Fears Brunswick Salmon: History, Friendship, and Understated Elegance
The watch community is a strange and wonderful thing. We are brought together by a somewhat niche hobby, collecting arguably obsolete timekeeping devices, joined in a shared passion for watches and watchmaking. Nothing speaks more to that passion than the drive, focus, and creativity that independent brands bring to the table. One of those brands, Fears, is celebrating a milestone moment with the 175th anniversary of the brand, so I thought it would be fitting to talk about their history and what I love about them.
Fears Brunswick Salmon.
I am in the UK often, so I get the pleasure of seeing a lot of smaller British brands up close. I first learned about Fears at SalonQP when the brand was relaunched, and later saw more models as collectors brought them to RedBar London meetups when I was visiting. I really enjoyed the aesthetics and approach. What really sent me down the rabbit hole was getting hands-on with the whole line at the Watchmakers Club in London in late 2019, when I very nearly bought a Brunswick Blue.
I’m glad I waited, however, because I ended up purchasing the Brunswick Salmon not long after it was released. Due to the pandemic, I wasn’t able to see it in person before I purchased it, but having seen the craftsmanship and attention to detail up close during previous visits to the UK, I knew I would get a beautiful watch.
The Brunswick Salmon has a gorgeous dial that is coated with both copper and 18 carat rose gold to achieve the perfect salmon tone, which can seem to the eye like it changes ever so slightly in color depending on the way the light hits it. The hand-brushing on the dial gives it a mesmerizing texture. Adding to the charm of this model are the numerals, with a typeface designed by Lee Yuen-Rapati of @onehourwatch. The raised applied numerals lend a depth to the surface of the dial that captures the eye. The thermally blued, skeletonized hands add additional character to the dial.
Fears Brunswick Salmon.
Fears’ 4th Managing Director, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, restarted the brand in 2016 after its 40 year dormancy. His great-great-great grandfather founded Fears in 1846, and the brand continually operated in Bristol, producing timepieces continually through 1976. Fast forward to 2016, and after years as a watchmaker for Rolex, Nicholas decided to resurrect the family brand and relaunched it at SalonQP with the Fears Redcliff. Nicholas has since continued to expand the brand, launching the Brunswick in 2017, making beautiful watches with amazing attention to detail. Nicholas himself does a final QC check on every watch that goes out the door.
This attention to detail carries through to the movement, an ETA 7001 manual-winding movement that is rhodium plated and finished with Côtes de Genève striping, all visible through the sapphire case back. The “golden pipette” you see at the bottom of the movement is an indicator that the movement has been thoroughly tested before ending up on your wrist. (Note: the current version of the salmon dial Brunswick on the Fears website has a closed case back, but you can request a sapphire case back upon placing an order.)
The exhibition case back of the Fears Brunswick.
It’s worth noting here that Nicholas is truly one of the nicest people I have met in the watch business. He’s honest, straightforward, and kind, and not only does he champion his own brand, but he supports other small British watch brands as well. When the pandemic hit, he essentially fired himself from his own company so that he could continue to keep his staff employed. I am honored to call him a friend.
Fears continues its success with the launch of the Archival 1930 collection to coincide with the brand’s 175th anniversary. The Archival 1930 is a proportional recreation of a vintage art deco watch that Fears produced in 1930, with two versions, one with a small seconds display. They’ve also recently released a book on the history of the brand, Elegantly Understated: 175 Years of the Fears Watch Company. And most recently, the Brunswick Salmon was selected to compete for a GPHG Award in the Petite Aiguille category for 2021.
I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Fears.
Written by Kathleen McGivney
Photos by Jack Koto
