Fears Garrick
The Fears Garrick is a fabulous British watch equipped with a virtuous white dial and an in-house hand-wound movement. This collaboration between Nicholas Bowman-Scargill of Fears and David Brailsford of Garrick, shows what can be achieved when two firms come together and employ their respective skills.
Should you choose to delve into watchmaking history, you will discover that England was once home to a number of horological pioneers, including Arnold, Graham, Harrison, Mudge and Tompion, to name but a few. Surprisingly, despite Britain being the birthplace of the industrial revolution, British watchmakers seemed to reject the notion of mass production. Ultimately, the importation of cheaper watches, mass-produced in countries such as Switzerland, sounded the death knell for watchmaking in Blighty. However, there is now a glimmer of hope that one day there may be a British watchmaking renaissance.
David Brailsford, a son of Derby, has a refreshingly down-to-earth view of watchmaking and life in general. When he told me a number of years ago he was thinking of setting up his own watch brand, I remember exclaiming, “Don’t do it!” The challenge facing any entrepreneur wishing to enter the watch industry is that they will need vast amounts of money. Indeed, significant funds are needed to meet the costs of research and development and, most pertinently of all, marketing. Thankfully, David Brailsford ignored my advice and some eight years later, his brand, Garrick, has become a huge success story.
Brailsford, a highly inventive individual, noted that exhibitions were very costly for modestly-sized firms and chose to establish The Watchmakers Club. The concept was simple, competing brands from the UK and beyond would participate in organised events with the costs split evenly among them. With no fancy stands, no glossy brochures, minimal schmoozing and few pretensions, the formula proved popular with both watch brands and collectors. One such exhibitor was Nicholas Bowman-Scargill with his brand, Fears, a family firm dating back to 1846.
Since its inception in 2014, Garrick has evolved. Its entry-level timepieces feature hand-wound Unitas-based movements with a sizeable degree of enhancement, while the finest expressions of Garrick ownership incorporate in-house movements. David Brailsford understands his market segment, producing skeleton models, timepieces with hand guilloché dials and bespoke watches.
Likewise, over the years Fears has attracted attention among the watch collecting community and press alike. Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, a watchmaker by trade, has an incredible talent for design and his brand is clearly on a roll. Moreover, he is a consummate brand ambassador. No pop stars or famous athletes are needed to boost the Fears brand, the sartorially astute Bowman-Scargill conveys the benefits of his watches with notable aplomb.
Bowman-Scargill and Brailsford, not to be confused with a fancy law firm, have become good friends over the years and have frequently talked about producing a joint-branded watch. As a result, back in 2018, apparently over a latte and an espresso in a branch of Costa, the entrepreneurial pair started working on ‘Project Costa’. Munching numerous blueberry muffins for sustenance, the two men masterminded their collaborative creation, the Fears Garrick. The brand’s press release provides all you need to know about this new watch and it says everything much better than I can.
It would be a monumental task to elevate British watchmaking to its former esteemed place on the world stage during the 17th and 18th centuries, however, Fears and Garrick are certainly writing new and interesting chapters in the annals of British watchmaking and, based on past events, their ascendency seems assured.
The brand’s press release
David Brailsford of Garrick first met Nicholas Bowman-Scargill in October 2016, a few weeks prior to Nicholas relaunching his family company, Fears. Sharing their experiences with one another, the two men recognised they had much in common. They vowed to support each other and subsequently became friends.
In November 2018, David and Nicholas sat down in a branch of Costa Coffee and discussed working on a joint project. Keen to ensure the collaboration remained under wraps, the men referred to their joint venture as ‘Project Costa’.
The idea was to harmoniously fuse the design codes of both companies and exploit each firm’s strengths. In particular, ‘Project Costa’ was intended to unite Garrick’s watchmaking expertise with Fears’ rich heritage and obsessive eye for detail.
Now, some three years later, both David and Nicholas are pleased to unveil the Fears Garrick, a stylish conclusion to this symbiotic union. The watch is presented in a curvaceous 42mm steel case, produced in Garrick’s Norfolk workshop. Painstakingly polished, the case’s sinuous profile makes the watch appear smaller than its stated dimensions would suggest.
The dial is dressed in a pure shade of white and marked with tastefully unobtrusive branding. The hours and minutes are conveyed with Fears’ signature openworked hands, working in collaboration with applied Arabic numerals, which again are executed in Fears’ Edwin style. Named after the company’s founder, the typeset is a distillation of historical Fears typefaces. Indeed, this font was specially created exclusively for Fears.
A power-reserve indicator sits at 2 o’clock, while a small seconds display is positioned opposite. However, the wearer’s eyes will inevitably gravitate to the aperture at the base of the dial which reveals the balance oscillating to and fro. A chemin de fer encircles the dial, facilitating ease of read off.
The movement, the Garrick UTG04, is hand-wound and finished to an exalted level. Again, crafted in Norfolk, the Garrick UTG04 features six screwed chatons, an indication of its refined execution.
Returning to the balance wheel, positioned dial side, it features a free sprung balance. Unlike the ubiquitous index-regulated balance, the effective length of the hairspring remains constant. The rate of the watch is adjusted by tightening/loosening the timing screws located on the rim of the balance wheel, effectively altering the moment of inertia. The benefits of this system include superior rate stability and less susceptibility to positional influence. In this instance, the timing screws are positioned in-board, mitigating air turbulence and, by default, aiding precision. Lastly, the balance features a beat adjuster, allowing the watchmaker to fine tune the anchor symmetry.
The Fears Garrick is the synergistic outcome of two men discussing horological ideas whilst sharing a pot of tea. Despite the watch only being unveiled today, several collectors have already placed orders for their handcrafted Fears Garrick, standing testament to the esteemed reputation of both brands.
Further reading