Fears gets ready for Geneva Watch Days 2025 with three atypical takes on its best-sellers
Tom Austin- British brand Fears has subtly updated a trio of models in its core collection for Geneva Watch Days: the Brunswick 38, Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour and the Redcliff 39.5 Date have all received fresh details such as dials and surface coatings.
- The pair of Brunswicks both feature new dials, with the 38 ‘Charcoal Rose’ featuring a two-tone, granular-textured charcoal dial, paired with 18k rose gold details, while the 40.5 Jump Hour receives a plum-lacquered disc, set into a textured silver-white dial.
- The Redcliff 39.5 is presented with a black granulated dial with orange details, paired with a variety of new surface textures, such as black DLC coating on the bezel, caseback and crown, and a frosted matte steel finish on the case.
The revival of historic brands is always a difficult challenge. Not only do you need your audience to pay attention, but you also have to be respectful of the brand’s heritage while maintaining a fresh approach, ensuring your efforts don’t fall flat. We’ve seen plenty of attempts over the years that have failed in this endeavour on one count or another, but Fears is one brand that is managing to strike that critical balance; it remains fresh and adventurous while being faithful to the brand’s past. As a family-run company, even today, Managing Director Nicholas Bowman-Scargill faces even more pressure to get this right. The process of slowly evolving models is paying dividends for the brand, and in time for Geneva Watch Days 2025 next week, we’ve been treated to another flurry of exciting releases from Fears to continue that ongoing process.
Fears Brunswick 38 ‘Charcoal Rose’
The first in the trinity of new models is the gorgeous cushion-shaped Brunswick, in arguably the best size, 38mm. The perfectly proportioned 316L stainless steel case remains untouched, along with the trademark onion-shaped crown, which features the Fears Cypher, reminiscent of historic watches from Fears’ back-catalogue. Underneath the domed sapphire crystal sits this watch’s most significant update, the dial, and while there are several dials to choose from in the standard Brunswick lineup, this new one is quite the looker.
The name ‘Charcoal Rose’ makes things pretty self-explanatory, with the central section of the two-tone dial being finished in a granulated charcoal black finish, and the outer dial layer finished in circular rose gold brushing. Peeking through the textured dial is a bright rose gold coloured small-seconds dial with a contrasting black hand, making that subdial pop more than we’ve seen before on the Brunswick.
A favourite feature of this model is the applied Arabic hour markers; the typeface is nice and clean, but the 18k rose gold appliques are so thick that they cast a shadow across the dial, which gives off an excellent 3-dimensional effect. Paired with a set of 18k rose gold hour hands, they bring a stunning contrast to the dial, which is refreshing for the model, while still retaining that classic yet modern look that the Brunswick is appreciated for.
The Brunswick is now powered by the hand-wound La Joux-Perret D100 movement, offering a 50-hour power reserve and neat upgrades such as heat-blued screws. The pleasantly finished movement is visible through an exhibition caseback, which does add a little extra thickness to the watch. There are some choices you can make, though; the Charcoal Rose can be specified either with a 5-link stainless steel bracelet for a more tool-like aesthetic, or a chestnut brown Cordovan leather strap, which gives the watch that luxurious, 1920s-esque appeal that pairs beautifully with the new dial.
Fears Brunswick 38 ‘Charcoal Rose’ pricing and availability
The Fears Brunswick 38 ‘Charcoal Rose’ is available to order from Fears from the 29th of August 2025, for delivery in September 2025. Price: £3,450 (strap), £3,650 (bracelet)
| Brand | Fears |
| Model | Brunswick 38 ‘Charcoal Rose’ |
| Reference | BS23800B |
| Case Dimensions | 38mm (D) x 11.25mm (T) x 43mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 316L stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 meters |
| Crystal(s) | Domed sapphire, anti-reflective coating |
| Dial | Multi-level granulated black with rose gold details |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Chestnut brown Cordovan leather strap, pin buckle 5-link stainless steel bracelet, folding clasp |
| Movement | La Joux-Perret D100, manual-winding |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Available from 29th August, delivery in September |
| Price | £3,450 (strap) £3,650 (bracelet) |
Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour ‘Barleycorn’
The next watch in the Fears update is another Brunswick, but this time in the form of the elusive Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour. In the past, this model has only appeared momentarily in the Fears collection, once as an initial, black dialled limited edition, and then again with a white dial at the British Watchmakers event in March of this year. Slightly larger in diameter, the Jump Hour’s 316L stainless steel case sits at 40.5mm, and the lug-to-lug stretches to 47mm, but it’s still a very wearable size. The case retains its characteristic cushion shape with soft edges, is neatly polished on all facets, and features those short lugs, giving the watch a chunky yet somewhat elegant proportion on the wrist.
