Farer Updates the Three Hand Collection with New Deeply Textured Dials

The age of the textured dial is upon us, and there’s no escaping it. No longer are we limited to Grand Seiko and similar legacy brands to bring us the third dimension on our wrists, with microbrands pitching in their own—often more innovative—takes on texture. Farer has joined the fray with their new Three Hand Series III collection showcasing three new models, each with a unique approach to the intersection of texture and color.

The Three Hand collection was one of Farer’s first, and remains one of the British brand’s most emblematic. Previous iterations of the collection showcased varied numeral and index styles, and of course a huge variety of color, but with the III collection, Farer has opted for a smaller initial release of three watches. To achieve the texture, the dials are stamped with a custom press and then spray-painted, with multiple colored layers added for gradient effects. A clear lacquer layer comes next, with high gloss polishing to seal in the texture.

Before we dive into the different dials, let’s take a look at the functional aspects of the Three Hand collection. With a minimalistic design and large crown at 3 o’clock, the 316L stainless steel case appears simple, but boasts some nifty construction considerations, namely a new monobloc mid-case. Sizing is on the smaller side, with a 39mm diameter and 45mm lug-to-lug span, which suits the eye-catching dial designs well. A screw-down crown ensures 100 meters of water resistance, and a box sapphire crystal encourages distortion of the dial at the edges for visual pizzazz.

Three references are available in the Three Hand Series II drop: the Alert, the Venture, and the Aurora. As idealistically loose as those names sound, they relate very obviously to the visual and textural features of each piece. The Alert features a deep red dial gradient with what Farer calls a “rock fissure” pattern—an apt allusion, I think—that gives the dial a natural, almost cracked mud-like texture. On top, white Arabic numerals make for excellent contrast, as do the floss white pencil hour and minute hands, which are additionally filled with Grade X2 SuperLuminova. A burgundy seconds hand with a white Farer “A” and a white minute track finish off the design. The name, “Alert”, would make enough sense just with the connection to the color red, but Farer furthers the association by clarifying that this reference is actually named for the HMS Alert Cruizer-class sloop, a Royal Navy ship that garnered fame for Arctic exploration in the mid 1800s.

The Venture, meanwhile, takes its name from the Edward Bonaventure, another ship (I’m seeing a theme here) most well-known for being the first English vessel to reach Russia and establish diplomatic relations. To echo this namesake, the Venture features a metallic blue gradient and a “softer” texture that Farer calls “crackled”. White baton indexes are mounted around the dial, made from a blend of ceramic and Super-LumiNova called Lumicast. The pencil hands on the Venture are outlined in gloss blue to match the seconds hand, which additionally wears a peach Farer “A”.

The Aurora rounds out the trio, and represents the biggest departure, stylistically. While also named for a ship—this time the SY Aurora, a steam yacht used in Antarctic expeditions from 1911 to 1917—the Aurora ditches the gradient and the natural texture for a copper dial with a flinqué guilloché finish. This creates the effect of segmented waves, upon which are Lumicast Arabic numerals, overprinted in black. The numerals are in a radial array; the 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, and 12 have bottoms facing the center, while the 4 , 5, 6, 7, and 8 are flipped to allow for more legibility. The numerals are enclosed on either side by a black inner ring and a matching outer edge black minute track. Black outlines grace the tapered hands, and the seconds hand additionally wears black and that signature “A” at the tip—the sole design cue that ties it to the other two references aesthetically.

Inside, a Swiss-made La Joux-Perret G101 movement with a soignée finish that keeps each Three Hand model ticking and promises a 68-hour power reserve when fully wound. The movement is visible through a sapphire exhibition case back, though with the daring dial designs, I’d be hard-pressed to turn the watch over.

The new Three Hand Series III models represent a step into the growing world of dial texturing techniques for Farer, and releasing a smaller batch of three designs has served them well here. Cohesive theming and impressive value make the Three Hand collection an enticing option for those looking for daily-drivable watches with a little extra character.