There’s a reason why titanium watches are so hot right now and why many of the world’s biggest brands are rushing to add the material to their most popular models. For years, titanium was significantly more expensive than stainless steel, but modern technological advancements have made it so the difference isn’t as vast. Popular for how much lighter they are than their steel counterparts, at around half the weight on average, titanium timepieces are also known for their anti-corrosion properties. One such watchmaker expanding its selection of titanium is Farer, who’s just added the material to its Chrono-Sport line.
Both equipped with the same shape and 41mm diameter, the new Bernina and Carnegie variants have had their steel cases swapped for grade 2 titanium, which has made them 20% lighter. Inspired by the alpine motor races in Switzerland’s St. Moritz region, the color schemes on these new references may actually overshadow the material upgrade itself. Named after the Bernina Gran Turismo race nearly 8,000ft high in the Swiss Alps, the Bernina chronograph features different shades of white across its dial, triple subdial registers, and ceramic bezel. It’s accented with red and light blue on the hands, numerals, and indices, and adorned with a dark blue St. Venere leather strap.
Representing the brand’s British heritage, the Carnegie gets its name after David Carnegie, a skeleton toboggan racer who was the sole British athlete to win a medal at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. Where the Bernina holds a similar look to its non-titanium predecessor, the Carnegie now sports a new look. With a unique combination of sky blue on the ceramic bezel and bronze on the sunburst dial, the timepiece truly plays on color contrasts. It’s also given a silver hue for its three subdials and a brown leather strap.
Although they’re not scheduled to ship until July 6, you can pre-order the Bernina Titanium and Carnegie Titanium chronographs from Farer’s website for £1,775 (~$2,278).