This new version of the watch features an intricately detailed dial, starting with a textured, guilloché-style outer disc finished in what Fears call ‘silverwhite’. The central minutes dial features a brushed rhodium-plated outer ring containing the minutes track, and is complemented by a single rhodium-plated hand. Sitting behind this is a plum-coloured lacquered disc, which is a rich, stark contrast to the silvery texture of the outer areas of the dial. And of course, the huge jump-hour display sits proudly at 12 o’clock, giving the watch an overall look that is both contemporary and classic at the same time.
Beneath the dial, Fears has opted to work with Christopher Ward, who has provided them with a JJ01 jumping hour module from a Bel Canto, which is coupled to a Sellita SW200 automatic movement. Alongside the unusual complication, it features 25 jewels and beats at 4Hz, boasting an adequate 38-hour power reserve, and the rotor has been treated to some subtle decoration, which is visible through the exhibition caseback.
This Brunswick model is available again on both the 5-link steel bracelet or on a traditional strap, and this one in particular looks fantastic against the dial. The strap is hand-finished in a plum Alcantara, which is lined with Fears’ blue calf leather, and finished with an engraved bespoke pin buckle.
Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour ‘Barleycorn’ pricing and availability
The Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour ‘Barleycorn’ is available to order from Fears from the 29th of August 2025, for delivery in September 2025. Price: £4,250 (strap), £4,450 (bracelet)
| Brand | Fears |
| Model | Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour ‘Barleycorn’ |
| Reference | BS240.500A |
| Case Dimensions | 40.5mm (D) x 12.8mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 316L stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 meters |
| Crystal(s) | Domed sapphire, anti-reflective coating |
| Dial | Silverwhite barleycorn pattern with plum lacquered disc and rhodium-plated details |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Plum Alcantara strap, pin buckle 5-link stainless steel bracelet, folding clasp |
| Movement | Sellita SW200 base with Christopher Ward JJ01 jumping hour module, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Functions | Jumping hours, minutes |
| Availability | Available from 29th August, delivery in September |
| Price | £4,250 (strap) £4,450 (bracelet) |
Fears Redcliff 39.5 Date ‘ES’
Fears are known for their classically inspired, traditionally designed watches that sit somewhere between dressy and everyday wearers. But this new Redcliff is probably the brand’s most sporty offering to date. The Redcliff is already perhaps the most relaxed and modern design the brand has to offer, almost like a British Oyster Perpetual, but this new ‘ES’ model takes it to the next level. ‘ES’ stands for “Endurance Specification”, and when taking a closer look, it’s easy to see why.
The 39.5mm 316L stainless steel case has been treated to a frosted steel DLC coating, which has increased the surface hardness to 2,000 Vickers, along with a stealthy black DLC coating on the bezel, crown and caseback, offering a bold and rugged contrast. These finishes have elevated the watch from a simple everyday wearer to a true utilitarian tool watch that can really put up with a battering.
I think we all have a soft spot for dark watches paired with orange details. The ES sports a crackled carbon-black dial complemented with some striking orange details like the seconds hand and 5-minute markers. These, paired with the bold white hour markers and Super-LumiNova-filled hands, make for a legible and sporty look which is a complete departure from anything we’ve seen from Fears before. It’s somewhat evocative of Braun designs – although this is a more horologically mature product.
With that said, it is a Fears, after all, and they’ve done an excellent job bringing some dimensionality to the dial with some applied indices and a deep, angled rehaut. With no reflections in sight, every surface of the watch features a matte finish, and as the surface is super-hardened, it’ll stay looking that way for a long time to come.
Endurance by name, endurance by nature, and the movement supports this purpose well. The watch is powered by the La Joux-Perret G100 automatic, a refined yet reliable movement that provides a central seconds hand and a tiny, colour-matched date window at 3 o’clock. There’s a generous 68-hour power reserve, along with some subtle côtes de Genève decoration and a not-so-subtle bright blue rotor, visible through the exhibition case back.
The watch is finished with an ultra-slick FKM rubber strap, which comes in matching carbon black and features bright orange contrast stitching. The strap is closed by a fold-over deployant clasp, which is also DLC-coated for extra toughness. This kind of specification is usually found on watches of a much higher price point, so these details are impressive to see from Fears.
Fears Redcliff 39.5 Date ‘ES’ pricing and availability
The Fears Redcliff 39.5 Date ‘ES’ is available to order from Fears from the 29th of August 2025, for delivery in September 2025. Price: £3,350
| Brand | Fears |
| Model | Redcliff 39.5 Date ‘ES’ |
| Reference | BS139.500 |
| Case Dimensions | 39.5mm (D) x 9.95mm (T) x 47mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | 316L stainless steel, DLC coated |
| Water Resistance | 150 meters |
| Crystal(s) | Domed sapphire, anti-reflective coating |
| Dial | Carbon black textured finish with orange details |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Carbon black FKM rubber with DLC-coated fold-over deployant clasp |
| Movement | La Joux-Perret G100, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 68 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Available from 29th August, delivery in September |
| Price | £3,350 |