A Trifecta From Fears
Fears Unveils a Trio of New Releases: Elegance, Intrigue, and Endurance
Fears has never been a brand to stand still. From its Bristol roots in the 19th century to its modern rebirth, the company has made a point of evolving with quiet confidence rather than chasing trends. Its latest trio of releases – the Brunswick 38 Charcoal Rose, the Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour Barleycorn, and the Redcliff 39.5 Date ES – shows that Nicholas Bowman-Scargill and his team are intent on pushing three very different design directions at once, while maintaining a unifying thread of refinement and storytelling.
This collection is less about “new models” and more about exploring three distinct moods: the contemplative elegance of the Charcoal Rose, the playful yet cerebral intrigue of the Barleycorn, and the hardened utilitarianism of the ES.
Brunswick 38 Charcoal Rose: Vintage Warmth, Modern Execution
The Brunswick case has long been a Fears signature – a cushion profile with just the right mix of curves and edges. In the Charcoal Rose, it becomes a canvas for subtle contrasts. The dial is a finely grained charcoal, reminiscent of vintage watches pulled from the archives, against which frosted 18ct rose-gold hands and new “Edwin” typography applied markers radiate warmth. The play of texture – granular background, shimmering metallic accents – makes the dial come alive without shouting for attention.
Inside beats the hand-wound La Joux-Perret D100, with its 50-hour reserve, blued screws, and slim form that keeps the watch elegantly flat on the wrist. Details matter here: the engraved onion crown, a hallmark of Fears, carries the historic cypher; the strap, cut from chestnut cordovan leather, promises decades of wear while revealing a flash of Fears Blue Alcantara lining. It’s a watch that whispers rather than roars, ideal for those who understand quiet confidence.
Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour Barleycorn: A Collector’s Delight
If the Charcoal Rose is about understatement, the Jump Hour Barleycorn is about intrigue. Its silver-white dial is sculpted into a 3D barleycorn pattern – crisp, tactile, and beautifully detailed – interrupted only by a deep plum lacquered disc at the centre. The jump hour aperture at 12 o’clock, framed with precision, clicks over with mechanical satisfaction, while a lone rhodium-plated minute hand sweeps across the dial.
The magic lies beneath. The Christopher Ward JJ01 module, paired with the Sellita SW200, delivers the crisp hour jump, while a sapphire caseback reveals the decorated calibre with Fears’ trademark Bristol Flower rotor in blue. It’s the first Jump Hour from the brand with a display back, a welcome addition for collectors. Strap options extend from a plum-toned Alcantara strap to a steel bracelet, ensuring it can be worn either as a conversation piece or as a daily companion.
Redcliff 39.5 Date ES: Rugged Refinement
The Redcliff ES (Endurance Specification) is a different beast altogether – Fears’ first true modern tool watch. Where the other two pieces court elegance, this one leans into resilience. The frosted steel case undergoes hardening to achieve a surface strength of 2,000 Vickers, while black DLC accents on the bezel, crown, and clasp sharpen its profile and improve scratch resistance.
Its multi-level dial embraces functionality: matte black depth with bright orange accents on the minute track and seconds hand for legibility and flair. Applied luminous markers glow with intensity thanks to X2 grade Super-LumiNova, the most powerful compound Fears has used to date. Beneath it all, the automatic La Joux-Perret G100 keeps time with a 68-hour reserve, a colour-matched date at three, and robust reliability. Water resistance of 150m underlines its everyday versatility.
The watch is completed by a bespoke FKM rubber strap, stitched in vivid orange and locked by a DLC-coated deployant buckle. It’s rugged enough for the outdoors but refined enough to pull off in an office.
One Language, Three Dialects
What ties these three watches together is not a shared aesthetic, but a shared philosophy: precision, proportion, and storytelling through detail. The Charcoal Rose channels vintage warmth, the Barleycorn embraces horological theatre, and the ES takes a dive into modern toughness. Each feels like an experiment in a different design language, yet all are unmistakably Fears.
It’s a bold move – not one release, but three, each aimed at different moods and collectors. And it works. This is Fears showing that heritage doesn’t have to be static – it can evolve, stretch, and adapt while staying true to its core.