Now he has relocated I do not get many opportunities to meet with Nicholas Bowman-Scargill of Fears, so it was a pleasant surprise when he suggested a coffee as he was in town.
As well as a catch-up he wanted to show me his forthcoming new watch. There have been a couple of teasing images recently on Fears social media postings but I was not sure what to expect. So it was a huge surprise when Nicholas opened his now familiar Globe-Trotter watch case.
The Fears Garrick, a collaboration between Fears and fellow founding member of the Alliance of British Watch & Clockmakers, Garrick. David Brailsford of Garrick and Nicholas cooked up this project over a coffee, hence the projects code name “Costa”. The result is a watch that clearly has the DNA of both of the partners. The overal case shape and exposed balance being very Garrick, the dial detailing being very Fears.
The details:
Case
The elegant Fears Garrick’s 42mm case is made and finished in Garrick’s Norfolk. The curved sides of the polished 904L stainless steel case help the slender watch slip easily under a shirt cuff.
DIAL
The watch features an Old English White dial, with a fine matt texture. Deep glossy black printing is combined with seven lines of blood red on the power reserve display at 2 o’clock. These lines represent the moment when the watch’s main spring has wound down. Across from this display at 10 o’clock is the running
The glossy black printing is combined with seven lines of blood red on the power reserve display at 2 o’clock. These lines represent the moment when the watch’s main spring has wound down. Across from this display at 10 o’clock is the running seconds.
Applied by hand to the dial’s surface are the diamond-cut numerals, produced in the bespoke ‘Edwin’ typeface.
HANDS
The Fears Garrick features the distinctive ‘Fears’-shaped hands, which are hand-finished by a watchmaker, Fears is one of only a handful of British watch brands that construct watch hands in-house, in the UK.
MOVEMENT
Visible through the Fears Garrick’s exhibition case back is the exclusive, manual winding Garrick UT-G04 movement. Based on the Garrick UT-G01 this version features a power reserve indicator at 2 o’clock. Visible from the dial side is a free sprung balance e wheel, made from Garrick’s exclusive alloy Sircumet
SHIPPING IN JULY 2023 The Fears Garrick watch involves a considerable amount of hand-making and hand-finishing and as such they are made in very small batches. They are currently selling watches from a batch which will be shipping in July 2023. Clearly more details are avaible at https://www.fearswatches.com/collections/fears-watch-collection/products/garrick
This Christmas 2021 was I suspect for many of you, like ours a fairly subdued event. However for me there was an horological highlight, no not not a new watch, my wife thinks it is too difficult to choose, but a watch book. Bringing my watch book collection now to two.
This year the book that doubled my collection was “Elegantly Underestated – 175 Years of the Fears Watch Company”. This very well presented volume gives the background to the company brought back to life by Nicholas Bowman-Scargill in 2016.
Over my time thinking more about watches I have realised that much of the interest in the hobby is about stories. Only though an interesting story can a watch differentiate itself from an apparantly technically identical, or even superior product. Witness a Tudor Black Bay with an ETA movement being more collectable than the current version with an in-house COSC movement. Collectors like to to tell the story about their watch.
However, I am not accusing Nicholas of publishing this book as a cynical myth making marketing ruse, of all the people I have met in the watch world he is the person with the most passion for his company’s heritage it being is so intertwined with his family’s history. The author of the book Jane Duffus, is also the three times great niece of Edwin Fear the founder of the company.
This book is very much written as a history of the company, not a technical description of all the countless watches the company has produced. It explains the lives the lives of the founders and their successors, giving social context to the times they were working in. The history of Fears is also very much intertwinned with that of Bristol, the home of the company. To my mind this actually makes it more readable, so much so that I finished it in one sitting.
Any readers who might have visited this blog before will be aware that I have known Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, the 4th Managing Director of Fears Watches for a few years. I was therefore very pleased to receive an invitation to the celebration of this important anniversary. Given the recent lack of any watch connected social life the invitation itself regardless of the location would have been accepted in double quick time, but this party was held on the top three floors of the Shard in London. Apparently the tallest building in Europe – wow.
