The Farer Lander Kano is a small, vibrant, mechanical GMT, and as such, it perfectly encapsulates all of the best trends of the year. I just recently sampled this elegant little wonder, and while I realize that it is only June, I can confidently say that the Lander is on my shortlist for the 2023 Microbrand Watch of the Year.
Farer should already be known to most Time Bum readers. This independent brand burst upon the scene in 2015 and has turned out one winner after another ever since. Designed in Britain and made in Switzerland, Farer watches exhibit a fresh aesthetic that combines classic lines and layouts with modern color palettes and delightful details. This is our first full review, but Lauren, the Watchmaker’s Daughter, chose their Cushion Case Collection as a Watch of the Year finalist in 2022. With that, I expected great things from the Lander, which is exactly what I got.
The Lander series is 36mm wide, a small but increasingly common size for a man’s watch. With a 41.2mm length and 11mm thickness, it looked right on my 6.75″ wrist, and I suspect many women will find it the proper size as well. I’ve never been shy about wearing smaller watches, but I will confess that most of the 34-36mm cases in my collection are dress watches that don’t get as much use as they did in my pre-pandemic life when I wore a suit and tie to an office every day. Now, I more often than not choose a big tool watch or diver, so strapping on the Lander was a bit of a revelation. I had almost forgotten how pleasant it is to wear a lightweight and sensibly-sized piece that doesn’t remind you of its existence every moment of the day.
This is not to say that the Lander is a milquetoast. On the contrary, it proudly announces its presence with its refined features and a dash of moxie. Its stainless steel case is polished with brushed lugs whose tapered ends drop just enough. A polished, stepped bezel leads to a tall box crystal. I was particularly taken by the large crown and its signed bronze head. It’s a dapper case, but not necessarily dressy. Instead, it reminds me of some 1950s pilot and field watches, made when shiny finishes were the order of the day and strictly utilitarian designs were the exception, not the rule, even for those that were expected to function as tools.
In that vein, there is really no reason not to put a Lander through its paces in the great outdoors. It’s got a sapphire crystal, 100m water resistance, and 14 layers of SuperLuminova to carry you through well after sundown.
Farer trod that same line between dress and sport when they penned the dial. Large, lumed Arabic numbers and syringe hands telegraph military function, while the color and details elevate the Lander’s style. There are three levels on the dial, starting with the white 60-second chapter index, then stepping down to the 24- and 12-hour markers, and finally to a sunken center carrying the brand and designation. The 3 o’clock date porthole is deep, neatly finished, and color-matched to the pink sunray dial. I had initially found the second hand off-putting. Would you ever wear a red tie with a pink shirt? The correct answer is “no.” Ok, Farer lists the color as fuschia, but to my eye, it hews closer to red-pink than pink-purple. Still, after living with it for a while, I respect the decision. The fuschia hand announced itself better than a white or yellow one would have but does not upstage the real star of the dial, the blue GMT hand. Blue, silver, and white printing provide the finishing touch.
The Lander Kano’s pink is more blush than bubblegum, which makes it more versatile than the bolder, sporter Sea-green Lander IV or Spearmint Lander Sea Coast. The other colors are undeniably beautiful; it’s just that they seize your attention much faster than the comparatively understated pink.
I love the dial for its form. I temper that sentiment when it comes to its function. The 60-minute index is tiny and lives right against the most pronounced bend of the box crystal, which at most angles obliterates it with edge distortion. While the blue GMT hand is perfectly legible, the 24-hour markers are small, printed in white, and nearly invisible. Those seeking maximum legibility would be better off with the darker and higher contrast Sea-green variant. I am not one of those people. For me, the Lander’s ability to coordinate with an outfit is more valuable than its fourth hand. A GMT function is great; I just don’t need to rely on it that often, if at all.
Inside the Lander, beats a Swiss-made Sellita SW330-2 Top Grade automatic movement. You can appreciate its blued screws, perlage bridges, and custom rotor through the exhibition window (sapphire, of course). The Sellita has 25 jewels, a 28.8k bph sweep, and an impressive 56-hour power reserve.
Farer supplies a dark blue, 20mm strap of St. Venere. It’s a top-quality strap, and the matte finish, pronounced texture, and rich color are a perfect complement to the watch. The buckle is brushed and polished with a crisp raised logo. Quick-release pins are a nice touch.
Overall, I found the Farer Lander Kano to be a gorgeous piece whose grace and versatility far outweigh the inconvenience of having to squint a bit to see its secondary functions — and again, if that is a deal-killer for you, Farer has other Lander options. The Farer Lander Kano, IV, and Sea-Coast are all available for $1,450. As with all of the brand’s offerings, the Lander 36 GMT is a limited series of 100 per variant, and according to the serial number selector, the Kano is close to selling out, and I am not the least bit surprised; it’s lovely. I strongly suggest you head over to Farer.com before it’s too late.
