Farer 35mm Cushion Case

British brand Farer has expanded its primary catalog with the introduction of a scaled-down variation of its established cushion case architecture, resulting in two new 35mm models designated as the Furneaux and the Belzoni. This release represents a calculated geometric reduction from the brand's original 38.5mm cushion case platform, which initially debuted in the market during the 2022 production year. Scaling down a non-circular case profile requires specific mathematical adjustments to the bezel slope and lug curvature to prevent the dial aperture from appearing disproportionately constrained. In this iteration, Farer opted for a steeper bezel angle and a more dramatic transition into the barrel-sided flanks, yielding a case that measures exactly 35mm in diameter with a conservative lug-to-lug distance of 38mm. The overall thickness is held to a relatively slim 10mm, a dimension achieved primarily through the deployment of a manually wound mechanical caliber rather than an automatic winding system with an oscillating weight. By eliminating the rotor, the caseback can sit closer to the movement architecture, reducing the overall vertical profile on the wrist. This specific sizing strategy aligns with current consumer purchasing metrics that indicate a sustained preference for mid-century proportional standards, specifically sub-36mm diameters for non-dive watches. The two specific models introduced utilize identical external dimensions and mechanical specifications, differentiating themselves entirely through distinct dial textures, color saturation, and associated historical nomenclature.

The Case and Dial

The physical housing of the new 35mm collection is machined from 316L marine-grade stainless steel, an industry-standard austenitic alloy selected for its high resistance to localized corrosion and pitting in high-chloride environments. The exterior surfacing relies heavily on a fully polished finish across the upper bezel and case flanks, which is sharply contrasted by a specific brushed chamfer located directly on the bezel's outer edge. This brushing serves a distinct optical purpose, breaking up the high-polish surface area and defining the boundary between the domed sapphire crystal and the descending curvature of the cushion geometry. The case architecture features a sloped bat-ear lug design, and the area directly between the lugs is scalloped to allow the strap material to integrate cleanly against the steel boundary without interference. On the right flank, the rounded stainless steel crown is fitted with a solid bronze cap insert featuring an embossed Farer 'A' logo, a component that will naturally oxidize and develop a distinct patina independent of the steel case over standard operational timelines. The entire assembly is sealed to achieve a basic water resistance rating of 50 meters, a specification suitable for incidental moisture exposure but entirely inadequate for submersion or aquatic sports.

The dials of both the Furneaux and the Belzoni models are manufactured using a multi-stage centrifugal painting process initially developed for the brand's Three Hand Series III production run last year. The base substrate of the dial is a brass blank that is subjected to an industrial press to stamp a deeply grained, irregular texture into the metal, mimicking bark or rough stucco. Once the physical topography is established, the brass blank is mounted to a rotating spindle and spun at high velocity while multiple distinct coats of liquid paint are applied directly to the surface. The centrifugal force generated by the spinning apparatus forces the heavier pigment particulates outward toward the dial periphery, creating a physical color gradient that is highly saturated at the edges and progressively lighter toward the central pinion. Following the color application, the textured surface is sealed beneath a thick layer of clear lacquer, which is subsequently cured and mechanically polished to achieve a perfectly flat, highly reflective top layer. This specific finishing technique creates an optical illusion of depth, as ambient light refracts through the smooth clear coat and scatters across the irregular, painted brass substrate beneath.

The specific dial variations carry distinct historical nomenclature and corresponding color profiles. The Furneaux features a dial executed in a heavily saturated raspberry pink, named in reference to Captain Tobias Furneaux, an 18th-century Royal Navy officer and navigator who accompanied James Cook on his second circumnavigation of the globe and produced the earliest British charts of Tasmania. The Belzoni model utilizes a radial bark-like texture finished in a dark teal pigment, drawing its name from Sarah Belzoni, a pioneering 19th-century English traveler and writer known for her foundational Egyptology work and unprecedented documentation of the social structures of Egyptian women. Both variants utilize identical applied hardware, featuring polished silver batons that slope inward toward the dial center, punctuated by applied Arabic numerals positioned at the primary 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock stations. The handset consists of polished steel alpha-style hour and minute hands, paired with a polished steel sweep second hand that terminates in a customized tip shaped like the Farer 'A' logo, color-matched in pink for the Furneaux and teal for the Belzoni. A white printed minute track surrounds the dial perimeter, with the Belzoni featuring additional teal five-minute increments. The dials are shielded by a domed sapphire crystal treated with an internal anti-reflective coating to reduce glare and improve contrast against the highly polished hands and indices.