An idea of the view
The event as well as a great excuse for a party was an opportunity for Nicholas to showcase his latest book of the company’s history and the limited edition commemorative watches.
The book I have already covered in a recent post has received a positive reaction from those that have seen it. I particularily enjoyed Nicholas’s exhaustive background explanation as a guest on a recent Scottish Watches podcast ( here’s a link)
You will notice commerative watches, plural. The commerative series is known as Archival and it comes in two variants, both of which based on a 1930’s model suitably scaled to a more modern size. Consistent with Nicholas’s attention to detail the size increase is 17.5%.
The inspiration
The two variants are the Archival 1930 and Archival 1930 Small Seconds. The series will be limited to 175 pieces, one for each year ot the history of Fears. Each watch will have the number of a year engraved on the case back.
Of the entire series 39 will be the small seconds version, these watches representing the years that the Fears company was dormant before being re-started by Nicholas.
The two models differ by the movements that power them, with the two-handed Archival 1930 (136 watches) using a new old stock manual winding movement dating from the 1960s. While the three-handed Archival 1930 Small Seconds uses a new old stock manual winding movement dating from the 1930s. Both are movements that Fears used in the past. Each movement, having never previously been used, has undergone a full re-build and recondition in the workshop while receiving an upgraded mainspring to enhance reliability. The small seconds version using a NOS Swiss made ZentRa 185/ETA 717, circa 1935, and in the two handed version you will find a ETA 2360, from circa 1968. Both movements are manual wound running at 18,000 vph.
As we have come to expect from Fears both of these watches are beautifully made. I was lucky enough to have the chance to see and try the in the metal a few days before the anniversay event.
The17.5% size increase nicely satisfies modern tastes, this is a watch that sites very snuggly on the wrist, this helped by the gentle curve of the caseback. This stikes me as being a watch that offers similar utility to the Brunswick, a watch that can be dressed up or down by using a different strap. I continue to suggest to Nicholas how good his watches can be “casualised” using prelon straps. You can just see this watch on wrists at the Hamptons over the summer.
The hint in much of the the Fears literature is that these watches are the first of the Archival series. I am sure many of us will be looking at the back catalogue and will have our own ideas of what should be next. Always be wary of suggesting a dive watch, how many times has Nicholsa been quoted as saying he cannot swim. Maybe if he had swimming lessons he might change his mind.
Here are the full technical specs:
Archival 1930 specification
CASE
316L stainless steel, 40mm x 22mm rectangular-shaped with curved front and back (depth 8.54mm). Closed caseback. Made in Germany
LUG WIDTH
20mm
MOVEMENT
New-Old-Stock, Swiss made ETA 2360, circa 1968, manual winding, 17 jewels, 18,000vph (2.5Hz) and 40 hr power reserve. Reconditioned, serviced, and fitted with an upgraded main spring in the UK
GLASS
Sapphire Crystal to front with ARdur® Swiss anti-reflective coating on inside and outside. Crystals made in Hong Kong, Anti-reflective coating applied in Switzerland
DIAL
Vintage Champagne with 18ct yellow gold coating. Polished and matte finishes. Glossy black printing. Made in Germany
HANDS
‘Fears’ hands – Bevelled, diamond polished and Blued. Made in Germany
FUNCTIONS
Time
WARRENTY
2 Year guarantee from date of purchase
STRAP
Oxblood Red, British calf leather, lined in Alcantara®, handmade. Leather tanned in the UK, Strap made in Belgium
SERIAL NUMBER
Individually numbered, sequentially
LIMITED EDITION
Engraved with a unique year from 1846 – 1976 and 2016 – 2021
MODEL REFERENCE
BS8-1930-0
RETAIL PRICE
£3,500 inc. VAT (£2,916.67 ex. VAT)
Archival 1930Small Seconds specification
CASE
316L stainless steel, 40mm x 22mm rectangular-shaped with curved front and back (depth 9.28mm). Closed caseback. Made in Germany
LUG WIDTH
20mm
MOVEMENT
New-Old-Stock, Swiss made ZentRa 185/ETA 717, circa 1935, manual winding, 15 jewels, 18,000vph (2.5Hz) and 38 hr power reserve. Reconditioned, serviced, and fitted with an upgraded main spring in the UK
GLASS
Sapphire Crystal to front with ARdur® Swiss anti-reflective coating on inside and outside. Crystals made in Hong Kong, Anti-reflective coating applied in Switzerland
DIAL
Vintage Champagne with 18ct yellow gold coating. Polished and matte finishes. Glossy black printing. Made in Germany
HANDS
‘Fears’ hands – Bevelled, diamond polished and Blued. Made in Germany
FUNCTIONS
Time with subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock
WARRENTY
2 Year guarantee from date of purchase
STRAP
Oxblood Red, British calf leather, lined in Alcantara®, handmade. Leather tanned in the UK, Strap made in Belgium
As my regular readers will know Fears is one of my favourite British watch brands, they have been an important part of my Grinidgetime journey. I have closely followed their progress starting from my first chat with Nicholas Bowman-Scargill over a couple of beers in 2016, when he proudly showed me the quartz powered Redcliff range. I could not imagine then that only five years later Fears would launch a hand made platinum watch ; a tremendous effort for a small self financing company.
