A Look at the Fears Brunswick Champagne Watch
Thursday - 14 July 2022
With a beautiful cushion-shaped case that will melt the heart of any Fears watch collector, the Fears Brunswick watch continues to capture quintessential Britishness and an abundance of charm. Hand-finished elements exude a sense of elegance and communicate quality craftsmanship in this new Fears Brunswick Champagne watch for 2022.
The new Fears Brunswick Champagne watch has been released a few weeks ago, alongside the stunning purple-clad Jubilee watch. Both belong to the same collection and both nurture the characteristics of the popular Brunswick watch range, home to elegant daily wearers that suffice for social occasions, meetings in the boardroom, office work, and general day-to-day life. The mid-century style of the Brunswick watch is Fears’ way of communicating a unique design language of its own. A language full of soft, flowing lines and quiet, subdued refinement.
Whilst both released at the same time, the Fears Brunswick Jubilee watch actually came about as a result of a conversation between the managing director, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill and a couple of Fears Watch collectors. Although initially based on the idea of a strap, the rest of the Jubilee watch design soon came together in the form of project number 73 – the Hull number of the QE2 being built in the John Brown Shipyard. The dial of the Brunswick Jubilee edition watch comprised a clear lacquer applied to a sunburst display, then an application of multiple pigments of black, blue and purple to achieve its precise shade. To create the dial, Fears flew out to meet with a dial maker in Germany. Having browsed over 20 different shades of Royal Purple, the particular hue chosen for the Fears Brunswick Jubilee watch would prove to be as unique as the timepiece itself.
The new Fears Brunswick Champagne watch, released at the same time as the Fears Brunswick Jubilee watch, came about in an entirely different way, however. The concept of producing a shimmering dial with golden hues was curated by Nicholas Bowman-Scargill back in 2021. Champagne dials feel very seventies and have long been associated with the likes of top dogs, Rolex. Nicholas extends further: "Could we do something playful with it, something relevant? True gold, for me, is yellow gold. Whereas pink gold is beautiful on a salmon dial, yellow gold is different. It is something you can’t recreate as a colour without using actual gold. After trying many different finishes on the dial, we ended up with the glass-bead-blasted frosted finish with layers of 18ct gold.”
The new Fears Brunswick Champagne watch measures a comfortable 38mm diameter and features the unmistakable cushion-shaped case, with a 17.5cm height. Inside this durable stainless steel case is the ETA 7001. The hand-wound movement is a smoothly operating Calibre that produces a power reserve of 40 hours once fully wound and is concealed behind a closed caseback. for some, this is a shame, as the wearer isn’t granted the opportunity to watch the hand-wound movement perform in all its glory. There is, however, a silver lining, since the spacious caseback allows for the option of a special engraving should you so wish.
The champagne tones of the new Brunswick watch from Fears are not in limited production. If you’ve been dying to get your hands on this model, you’ll be pleased to know that it was only the purple-toned Jubilee Brunswick watch that was released in limited production numbers. Multiple layers of 18ct yellow gold have been applied to the surface of the dial before a bead blasted finish creates the impression of a frosted effect, giving the dial a shade that is akin to gold itself. This shimmering surface is then adorned with Arabic numerals that are polished and black gold coated, enabling them to stand out against the champagne dial with contrast.
The gently sweeping motion of the model’s steel case has no flat surfaces, just graceful curves and a surface that is polished by the hand of a highly skilled engineer. A concentric circle finishing is given to the small second sub-counter located at 6 o’clock, whilst the Arabic numerals are all individually placed by hand onto the hour track, presented in the brand’s custom “Edwin” typeface, which was specifically designed for Fears by a horological typographer. The “Fears”-shaped hands can be tilted under the light to transform from an almost black shade to an electric blue hue. This colour-changing process occurs when the steel hands are thermally hardened by flame before being skeletonised to achieve their unmistakable character.
To finish with, the new Fears Brunswick Champagne watch is completed on a handmade Pewter Grey-coloured strap crafted from Barenia leather. The comfortable band features darker grey stitching that creates a contemporary style on the wrist. Taking its name from the village of Barr in Alsace, this smooth calfskin leather undergoes a complex tanning process that is only carried out by a select few craftsmen. A smooth and soft Alcantara lining is dyed in a deep blue hue adding an exclusive and refined feel to the quality of the strap. The leather band secures to the wrist with a stainless steel pin buckle engraved with the brand’s unique pipette logo.
If you’d like more information on the new Fears Brunswick Champagne watch, you can check out the full spec list here on the watch’s product page online at Jura Watches, or speak to a member of our sales team today on 01335 453453.
