortunate to have come across the brand before will know, Farer’s main hook is their use of color (and lots of it). Yes, we’ve all seen colorful watches before, and brightly-toned legends like Doxa and Zodiac populate the world of dive watches, but… the Aquamatic line takes color to a new level. Could the perfect watch for summer 2023 be here?
Popping Colors
The Aquamatic line is comprised of six variations of the same fantastic design. The Biarritz, perhaps the most striking of the family, has been with me for the last few weeks. All six colorways follow the same basic path, with an elegant 38.5mm case providing the backbone for everything else. The case is entirely covered in a lovely brushed finish. While it wears relatively flat, the lugs curve slightly towards the tips, although a short 45mm lug-to-lug distance helps the watch wear nice and compact. With a height of only 11.9mm, none of the Aquamatics are cuff busters, adding to their versatility. The caseback is mirror-finished with a subtle wave pattern and the Farer logo etched into the center with all relevant text running around the edge. The crown is perfect in size and capped with a bronze medallion embossed with the Farer logo-a lovely touch.
Where the little watch shines is in the dial and bezel. The Biarritz’s color palette comprises scarlet red, pure white, rich cream, and pale blue. The colorway stood out to me as by far the most vibrant, and, as a proud citizen of England and Switzerland, how could I say no to red and white? The cream dial and pale blue minute track complement each other nicely. Inboard of the minute track are the indices, standing proud of the dial surface in bright red. At 3 o’clock, there is a day-date complication, again in black and red to match the rest of the colorway. The red handset brings the whole ensemble together, featuring the distinctive arrow hour and second hands. Lastly, the text is presented in tiny, delicate letters with an applied, gloss black Farer logo at the top. Honestly, the colors remind me of a summertime tea with scones and bunting in some sunny field-nauseatingly British.
Farer Biarritz Specs | |
Case Width 38.5mm | Lug-to-Lug 45mm |
Case Thickness 11.9mm | Lug Width 20mm |
Water Resistance 200m | Strap Fitted Rubber Strap |
Crystal Sapphire | Lume Super-LumiNova BGW9 |
Movement Sellita SW220-1 | Price $1,085 |
On the Wrist
On the wrist, the Aquamatic wears exceptionally well. Here Farer hits that juicy sweet spot, and the dimensions work together to create a vibrant diver suitable for all suits, from wet to lounge. My admittedly skinny-wristed girlfriend can pull off the Aquamatic in a t-shirt as well as I can in my 8-mil semi-dry. Regarding legibility, I have seldom come across a watch that is easier to read. The minute and hour hands are easy to distinguish, and the gloss red contrasts brilliantly with the matte cream on the dial. Both the hands and indices are brimming with electric blue Super LumiNova, leaving the Biarritz shining like a beacon after dark. The anti-reflective treatment on the sapphire crystal leaves the dial legible in direct light at all angles, too. The elapsed time bezel is decent, too-coming in a bright white matte finish and markers infilled with red. With 120 clicks, markers every minute until 20, and every five until 55, it’s as readable as the rest of the watch. The rotation is buttery smooth, too, with every marker lining up perfectly.
Farer is also generous enough to include three different straps with each Aquamatic. The watch arrives on a color-matched rubber strap with a bracelet and a NATO-style strap in the box. All of these are fitted with quick-release spring bars, which makes swapping between them super easy. The rubber strap on the Biarritz comes in a bright white with fitted and curved ends to match the curve of the lugs identically. There is a miniature waffle-like texture on the top side, a gentle wave pattern on the back, a mix of brushed and polished surfaces on the buckle, and an oversized logo. The NATO strap is a sky-blue affair. While incredibly soft and supple, it is a little thin, which will help it wear more comfortably in hot weather. Finally, the bracelet is fantastic. The solid end links match up with the case perfectly-no wobble or gaps. The jubilee links are smooth and flexible, and the whole thing hugs the wrist. The only letdown is the butterfly clasp. While there is nothing wrong with it per se, I think a regular fold-over clasp with micro-adjustment options would have been a better answer as a divers’ watch. I’ve worn the watch on all three options, regularly swapping between them in the course of a day, and none of them disappoint.
Diving with the Biarritz
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to take the Biarritz diving multiple times. It has stood up to the rigors of the life of a dive instructor without flinching. While the pristine white bezel has been dirty several times, there is nothing that warm water and a sponge couldn’t fix. It has been fantastic as a tool for timing underwater activities, with its legibility as its biggest asset. While the red quickly fades to a deep brown in the murk of Sydney Harbour, it doesn’t affect the ease of reading the watch. Out of the water, the Biarritz has stood out almost everywhere I’ve been, with compliments landing left and right. Farer’s use of color on all the Aquamatics means they will always stand apart from their contemporary dive watches and for the best. While the red and white combo of the Biarritz might not be the most versatile, it is still easy enough to pair with outfits and straps that it can easily be worn as a daily wear watch.
At its price point, just under a thousand, the Aquamatic has some stiff competition. Well-known brands like Hamilton and Oris and other microbrands are vying for that sweet spot. With all that said, Farer blows the competition out of the water. The Aquamatic’s closest competitor in terms of quality and attention to detail probably lies several hundred dollars north. The quality and number of fine details on the Aquamatic are astonishing, given the price. I’d go as far as to say that it makes my well-loved SPB151 look shabby, and for a cheaper cost too.
In terms of gripes with the watch, I have only a handful. Firstly, the bezel could be tighter. There is some backplay and bounce when it rotates. The grip could also be…grippier. The bezel moves without issue simply because the rotation is so smooth; however, were there any more resistance, it would be too smooth to turn easily, especially with wet hands. On this Biarritz model, the 60-minute triangle is almost invisible unless it’s dark enough for the lume to shine as it blends in with the white ceramic. This means that the orientation of the bezel isn’t immediately clear when trying to set it for timing. Finally, there is a small mismatch on the dial between the finish on the indices and the hands. While the hands are coated in gloss red paint, the markers are finished in a metallic red. In different light conditions, there can be a stark contrast between the two, which throws off the balance of the dial.
Final Thoughts
With the Aquamatic line, Farer has created something a little outside the norm of the microbrand world. Where many releases are copies of- or heavily inspired by classic designs, Farer has stepped out of the box and made something entirely their own and representative of their spirit and design language. The Aquamatic certainly stands out; whether you like it, that is entirely personal. With six options (and hopefully more to come), there is an Aquamatic out there for you. The bright colors and fun design mean that I don’t think you can find a better watch to accompany you on your summer (or winter down here) adventures! Perhaps one might even make its way into my collection in the near future-goodness knows I have too many black dial/bezel combos in the watch roll.
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