Cushion-shaped case? Tick. Manual winding movement? Tick. Sector dial? Tick. First impressions proved the new Farer Durham Pullman Green watch fit the bill of a quintessentially British, vintage-inspired sports watch. But would it hold up in person? I’m happy to say I got the chance to find out…
Farer Durham Pullman Green - Credit WatchGecko
Farer organises their watches quite differently to other brands. Rather than listing each collection by name, they separate them by their most defining features. Unsurprisingly, the new Farer Durham Pullman Green watch is placed under “Cushion Case Manual”, sitting beside the equally rounded-square Stanhope II with its sporty panda-ish dial, the Lethbridge in silver and blue and the Mansfield in mint green.
Then you have the Farer Durham which presents the cushion-shaped case with raised Roman numerals and a metallic dial of grey and copper. It’s certainly one of the more unique designs in their portfolio, but still characteristically British. The new Farer Durham Pullman Green watch is one of the same, offering all the same specification but swapping out the salmon dial for one of dark green. The colour is taken from a distinct shade of green known as “Pullman Green”, named after a manufacturer of train cars who painted their machines this very colour.
So, after receiving the Farer Durham Pullman Green watch at Watch Gecko HQ and trying it on for size for a whole week, how did it fare?
The Case
Farer Durham Pullman Green - Credit WatchGecko
Like its brother and sisters in the “Cushion Case Manual” collection, the Farer Durham Pullman Green watch arrives with a wonderfully retro cushion case. The shape is actually somewhere in the middle of cushion and tonneau. The main case is closer to tonneau, having rounded corners that flow naturally into the short lugs while the bezel is cushion with its sharper corners. It’s quite a unique combination of shapes but however you view it, it sits comfortably and handsomely on my wrist.
The case measures to 38.5mm wide with a 43.8mm lug width and a thickness of only 10.5mm. The cushion shape does make it feel a little larger than 38.5mm but not so much that it becomes unwearable for smaller wrists. If anything, it just allows the case to have more presence.
Farer Durham Pullman Green - Credit WatchGecko
The 316L high-grade stainless steel material is brightly polished and pairs with a rounded stainless steel crown with a bronze cap insert embossed with the Farer ‘A’ logo. It also provides curved sapphire crystal glass on both the front and back, the former delivered with multi-layer anti-reflective coating on the underside, and a 50 metre water resistant rating.
The Dial
As someone who is a self-proclaimed “dial-acholic”, it’s no surprise that my favourite feature of the Farer Durham Pullman Green watch is its display. I have to admit that the previous Durham model isn’t my cup of tea. The two contrasting colours of salmon and grey aren’t to my taste, but then again, I have yet to see this watch in person so that might change. The dark green shade on the new Farer Durham, however, is absolutely superb.
Farer Durham Pullman Green - Credit WatchGecko
It’s a colour that feels very British, and I don’t really know why. It’s a rich emerald hue and covers the entirety of the sector dial. The base has a metallic brushed finish that causes the colour to change in tone slightly depending on the light. On top is a raised ring with a radial brushed finish that appears ever so slightly darker than the base.
The dial is set with brightly polished silvered Roman numerals and baton markers and two dauphine-shaped hands for the hours and minutes. The small seconds is placed in its own sunken subsidiary dial at 6 o’clock with a silvered snailed outer ring and a raised green centre adorned with a matching green hand.
The Movement
Farer Durham Pullman Green - Credit WatchGecko
Powering the Farer Durham Pullman Green watch is the elaboré -grade version of the Sellita SW216-1. It’s a manual winding movement with a frequency of 28,800vph, 23 jewels and a power reserve of approximately 45 hours. I only got to test the movement for a week, but during that time I noticed very little issue with the accuracy. You can enjoy the movement through the case back and Farer have done a nice job decorating it, engraving the bridge with their name and a repeating pattern of their “A” emblem.
The Strap
The Farer Durham Pullman watch pairs its new green dial with a strap of the same colour. It uses St Venere leather in dark green and pairs it with a 316L stainless steel pin buckle for secure fastening. The watch is also available on a three-row link stainless steel bracelet with a butterfly clasp.
Conclusion
Farer Durham Pullman Green - Credit WatchGecko
I really like the Farer Durham Pullman watch. It’s exactly what I want out of a cushion-shaped sports watch and it delivers a lot of premium design features for its money. It’s difficult not to compare it to the Fears Brunswick or the Duckworth Prestex Bolton, two other British made watches with cushion cases.
For me, the Durham sits nicely in the middle of the two. The Brunswick has always felt a little dressier while the Bolton has a sportier feel to it. The Durham offers a nice blend of both. It's definitely a watch I can imagine myself wearing regularly and the retail price of £895 definitely makes it all the more tempting.
Technical Specifications:
- Model: Durham Pullman Green
- Price: £895
- Material: 316L stainless steel
- Movement: Sellita SW216-1, elaboré -grade, manual winding
- Complications: Hours, minutes, small seconds
- Crystal: Curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Dial: Dark green sector with silvered numerals and hands
- Size: 38.5mm
- When the reviewer would personally wear it: This is a very malleable watch. It could easily be worn regularly during the day or as a more formal dress piece.
- A friend we’d recommend it to first: Anyone with a love of British watch design, especially cushion-shaped cases.
- Best characteristics of the watch: The dial is beautifully executed, and the shade of green is stunning.
- The worst characteristics of the watch: Whereas I normally like the touch of bronze on the Durham’s crown, it feels out of place here.
