The New Fears Brunswick Helmsman lifts the brand’s best-known model to “Endurance Spec”
Andrew O'Connor- Fears adds the new Brunswick 40 ‘Helmsman’ ES to its permanent collection.
- Featuring a brushed and media-blasted 316L stainless steel case, matte white dial, and 200 meters of water resistance, this Endurance Spec Brunswick was built with serious yachting and open-water use in mind.
- It is priced at £3,450 incl. VAT.
In the ten years since Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, the great-great-great-grandson of Edwin Fear, resurrected the Fears brand, it has gained popularity and recognition for a well-defined design language, quality timepieces, and championing British watchmaking through collaborations with fellow British brands. The Brunswick was the brand’s second collection, and likely its most widely known. The cushion-case design has served as a platform for different sizes and dial designs, as well as a collaboration with Christopher Ward. The specifications position the Brunswick as a capable all-rounder, while the design and finishing make the watch more of a dressy-casual timepiece.
This is Fears’ second Endurance Specification watch after the Fears Redcliff 39.5 Date “ES”. While the “Endurance Spec” treatment brought increased durability and sportier design features to the model, the watch had a drastically different look and feel from other Redcliff models. Now, Fears has given the Brunswick the “ES” treatment, bringing a more sporty take to the Brunswick line-up with the Brunswick 40 ‘Helmsman’ ES.
The new Fears Brunswick 40 ‘Helmsman’ ES joins the Fears permanent catalogue and was developed using lessons learned from last year’s EXPERIMENTAL 01, created for a British rowing world-record attempt. The Helmsman was designed to cater to those who rely on their watch while out on the water, and is less about how the watch looks at the yacht club. As a result, this new model takes the Brunswick design language and turns its focus more towards being a functional tool on open water.
For the case, the Helmsman uses a 40mm x 38mm cushion-shaped case, with some distinct differences. Gone is the polished bezel and lugs, in favour of a fully brushed and media-blasted case. The matte finishing on the stainless steel case was done to reduce distracting reflections from the watch while working on the water. The water resistance has also been improved from 150 metres to 200 metres, ensuring the watch remains a reliable tool for regular soaking in open water. The case measures 40mm x 38mm, 46.5mm lug-to-lug, and 11.9mm thick to the top of the domed sapphire crystal with ARdur® Swiss anti-reflective coating on the inside and outside, making it very wearable for a wide range of wrists.
Continuing the seafaring theme, the Brunswick ‘Helmsman’ ES features a bright white dial. The textured surface of the dial is then covered with a matte white lacquer, thus reducing unnecessary glare that would diminish legibility. The dial features an applied Marine Blue chapter ring with white printing, and diamond-polished PVD blue hands and indices for contrast against the matte dial. For low-light visibility, the hands and indices are filled with Grade A BGW9 Swiss Super-LumiNova.
Inside the Fears Brunswick 40 ‘Helmsman’ ES is a top-grade La Joux-Perret G101. The G101 features automatic winding, 24 jewels, operates at 28,800 vph and has a 68-hour power reserve. Through the open caseback, you can see that the movement is finished with Côtes de Genève, blued screws, and features a custom-decorated rotor featuring the ‘Bristol Flower’ motif. Attaching the watch to the wrist is a bright white textured FKM rubber strap with contrasting Marine Blue stitching, an all-brushed Fears bespoke pin buckle, and black FKM rubber lining.
Fears Brunswick 40 ‘Helmsman’ ES pricing and availability
The Fears Brunswick 40 ‘Helmsman’ ES is now available to pre-order at the Time+Tide Studios in London and New York, alongside the Time+Tide Shop. Price: £3,450 inc. VAT
| Brand | Fears |
| Model | Brunswick 40 ‘Helmsman’ ES |
| Reference | BS240.000 |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 11.9mm (T) x 46.5mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 316L stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 200 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Domed front sapphire crystal with ARdur® Swiss anti-reflective coating on the inside and outside, exhibition caseback |
| Dial | Textured matte bright white lacquer |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Bright White textured FKM rubber strap, Marine Blue stitching and keepers, black FKM rubber lining, pin buckle |
| Movement | La Joux-Perret G101, Top-Grade, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 68 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Now available to pre-order at the Time+Tide Studios in London and New York, alongside the Time+Tide Shop. |
| Price | £3,450 inc. VAT |