Farer is here with a new colourful collection of dress watches for the summer. Dubbed the Lissom Collection, it’s a sleek three-hand model with small seconds subdial available in an array of organic colours. Named after a series of famous historic botanists, it’s about as British as it gets.
The word lissom has fallen out of common use in modern English but it’s meaning is actually very straightforward. It means slim and lithe. Its use here refers to the dimensions of the Lissom Collection, measuring 38mm x 7.97mm in stainless steel. At that size it’s little surprise to learn that this is Farer’s new dedicated dress watch collection. That can also be seen in the refined finishing across the case with a polished bezel, polished lugs and satin brushed flanks.
However, just because these are dress watches doesn’t mean Farer has abandoned their typical sense of fun and dynamic use of colour. There are five models in the Lissom collection, each with distinct colour schemes named after famous historic botanists. As an aside I love Farer’s naming because it brings so much more character to the watches than “Classic Dress Watch 5” or “Ref. 123ABC”.
First is the Farer Lissom Arber in raspberry pink with a recessed purple small seconds subdial. It’s named after Agnes Arber, a British plant morphologist, anatomist, historian of botany and philosopher of biology. Second is the Balfour in white with a grey subdial and electric blue Arabic numerals. The Balfour is actually unique in the Lissom Collection as it’s the only model with applied numerals filled with lume – the other four have numerals actually made from lumicast, a type of luminescent ceramic. Isaac Balfour was a professor of botany at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Oxford.
Third is Forrest, which has one of Farer’s signature colourways, teal and orange. It’s a colour scheme we’ve seen on the Chrono-Contempo, Carnegie Chronograph and also the incredibly popular Lander IV GMT. It’s named after George Forrest, one of the first Westerners to explore China’s Yunnan province. Fourth is the Lindley in a dark shade of purple with a powder blue subdial. Interestingly Lindley already has a connection to British horology because Lindley Hall at the Royal Horticultural Society is where the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers have hosted the past two editions of British Watchmakers’ Day.
Fifth and final is the Solander, a black rendition with a sleek monochrome design. It’s definitely the most sombre of the quintet and is arguably the most restrained design Farer have produced in months if not years. It’s so unique in that regard we’ll be getting hands-on with it in the next edition of the Oracle Time Magazine. It’s named after Daniel Solander, the Swedish botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage through the Pacific. The presence of Solander and two other botanists inspired the naming of Australia’s Botany Bay.
As for the movement, it has to be a thin calibre to accommodate the lissom proportions of the Farer Lissom’s case. The perfect movement emerged as the La Joux-Perret D100, the LJP version of the Peseux 7001. It’s a manual-winding number with a 50-hour power reserve. It’s also decorated with Farer’s signature arrow-head motif.
All five of the Lisson Collection watches are priced at £1,150. That’s really solid value for a practical dress watch with great proportions and a characterful array of dial options. Choosing a favourite is difficult. I like the almost porcelain vibe of the Balfour but ultimately I think I’m drawn most to the dark plum of the Lindley.
Price and Specs:
Model:
Farer
Lissom
Case:
38mm
diameter × 7.95mm thickness x 42.8mm lug-to-lug, stainless steel
Dial:
Satin
textured
Water resistance:
50m
(5 bar)
Movement:
La
Joux-Perret calibre D100, manual winding, 18 jewels
Frequency:
21,600
vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve:
50h
Functions:
Hours,
minutes, seconds
Strap:
Suede
leather
Price:
£1,150
More details at Farer.
Oracle Time