Unfortunately, due to the current restrictions on our social and business lives I was not able to meet Nicholas for a secret preview so we organised a Zoom call. From Nicholas’s description this is a watch I really want to see in the metal and hold in my hands. This is the video he used to show me the watch.
We are now used to the Fears attention to detail, detail and more detail, watches all superbly finished. It looks as though this watch takes this obsession to another level. Each platinum case takes over one hundred hours to shape and polish by the goldsmith Justin Richardson in Canterbury . After the use of platimum there is more “bling” the use of diamonds on the dial and the crown. Personally, before seeing this watch I could not image even considering a watch with diamonds but I must admitt their use on this Brunswick is very indescrete and of course very elegantly done. As these watches are by no means mass produced, there maybe five a year, they can also be made without the diamonds.
The dial is Anthracite Grey, made using a coating of real Anthracite. Each dial is hand finished, involving over 58 processes, and features a contemporary layout with alternating platinum plated Arabic numerals and diamonds. The discreet diamond markers complement the D-colour, flawless diamond set into the Platinum winding crown.
Then the next surprise, the strap. We are by now used to Fears watches offering straps made from traditional materials, even if wool has not tradationally been used on straps. The Brunswick comes with a hand sewn strap, made using Kevlar with contrasting platinum coloured stitching and Fears Blue Alcantara lining. The strap is joined by a platinum pin buckle, whose shape mirrors the silhouette and cross section of the watch’s case.
Turning the watch over we discover the next surprise, a solid caseback in hallmarked platinum. True to form even the hallmark is special.
Continuing a Fears tradition since 1846, the company’s hallmark is the initials of the Managing Director at the time, and so the case and buckle have been marked by the London Assay Office with the initials of Fears’ current Managing Director: “NBS”.
Like many of you, one of the things I am missing during these current social restrictions is a catch-up chat over a couple of watches. One person I have particularly missed is Nicholas Bowman- Scargill of Fears Watches. Nicholas was one of one of my first meeting with any brand and we have kept in touch ever since.
You can imagine therefore how pleased I was to get a message from Nicholas asking if I would like to see some new watches. Of course, I would, is this a sign life might eventually return to something resembling that we had enjoyed only a few months before?
Before meeting I tried to think what the Nicholas might have up his sleeves this time. He has always excluded a diver. He has stopped offering the quartz Redcliff range. So, it had to be a development of the Brunswick. Maybe a chronograph… a different case material.
I clearly, I do not think in the same way as Nicholas. After keeping me in suspense for a good ten minutes he finally revealed these two new variants of the much-appreciated Brunswick. One steel cased with a Salmon dial and a second version of last year’s gold plated Midas with a silver dial. As well as offering more choice to Brunswick clients these watches represent an evolution of the design details of the range.