The Movement

Operating within the 35mm cushion case is the Sellita SW210-1 b caliber, a Swiss-made, hand-wound mechanical movement visible entirely through the flat sapphire exhibition caseback. The architecture of the SW210-1 is functionally derived from the established ETA 2801-2 layout, providing a robust, time-tested gear train configured specifically for three-hand applications without the mechanical overhead of a date complication. By omitting the automatic winding module and the heavy oscillating weight, the movement thickness is significantly reduced, directly facilitating the watch's overall 10mm profile. The caliber operates at a frequency of 4 Hertz, or 28,800 vibrations per hour, a standard modern beat rate that divides each second into eight distinct fractions, resulting in a relatively smooth sweep of the customized seconds hand across the dial texture. Fully tensioning the mainspring via the rounded crown provides an operational power reserve of approximately 45 hours, necessitating daily winding to maintain optimal isochronism and torque delivery to the escapement. The movement utilizes 18 industrial synthetic rubies acting as low-friction bearing surfaces for the gear pivots, and it incorporates a hacking mechanism that arrests the balance wheel when the crown is extracted, allowing the operator to synchronize the time down to the exact second against a reference clock.

Farer has selected the Elaboré grade specification for this particular production run of the SW210-1 b, which dictates a higher standard of physical finishing and positional adjustment than the base-level standard caliber. The exhibition window displays extensive mechanical decoration, most notably the application of circular graining, commonly referred to as perlage, across the exposed surfaces of the main baseplate. The primary barrel and train wheel bridge has been customized specifically for Farer, featuring a deeply engraved, repeating chevron or zig-zag pattern that dominates the upper half of the movement architecture. All visible fastening hardware consists of thermally blued screws, a traditional horological finishing technique where steel is heat-treated to oxidize the surface and increase corrosion resistance. This level of visual finishing on a manually wound caliber provides the wearer with an unobstructed view of the mechanical interaction between the crown wheel, the ratchet wheel, and the underlying mainspring barrel during the daily winding procedure.

The Strap

The Furneaux and Belzoni models are supplied with stitched suede and nubuck leather straps tailored to complement their specific dial pigmentation. The straps are affixed to the 35mm case utilizing integrated quick-release spring bars, a mechanical feature that allows the user to disengage the pins from the lug holes using a small sliding mechanism without requiring standard spring bar tools. Due to the scalloped geometry machined directly into the case between the lug structures, the straight ends of the leather straps sit entirely flush against the steel perimeter, creating a tight visual tolerance that mimics the appearance of a curved-end or integrated strap arrangement. The straps taper down from the lug attachment point to terminate at a standard stainless steel pin buckle, machined and polished to match the finishing of the primary watch case.

Pricing and Availability

Both the Furneaux and the Belzoni models within the new 35mm Cushion Case collection are priced at $1,165 USD. The watches are available for immediate acquisition directly through Farer's established digital distribution channels, utilizing the brand's direct-to-consumer sales model to bypass traditional brick-and-mortar retail markups. Given the 50-meter water resistance rating and the lack of a screw-down crown, these models are categorized strictly for standard daily wear environments and should not be subjected to pressurized aquatic exposure. The price point places the collection firmly within the highly competitive entry-level Swiss mechanical market segment, directly competing with other independent brands utilizing third-party Sellita or ETA manual-wind calibers.

Technical Specifications

Case: 35mm diameter, 10mm thickness, 38mm lug-to-lug, 316L marine-grade stainless steel, fully polished with brushed bezel chamfer, domed sapphire crystal, exhibition sapphire caseback

Movement: Swiss-made Sellita SW210-1 b Elaboré grade, manual wind, 18 jewels, 4Hz (28,800 vph), 45-hour power reserve, hacking seconds, bespoke Farer engraved bridge, perlage baseplate, blued screws

Dial: Pressed textured brass base, centrifugal gradient paint application, clear polished lacquer finish, applied polished batons and numerals, printed white minute track

Strap: Suede or nubuck leather, stainless steel pin buckle, quick-release spring bars

Price: $1,165 USD

Reference Number: Furneaux (Raspberry Pink) / Belzoni (Teal)

Notes: 50m water resistance, rounded stainless steel crown with solid bronze cap insert and embossed Farer 'A'