Anyone who has previously read this blog or seen my instagram feed will be aware that I have a soft spot for Fears. Nicholas Bowman-Scargill continues to tell everyone I was the first “journalist” he spoke to back in 2016.The first watches Nicholas shared with me before his launch at Salon QP was his quartz powered Redcliff collection.

Eight years later I met up with Nicholas again to see the new Redcliff collection and I am mightly impressed, Fears now have the mythical steel “one-watch” in the collection. With the reassurance of 15 ATM water resistance.

The case size is the now “classic” 39.5mm supplied with both a beautiful bespoke steel bracelet and a woven textile strap. With a case height of only 9.98mm and micro-adjustable strap mean this Redcliff is very comfortable.

You will see comparing the two images above that the new watch is a clear evolution of the original that has become even more “elegantly understated”

The hand-finished dials are available in four distinct colours they describe as :

• Pewter Grey – a warm, mid grey that complements the tone of the 316L stainless steel case. Sharp black printing contrasted against a soothing cyan for the minute numerals and seconds hand. The baton appliques and hands are plated in Black Gold.
• Raven Black – Taking its inspiration from the glossy black feathers of a raven bird this dial features a sophisticated black with a sunburst pattern etched on to the dials surface that catches the light beautifully. White and silver printing contrast the darkness of the dial with hands and baton appliques all plated in precious Rhodium.
• Cherry Red – a bright red that perfectly captures the tones of fresh red cherries. White printing, a pure white seconds hand and coral pink printed accents complement the dials finish with baton appliques and hands plated in precious Rhodium.
• Mallard Green – Exclusive to the Boutique in Bristol the deep shade of green is reminiscent of the colour of a Drake duck. White and silver printing that contrast brightly against the dial, paired with hands and baton appliques all plated in precious Rhodium.

La Joux-Perret movement

Given the various issues of supply and order numbers Fears like many smaller brands are moving away from movements from ETA and Sellita. Powering the new Redcliff 39.5 Date is a customised La Joux-Perret G100 movement made entirely in Switzerland. The movement features automatic winding, quick-set date and a generous power reserve of 60 hours, while each watch is regulated to 0/+5 seconds per day, within C.O.S.C. accuracy limits.

Component Origin

Despite being in the vanguard of the rise of British watches, Fears are very open about the origin of their British built watches constituent parts.The case , bracelet, strap and glass are from leading suppliers in Hong Kong who also work with several leading Swiss brands who are not quiet so open. The movement and hands are from Switzerland and dials from Germany

Summary

Fears have added another slogan to their marketing handbook to describe this range “Everyday Elegance” which is there way of describing a “one-watch”. This is an impressive watch at a very reasonable price. However, it also lands in a busy market segment. The first Swiss watch that comes to my mind being the Omega Acqua-Terra with a RRP of £5900. The new Redcliff is available from Fears or their authorised retailers for £3150.