On first viewing, the Brunswick is a fairly simple watch. Blued hands over a white dial, all contained within a modestly sized and highly polished case. It’s only if you’ve had the chance to handle one, or studied many photographs of one, that you can fully appreciate all of the subtle touches and small details that are combined in this little package.

Let’s start with the case. What on paper looks like a small watch is actually more substantial than you may expect. The 38mm diameter is nicely sized for a dress watch, but the cushion case means that the watch as a whole probably takes up as much real estate on your wrist as a 40mm diameter watch with a more traditional shape. This isn’t to say it wears particularly large though. I measure the lug to lugs distance at about 43mm making this suitable for wrists far smaller than my own.

Additionally, the case isn’t simple at all. Instead, an intricate combination of flowing polished lines, crisp edges and relatively large expanses of brushed stainless steel offer plenty to enjoy at almost any angle. The circular brushing which frames the dial at each corner of the cushion is delicate enough that it reflects plenty of light and remains dressy, yet offers a good deal of contrast against the polished sides of the case. Only the rear of the watch feels a little plain in comparison, but Fears offer an engraving service here to personalise your watch.

Like the case, the dial becomes more interesting the closer you look. The hand-polished white lacquer dial beams a brilliant white as you would expect, and acts as a good base for the black printing above. The railroad track and Arabic numerals suggest a marine-type dial but the numerals themselves are too stylised to fit into that category. The tails of the curved numbers are a little too fancy for my personal tastes, but do suit the watch down to the ground – another example of something seemingly simple actually being a deliberate and distinct stylistic choice. The shape of the skeletonised hour and minute hands are already a recognisable feature of the brand, and thermally blued hands over white dial are always winner.

Inside the Brunswick is the ETA 7001, originally developed by Peseux in the 1970s. This hand-wound Swiss calibre beats at 21,600 bph and gives a power reserve of 42 hours. The main draw to using the ETA 7001 is its size. In additional to being small in diameter, it is also very thin. The Brunswick sits at just over 11mm in height, which is a little more than I would have anticipated, and certainly taller than it actually feels on the wrist. That height does include the domed sapphire (with internal and external AR), but as you might be able to see from the photos some of the height is hidden by the mid case and lugs sitting a little higher than the case back. The movement has been decorated with Côte de Genève, and a golden Fears ‘pipette’ applied.

This watch is fitted with a deep blue calf-leather strap which is soft straight out the box, though other options are available from Fears. I have to say that although the strap suits the watch it doesn’t necessarily suit me, but a nice warm ostrich strap plays well against the blue hands. I’ve also seen the watch on Fears’ ‘Passport Red’ strap and the combination works better than you might expect. The Brunswick strap has quick-release spring bars and a 20mm lug width to make strap changes nice and easy.

Overall, the Fears Brunswick doesn’t really suit my lifestyle and doesn’t suit my budget (this model comes in at £2,850 including VAT) but I can’t help but like it. The price is high for an ETA 7001 equipped watch, but I’d wager that the case, dial, maybe even the handset each contribute to the cost just as much as the movement alone. With the Brunswick you’re not just paying for a white dial dress watch. You’re paying for an intricately designed and well finished case, a hand-finished dial, a unique handset and plenty more besides, all produced and assembled in small batches. If you really appreciate the value in those kinds of things, then this feels like a suitable purchase to mark a special occasion, to be worn on special occasions.

The Specs

• Dimensions: 38mm diameter x 11.25mm height x 42mm lug to lug
• Weight: 55g
• Water resistance: 5 ATM / 50m
• Movement: ETA 7001
• Accuracy (observed): +3 sec/day
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: £2,850 inc VAT
• Available from: https://www.fearswatches.com/products/brunswick-white

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Their first release is the Redcliff – available in two dial colours: blue and white. This model is the white “Jetliner” version and I, for one, really like the design and vintage / retro feel. The question is this: is £650 just too much for a quartz watch, even if it is Swiss Made? Let’s find out.