Both variants feature the new ‘Edwin’ numerals—specially designed for Fears by a horological typographer, Lee Yuen-Rapati. Named after the founder of the company. Lee spent time in the Fears archive, studying all the different typefaces that Fears has used throughout its history, he created a new typeface that is modern, yet influenced by them. The result is a very elegant, classic set of numerals, with some vintage flourishes. Each applied numeral has been treated like a jewel: after being cut out with a CNC machine, to a height of 0.5 mm, they are diamond polished and sand-blasted to create a perfectly smooth and matte finish. Each numeral has then been coated in anthracite, lending a subtle, warm and grey finish, which complements the coppery, pink tones of the dial surface. Finally, each one is applied by hand to the dial, affixed by tiny rivets. The Fears branding is slightly smaller and the model name Brunswick has disappeared, finally the word “England” appears for the first time below the sub-dial acknowledging not only the parts of the watch which are made in the country, but also the fact that every watch is hand built in England.
The new Midas also offers a solid case back. Personally, I have never been a huge fan of display backs and I love the opportunity that a solid case back offers for personalisation or for a simple dedication in the style of retirement watches. The Midas also comes fitted with a new lovely dark brown alcantara lined leather strap, the colour I am hoping Nicholas will continue to call “Otto”.
Both these watches both manage to offer even more elegance to the already elegant Brunswick range. Maybe next time Nicholas will surprise me with an elegant diver’s chronograph.
The Fears Brunswick Salmon retails for £3,150 inc. VAT and is available from 25th of September. More information can be found at www.fearswatches.com/brunswicksalmon. The new Brunswick Midas retails for £4,250 inc. VAT and is available to purchase today with delivery commencing 30th October. More information can be found online at www.fearswatches.com/brunswickmidas.
Then if you would like to hear more from Nicholas about these watches why not have a listen to this recent Scottish Watches podcast
Fears Watches are to partner with the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign, which highlights the best the country has to offer the world. It’s an honour for Fears to have its 174-year heritage and British credentials recognised during the company’s fourth year of trading since its re-launch in 2016.
The announcement comes as Fears concludes production of its final Quartz powered watch at the end of February 2020. Since the launch of the mechanical Brunswick in 2017, Fears has been slowly moving towards an all mechanical watch line up. Once the remaining stock of quartz watches are sold all Fears watches will be powered by mechanical movements and, like the Brunswick, will be hand built in the UK. Fears builds its watches in the East Anglian city of Norwich using bespoke components made in Germany (cases & dials), Switzerland (movements & winding crowns), UK (hands and strap leather), Hong Kong (sapphire crystals) and Belgium (strap
Commenting on the announcement of Fears partnering with the GREAT Britain campaign and concluding Quartz production, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, (4th) Managing Director of the Fears Watch Company says, “It’s an honour to have Fears’ extensive heritage recognised by the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign. The GREAT Britain campaign does outstanding work in highlighting and promoting British manufacturing and highlighting the many things that make Britain great today. Fears has a unique history in the British watch industry. Having traded for over 130 years from the middle of the 19th Century until 1976, Fears used to export to 95 countries around the world, something I hope we will achieve again. This recognition comes at a time when we’ve ended production of the Quartz watches that re-launched Fears in 2016 and now focus solely on hand building mechanical watches here the UK. The first three years of trading since the relaunch have been beyond all expectations with a lot planned for the coming year.”
Commenting
on Fears becoming a partner of GREAT, Jack Karet, Chief Partnerships
Officer of the GREAT Britain campaign says, “The GREAT Britain campaign
shines a light on the very best of what our
whole nation has to offer to inspire the world to visit, do business,
invest and study in the UK. Partnership is at the heart of this, and we
are proud to celebrate our iconic heritage brands, such a Fears, across
the globe.”
Having not run into NicholasBowman-Scargill for a month or so this latest watch from Fears took me a little by surprise, then I was not able to write this entry immediately as I was travelling. Fortunately, I was then able to organise a quick coffee with Nicholas to see the watch in the metal.
