Fears Brunswick 40 Watch Review
The Fears Brunswick 40 is the latest creation from the Bristol-based brand. Housed in a 40 mm case, equipped with an automatic movement and presented on a new 5-row stainless steel bracelet, the Brunswick 40 is the company’s most ambitious model to date. Moreover, devotees of the British brand will be pleased to discover that this timepiece once again subscribes to the eye-catching Bowman-Scargill school of style.
Founded in 1846 by Edwin Fear, the eponymous family firm successfully traded for 130 years despite adverse economic conditions such as the Two World Wars, the Great Depression and the rise of mass-produced imports. Unfortunately, the Bristol-based firm closed its doors in 1976, destined to remain a sepia-toned memory.
Re-establishing Fear’s Watch Company Limited
Then, in 2016, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, Edwin Fear’s great-great-great-grandson, rekindled the family firm. Having completed a watchmaking apprenticeship at Rolex’s UK Headquarters, Bowman-Scargill clearly had a good grounding in horology, however, his talents are clearly not one-dimensional. As he has shown over time, he is also an accomplished entrepreneur with an extraordinary prowess for marketing. Indeed, since Bowman-Scargill ‘re-established’ Fears, the British watch brand has gone on to enjoy much commercial success.
Fears – a sense of style
I first met Bowman-Scargill at SalonQP in 2016. Smartly attired, wearing a double cuff shirt and sports jacket, enlivened with a brightly coloured pocket square, his sartorial ensemble made quite an impression. Initially, the company made quartz watches. However, in 2017, the firm unveiled its inaugural mechanical watch, the Brunswick, a reinterpretation of a former Fear’s reference from the 1920s.
Fears – beyond the Brunswick
Since releasing the inaugural Brunswick, the British brand has released additional variants of the 38 mm model, including various dial hues and even a platinum case option. In 2021, Fears released a rectangular-shaped model, the Archival 1930, and more recently the firm released the Fears Garrick, created in collaboration with another British independent.
Fears Brunswick 40 – an automatic watch
Now, the Bristol-based firm has released a new creation, the Fears Brunswick 40. As its name implies, the watch measures 40mm in diameter, a smidgen larger than the hand-wound Brunswick. However, the new model incorporates several other significant changes. Firstly, the timepiece is fitted with a self-winding movement, a top-grade ETA 2824-2, making the Brunswick 40 the first Fear’s automatic watch.
Fears Brunswick 40 – less is more
The Fears Brunswick 40 eschews the small seconds display found on the hand-wound Brunswick in favour of a centre sweep seconds hand. This difference imbues the model with a more contemporary look. Furthermore, Bowman-Scargill has chosen not to equip this new model with a date display, subscribing to a ‘less is more’ philosophy. The sparsity of indications endows the watch with a very clear and intelligible dial.
Fears Brunswick 40 – three dial options
‘Pipette-style’ hands, stylised Arabic numerals and a crisp Chemin de Fer tastefully collaborate to deliver legibility and style. The model is offered in three dial hues, each with its own unique identity. Indeed, Bowman-Scargill hasn’t merely restricted the changes to the colour of each display, but furnished each dial option with its own unique finish, including different coloured hands and, with the opaline silver option, a red triangular index at noon. Clearly, Fears doesn’t subscribe to a one-size-fits-all approach.
The watch is affixed to the wrist with a new 5-row, stainless steel bracelet that incorporates both polished and brushed elements. This juxtaposing of alternate finishes is also repeated on the cushion-shaped case. The sense of luxury is omnipresent.
Fears Brunswick 40 – closing thoughts
My reason for mentioning Bowman-Scargill’s sartorial prowess earlier is that his eye for detail and well-developed sense of style are much in evidence with his brand’s timepieces. The Fears Brunswick 40 somehow straddles two worlds, sporty and formally elegant, with extraordinary finesse. In my opinion, this latest timepiece is the most desirable Fear’s watch to date. However, with Bowman-Scargill’s penchant for burning the midnight oil, I suspect there will be many more future delights from this Bristol-based company.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Fears Brunswick 40
- Case: 316L stainless steel, diameter 40 mm, height 11.06 mm, water resistance to 10 ATM (100 m), sapphire crystal to the front with a solid case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes, central sweep seconds
- Movement: ETA 2824-2, automatic movement, 28,800 vph (4 Hz). Power reserve 40 hours.
- Bracelet: 5-row stainless steel bracelet, dual finishing with polished and brushed elements. Butterfly clasp. Easy-release spring bars.
- Price: £3,750 (RRP as of 21.10.2022)