This Cult-Favorite Affordable GMT Watch Is Back and Better Than Before

They kept everything good about the watch and fixed its biggest drawback.

Published January 23, 2025

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Small independent British brand Farer has only been around for a decade, but during its short lifespan, the brand has established itself as something of a master of travel watches.

Farer’s watch collections are quite unique in that every model within each product line has not only a different color but a unique design all its own. And it’s within its various travel watch collections where the brand has found its most successful references.

The brand’s first big hit, and still probably its most recognizable watch, is the Lander from its original GMT line. Recognizable for its Sea-Green dial, the watch is now in its fourth generation. Then there’s the Roché, a member of its World Timer collection with absurd amounts of lume. Its second generation debuted last year.

a farer watch glows in the dark — The bright-glowing Roché II is one of Farer’s signature travel watches.

Finally, there’s the Maze. The clear standout of Farer’s GMT Bezel collection, the watch’s unique “pool tile” dial, black-and-white bezel and icy blue lume made it a fast favorite among collectors.

The Maze, along with the rest of Farer’s GMT Bezel collection, went extinct two years ago. But now the line is back with a completely redesigned case, new sizes, new colors, new available bracelet and — best of all — a brand-new Maze.

Completing the Maze

The Maze III is the third generation of Farer’s pool-dialed beauty, and it’s easily the best iteration yet.

a farer gmt watch on a mans wrist — Farer’s Maze GMT is back with some notable improvements.

Thankfully, Farer didn’t mess with the general design of the Maze. It keeps the signature engraved “pool tile” pattern in pearlescent white and along with the ice-blue Super-LumiNova X1 lume on the hands and indices, the “Postbox Red” GMT hand with red-lumed arrow tip, the silver seconds hand that terminates in a light blue Farer “A” logo and the bi-directional black-and-white 24-hour bezel.

The new model also carries over the key aesthetic improvements that first appeared in the second generation, namely the glossy black hands and indices that improved visibility over the silver originals and the more durable sapphire bezel insert that replaced the aluminum one of the first generation.

a farer gmt watch glows in the dark — Don’t worry, the ice-blue lume remains intact on the new Maze III.

The boxed sapphire crystal, 200m water resistance rating and “Top Grade” Sellita SW330-2 automatic movement all remain unchanged, so you may be wondering just what exactly Farer has changed on the Maze.

It’s all about the case.

The case of the Maze has always been its weak point, in my opinion. Its turtle shape clashed with the GMT style, and it wore broad at 41mm across. The new case not only addresses these issues but goes above and beyond to solve them.

The new Maze case is smaller, measuring 40mm across. It’s thin at just 10.75 sans crystal (12.5mm counting the crystal), and it’s very short across the wrist with a lug-to-lug of just 44.8mm.

a farer gmt watch viewed from the side — The concave “ski slope” lugs are the signature feature of the Maze III’s brand-new case.

The case is also an entirely different shape. It’s now a more traditional round shape with more detailed finishing and extended lugs. Speaking of the lugs, they’re the most interesting part of the new case. Described as “ski slope” lugs by Farer, they curve up at the tip, creating a very unique and elegant look. The style first appeared on Farer’s Chrono-Contempo collection, and I’m glad to see it return here.

Of course, there are still a couple of improvements I’d like to see in the eventual fourth generation of the Maze. For one, I’d love to see a fully lumed bezel. Any time I see a white and black bezel, I can’t help but notice that the white half is just begging to glow in the dark. The current Maze bezel has no lume at all, which is a shame.

Secondly, Farer needs to fix the date window on the Maze. Currently, the date window is so tiny that it’s essentially rendered useless. Either include a proper date window or don’t have a date at all; the current date window just isn’t very functional.

More New GMTs

Although the Maze III is certainly the headliner, it’s not the only new watch in Farer’s resurrected GMT Bezel line. There are three other references that all feature the classy new case design.

First is the maroon-dialed Crooms, which has also become a Farer classic and joins the Maze in launching its third generation. Also, like the Maze, it now has a 40mm case.

The other two are brand-new additions to the line, and both clock in at just 38mm across. One is dubbed Charlton Green and features an attractive mix of cream, Persian green and sky blue with a honeycomb-patterned dial.

a farer gmt watch — The 38mm Maze Blue offers a bolder and less-mainstream look compared to its big brother.

Lastly is the Maze Blue, which despite its name, doesn’t share much in common with the Maze III. It lacks the pool tile dial, for one, opting instead for the same honeycomb pattern as the Charlton. Its use of color is also much bolder, with a mix of white, blue, bright orange and amber making it borderline garish. I don’t see this one catching on like the original Maze, but I could be wrong.

Like most Farer releases, all four new GMTs are available with a ton of strap options in myriad colors, with perhaps the most intriguing being the bracelet from Farer’s Field collection. It’s an Oyster-style three-link stainless steel number with screw-in links, quick-release spring bars and a micro-adjustable Nodex clasp courtesy of fellow microbrand Nodus.

Pricing and Availability

In addition to its lauded mastery of color, its heightened creativity and its penchant for creating uber-popular dual-time watches, Farer has another feather in its cap: Its affordability.

The brand offers some of the most affordable Swiss-made mechanical watches on the market, and that trend continues with the new GMT Bezel collection. All four versions, regardless of size or style, start at just $1,550 on a strap — and that, of course, includes the Maze III.