This is the new Farer Cobb III, it’s a watch that combines both chronograph and GMT functionality with a Swiss mechanical movement powering both. The watch was named for John Cobb, a British racing driver and world land speed record record setter.
John Cobb is best remembered today for setting the world land speed record a total of three times, once in 1938 at 350 mph, then again in 1939 at 369 mph, and finally in 1947 after WWII at 394 mph. All of his records were set on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in cars built in England specifically for the task.
Above Video: This short film showcases John Cobb’s remarkable life, and his many racing and land speed successes.
Cobb would be tragically killed on the 29th of September in 1952 whilst attempting to set the World Water Speed Record, if he had bee successful he would have simultaneously held both the land and water records.
The Water Speed Record Attempt On Loch Ness
The World Water Speed Record attempt took place on Loch Ness in Scotland, a lake famous around the world for the many sightings of an unexplained aquatic creature over the years. Cobb had chosen Loch Ness not for the notoriety but for the fact that the lake is long and typically quite calm due to the fact that it’s sheltered on all sides by large craggy hills that rise steeply from the water.
On the day of the attempt all boat traffic on Loch Ness was halted to ensure that there would be no wake on the water to disturb the run. Cobb set off in a jet-powered speedboat named the Crusader which had been built by British shipbuilding firm Vosper & Company specifically for the attempt.
Exactly what happened during the run has been hotly debated for years, it’s known that Cobb did exceed 200 mph (320 km/h) but something caused the boat to tumble and break apart, many have claimed the boat hit some unexplained wake on the surface of the water, and some claim it was caused by the fabled monster.
The most likely cause of the crash that killed Cobb has been identified as an “undamped oscillation which caused a loss of control authority,” this conclusion was reached after experts studied footage of the accident in which the boat lost stability and essentially disintegrated about Cobb, throwing his body over 50 yards across the water.
John Cobb at Brooklands in 1935 at the wheel of his 24 liter Napier Railton. This would be the car in which he set the ultimate track record at Brooklands, a record that would never be beaten as Brooklands wouldn’t reopen after WWII. Image courtesy of the John Cobb estate.John Cobb today is remembered as one of the all time land speed racing greats, he took part in many other sanctioned races, often in cars he had commissioned for the task, and he will forever hold the ultimate lap record at the Brooklands race track after lapping it at 143.44 mph (230.84 km/h) in his 24 liter Napier Railton. Brooklands was closed at the onset of WWII, and racing would never resume.
The Farer Cobb III Monopusher Chronograph GMT
The new Farer Cobb III is a modern monopusher chronograph GMT with classic styling, and a Swiss-made Elaboré Sellita SW530 M MP mechanical movement. This movement is hand-wound and it has a 62 hour power reserve, this means that you’ll never face the hassle of getting the battery changed at a jeweler.
The Farer Cobb III has a 316L stainless steel case with a diameter of 41mm. It has a double-domed sapphire crystal with internal anti-reflective coating over the face, and a sapphire exhibition crystal on the rear to showcase the movement.
The watch has both chronograph and GMT functionality, the chronograph is ideal for the precision timing of things like motor racing or track and field events.
The GMT consists of a fourth hand on the watch face that shows a second timezone. This fourth hand makes one full sweep of the face every 24 hours, the outer ring of the dial has markers for 24 hour time, and this fourth hand can be set to show a second timezone when you’re traveling.
The watch has an exhibition case back to show off the Swiss movement.The Farer Cobb III is a limited edition piece, just 100 will be made, and they’re being sold directly from Farer with an MSRP of $2,195 USD – shipping begins on the 17th of July. Each watch comes with free shipping, a 5 year guarantee, and 30 day returns.
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Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