As you can see the watch is a very nice modern watch with some “vintage” style influences which like the dial finish and the font used for the numbers. And hurrah ! There is no faux patina, which personally I am not a fan of. The vintage impression quickly disappears when you put the watch on, as the first thing I noticed was the flat crystal, instantly giving a more modern feel. Then there is the 38mm case size, it is the size for just about anyone. Finally, the most significant difference from the past, though not of modern Fears, being the Ronda quartz movement, which is very much in keeping with the Fears philosophy at their re-launch of a high quality time piece at an affordable price.
This limited edition addition to the Redcliff family is to celebrate the 1,000th day since the company was re-established. The Fears Redcliff “Streamline”, directly influenced by their archive and is linked to a previous milestone – the centenary in 1946.
The style of the new watch is inspired by a popular model from the 1946 Fears centenary range called the “Streamline”. The new Redcliff “Streamline” features a galvanised dial similar to its name sake with an antique silver colour called ‘Forties Silver’. The surface of the German made dial is vertically grained with gilt printed numerals and black surrounds, just like the original.
Each Redcliff “Streamline” watch is hand built in the UK using a slim, elegant case that’s made in Switzerland before being finished in the UK. The slim case’s sides are brushed with a polished bezel sitting on top securing a flat sapphire glass featuring anti-reflective.
Commenting on the launch of the new Redcliff “Streamline”, (4th) Managing Director Nicholas Bowman-Scargill says, “It’s incredible to think it’s been 1,000 days since I welcomed people onto the Fears stand at SalonQP in 2016. Though Fears is one of Britain’s oldest watch companies, having been founded in 1846, I believe it’s important to mark this milestone in the company’s re-establishment. From the beginning with a single Redcliff watch it’s been an incredible two and a half years steering the re-establishment of Fears and growing the company to where it is today. I’m pleased to mark this occasion in our 173-year history with the launch of the Redcliff “Streamline” which is directly influenced by our Archive and is linked to a previous milestone – the centenary in 1946.”
The Redcliff “Streamline” is limited to 100 pieces and will retail for £483, the same amount of the originals’ £11.2s.6d – simply adjusted for 73 years of inflation.
From now on I will be keeping closer tabs on Nicholas, he has hinted there is more to come from Fears in the not to distant future – watch this space.
Well first of all for those of you that care I apologise for not posting for over a month. Unfortunately real life has been in the way, nothing serious just “admin”.
However whilst I have been away the world of British watches has not stood still, there is an increasing stream of interesting content to read, watch or listen to. In particular watch podcasts are appearing with increasing regularity.
One person that has already been the subject of a very listenable Time4apint podcast is Nicholas Bowman-Scargill of Fears. The latest Fears newsletter flagged another interview this time by the gentlemen of the Wrist Time podcast.
This is really worth a listen, Nicholas’s passion and enthusiasm really comes through, also that of interviewers. Be careful though, his sentiments are contagious, so you might finish the podcast with a strong need to buy one of his Brunswick watches.
Some of you might have seen this teaser shot I posted on Instagram a little while ago. Well now the facts are public, there is a second Brunswick version, the Midas. This watch has been officially launched at today’s Watchmakers Club event in London. Unfortunately for practical reasons I was unable to attend so I am really looking forward to hear what the reaction has been.
The prototype Nicholas Bowman-Scargill showed me look really nice, the cushion shaped case makes a perfect “gold watch”.
I am really looking forward to see what this young brand comes up with next – a chronograph maybe ?
Fears Brunswick Midas – Teaser
Fears Brunswick Midas
Caseback of Fears Brunswick Midas
CASE
Phosphor Bronze plated with multiple layers of yellow & rose gold, 38mm x 38mm cushion-shaped, plated and finished in the UK
LUG WIDTH
20mm
MOVEMENT
Top-grade ETA 7001, manual winding, 17 jewel, 21,600vph (3Hz) and 40 hr power reserve. Movement bridges ‘stippled’ and gold plated in the UK
GLASS
Sapphire Crystals to front (with anti-reflective) and back
DIAL
Cold resin enamel with skeleton Fears hands, plated in yellow & rose gold, made in the UK
FUNCTIONS
Time with subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock
WARRENTY
2 Year guarantee from date of purchase
STRAP
Fears Bristol Leather Strap – crafted from premium calf leather made in Bristol