The specs

• Dimensions: 38mm diameter x 8mm height x 45mm lug to lug
• Weight: 39g
• Water resistance rating: 5ATM / 50m
• Movement: Ronda 515
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 5 years
• Price: £650
• Available from: https://www.fearswatches.com/blank-rwrlr/redcliff-date

The case

The case of the Fears Redcliff is a simple barrel shape; fully polished to a high degree. I personally feel it’s extremely wearable at size it is with a 38mm diameter and slender 8mm height.

It has a pleasant shape which contours to the wrist well, thanks to the shapely lugs.

The push-pull crown is simple, easy to use with good grip. It has FWC laser etched on, however I believe this should be engraved ideally to signify a higher quality finish.

The push-on caseback is a simple affair but has an attractive design to it. Again, like the crown, all markings are laser etched. This is a shame as decent deep engravings can create quite the impression – which a watch costing £650 should do.

The sapphire crystal sitting on the top provides excellent clarity to the crisp dial.

The dial

The dial is vintage inspired, obviously influenced from an original Fears watch – namely the logo and hands / brand identity. I personally really like the design – it’s smart and classy, but has the ability to be casual and fit in with the cool kids as well. It’s a very flat dial – there are no applied elements at all, everything is painted / printed directly on.

An original Fears watch dated 1946

The shape of the hour markers is one that used from the brand identity, and I really like how it’s used so effectively throughout.

A larger version of this shape also contains the date window – which is a straight cut exposing the white wheel to match the dial.

The hands also utilise this shape: they’re basically an elongated version with a thin point at the tip. They’re similar to syringe type hands, but a little more curvaceous. The second hand is a simple stick.

The dial base has a lovely lacquered gloss finish, which shimmers nicely in the light and catches the eye.

The printing on the dial is effective and interesting. I particularly like the old fashioned statement of an “electronic oscillator” with a lightning bolt – very vintage.

The lume used is regular super-luminova, which is contained within the hands and hour markers. It charges and glows to a fairly standard degree – nothin outstanding but it performs as expected.

The strap

The strap is made of goat’s leather, of which I’ve not had experience with before. It provides a welcome subtle blue colour and has an interesting bobbly grain which I much prefer to alligator stamp.

It smells lovely and is obviously very good quality from the moment you strap it on: it’s beautifully soft and supple which provides excellent wear experience.

It also features quick release pins, which I’m always happy to see – these little beauties should feature on every strap out there. They make changing straps super quick, easy, and minimise any damage to the lugs.

The buckle is small and unassuming, and is polished to match the case. It has “FWC Ltd” laser etched on top bar. In my opinion, just like the crown and caseback, this should be engraved for the price.

The movement

The movement powering the Fears Redcliffe is the Ronda 515. It’s a Swiss Made quartz that I’ve seen a couple of times before (Scurfa, Etiqus). It’s not a particularly expensive movement – you can get one for around £8 – but it’s a tremendously hard working and reliable one. It has a 45 month battery life, 1 jewel, accuracy of -10/+20 seconds / month and date function. Whilst there’s not a lot exciting about it, in a way that’s a good thing as you know that you have a dependable servant on your wrist.
However, I’ll say this now: for a watch costing this much, I’m disappointed it’s not an automatic.

Final comments

There’s no doubt that Fears have a glorious heritage that deserves recognition, and the work that Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, an actual family member of the original founder, has done to relaunch it truly is admirable.
However, I can’t help but feel that £650 is on the pricey side. I’m always on the lookout for watches that offer exceptional value for money, and sadly I don’t believe the Redcliffe does that.

Let’s give the Redcliffe credit where it’s due: the design is timeless – I’m digging the lacquered gloss dial and the excellent use of the brand identity shape. You also get a excellent 5 years warranty, and the packaging is extra special.

But in the hand, it’s not as breathtaking as I’d hoped for that amount of money. I believe it’s mainly because of the lightweight nature of the watch (39g) so it doesn’t feel as well built as others in that price range, as well as the decision to go quartz rather than automatic.

To put in into perspective, compare it to the Christopher Ward Trident, Steinhart Ocean range and Brathwait Swiss Automatic – all these options are also Swiss Made, but are also cheaper, and more importantly, automatic. Of course, those brands have no real long heritage so that does go a long way for Fears, but does it go as far as being able to charge £650? That’s up to you to find out.

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