Yes, You Can Buy A Beautiful Chronograph Watch for Under $1,000

British watchmaker Farer’s collection of sub-$700, quartz-powered chronograph watches are available in two new “panda dials.”

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Editor’s Note: Watches & Wonders (formerly SIHH) and Baselworld 2020 are canceled but that hasn’t stopped watch brands large and small from debuting their new wares. To stay on top of this year’s best new watch releases, visit our tag page.

Fancy the looks of a classic midcentury chronograph with a monochrome dial and contrasting subdials? Well, you wouldn’t be alone, as the “panda” and “reverse panda” dials are (still) all the rage in the watch industry. Employing its typically colorful interpretation, British brand Farer’s newest releases offer that look in an affordable package with a vibrant, modern-feeling twist.

Housed 39.5mm-wide cases, the new models join Farer’s collection of quartz chronographs and are powered by the Swiss-made ETA 251.294 FK PowerDrive Precision movement with features flyback and split seconds functionality. Farer’s forte, however, is in construction quality and aesthetic details, often enlivened with vibrant highlights, and the new versions are no exception.

In Farer’s new models, the “panda” concept of contrast continues from the dials right onto the case itself: the Fairford features a typical panda layout (white dial with black subdials) as well as a black, DLC-coated case. The Elvington model (“reverse panda”) on the other hand contrasts its black dial against a bare steel case. Both options have the same price of $625, and are available directly from the brand.

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