Farer has been one of those indie brands I keep circling back to, even when I’m not totally sold on every release. The British watchmaker has built a catalog that ranges from dressy cushion cases to compression divers, and each collection tends to have more variation packed into it than you’d expect from a smaller operation. Now, the brand is rounding out its tool watch territory with the new Farer Pilot Series II, a restrained four-piece release built around a fresh 40mm titanium case.
Farer designs have been polarizing to me in the past. Some of the louder colorways and case shapes have never quite landed for me on the wrist. That said, this new run of pilot watches might be my favorite thing the brand has put out so far. The original Farer design language is still there, but the volume has been turned down in a way that feels intentional.
The four references break out into three distinct dial layouts, which is the part worth paying attention to. The Curtis pulls from Allied pilot watches of the 1940s, with a Lumicast hour track, a triangle at 12, and Arabic numerals filling out the rest. Its blue snailed dial is segmented into twelve pie slices and ringed by a rehaut with yellow accent blocks every five minutes. The Barnwell takes its cues from Type B Flieger layouts, with a larger outer minute track separated from an inner 12-hour track. The Hewlett keeps things more contemporary, with a sandblasted gray titanium case, a radial brushed bezel, and a navy blue dial cut by faint crosshairs.
The fourth piece is where things get interesting. The Curtis Eastern Arabic uses the same base layout as the standard Curtis, but swaps in Eastern Arabic numerals for the hour markers and the 60-minute track. It’s a limited edition of 100 pieces, and it would be my pick of the four. Something about the case finish reminds me of older IWC Mark series limited editions I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit drooling over.
Inside, all four watches run the Sellita SW300-1 automatic with 56 hours of power reserve, protected by a soft-iron Faraday cage rated to 500 Gauss. That’s a meaningful spec for a pilot watch and not just a marketing line, since antimagnetic protection actually fits the category’s purpose. The case is capped with a domed sapphire crystal up front and a solid titanium screw-on caseback. Each reference uses alpha hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova inlays and an arrow-tipped seconds hand, which gives the family a consistent identity even with the dial variety.
Pricing is $1,525, which puts the Pilot Series II in a fairly crowded part of the market. Plenty of titanium pilot watches sit in this range, and Farer’s bet here seems to be that variety and finishing detail will carry the day. Each watch ships on a choice of suede or leather strap in seven colors, with complimentary caseback engraving included. Preorders are open now and shipments are scheduled for mid-June.
Whether the Eastern Arabic edition holds up in the metal is the part I’m still curious about. On paper, it’s the most distinctive watch in the lineup, and limited runs from Farer have a habit of moving quickly. I’ll be watching to see how this one ages once it lands on actual wrists.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.