When it comes to golf, I’m a duffer at best. Sure, I stroll a golf course a handful of times each summer, but it’s not really my jam. I’m much more into trail running, mountain sports, and, if I’m being honest here, disc golf.
So when Vaer sent over details about its latest launch, I scratched my head. Is a golf-oriented, scorekeeping wristwatch a good idea? I started stacking up the specs and considering real-world use. After a few pro-con diagrams and soul searching, I decided, yeah, this watch is worth a look.
So, meet the Vaer G2 Fairway GMT. Designed for golfers who want to keep track of their score relative to par, the 39mm Swiss quartz-powered watch packs a lot of horological power into a handsome timepiece that rings in at $450.
Vaer G2 Fairway GMT: Functional Talking Point
Real talk — analog watches are obsolete. You can pick up a cheap smartwatch under $100 with vastly more power than the finest Rolex, or just use the supercomputer in your pocket.
But what’s the fun in that? Wristwatches offer an element of self-expression. And with the advent of myriad other timekeeping devices, they now have the freedom to stretch beyond simple timekeeping, which, in some ways, can become secondary.
Maybe that’s why I found the G2 Fairway GMT so fun. It’s a simple, yet clever, scorekeeper. Turn the bezel one way to add a stroke (or four) above par. Or turn it the other way to go below par (something I’d rarely do). Keep it up through a full round, and you’ll have your score above or below par, no scorecard needed.
I asked a golf pro buddy what he thought of the idea in a text.
“Would that ever be a practical way to keep score or just a fun timepiece with a talking point?” I asked.
His reply confirmed my thoughts.
“Just a fun timepiece with a talking point,” he wrote. “Keeping track of where you are in relation to even par is a very practical method of keeping score, but it’s also super easy to just do in your head.”
Well, for him, maybe. For those of us who strive for bogey golf, well, it gets more complicated. “There aren’t enough ticks on that dial for you!” he noted. Touché.
But that got me thinking. What about disc golf? Most disc golfers don’t carry a scorecard on a casual outing. But something like this could be fun. And what about other uses? Obviously, the GMT hand gives this watch a lot of power for traveling. And with 24 marks (slightly complicated by the golf scorekeeping), you could easily use this to track a second timezone.
The Nitty Gritty on the Vaer G2 Fairway GMT
I haven’t seen it in person, but the Vaer G2 Fairway GMT looks cool from the photos. Vaer says it visually references the Rolex Explorer II. I find it quite different, but still an attractive watch. And at a target price of $450, you can buy more than 20 of them for the price of an Explorer II.
And really, it packs some solid specs at a good value.
- 15ATM (150m) water-resistance rating
- 24-click bi-directional bezel
- 316L stainless steel
- Single domed sapphire w/AR coating
- 20mm lug width
- 39mm case diameter
- Swiss Ronda quartz GMT movement, 40-month battery life, -10/+20 sec/month timing tolerance
- Assembled in America
- The dial has 15x layers of BGW9 Super-Luminova
- The hour, minute, and second hand also has BGW9 lume
- 2-year guaranteed waterproof warranty
The Vaer G2 Fairway GMT is available now. Not your jam? Check out other Vaer (and other brands) options in the guide to the best field watches.
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