Back in January 2023, Fears and Christopher Ward collaborated on the Alliance 01, the first limited edition watch made specifically for the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers. The watch became an immediate cult sensation, partly due to its unusual jump hour complication, and partly because it was just plain rare, right from the start. The watch was only available to members of the Alliance, a smaller group for sure than the typical audience for either brand. But when a watch like this appears, something with a highly specific complication that also strikes a chord with the community, we know that it’s only a matter of time before a version comes along that’s more widely accessible. Well, that time is now. Today, Fears introduces what they refer to as an evolution of the Alliance 01, the all new Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour.
At its core, this is still very much the watch that we saw back in early 2023. It keeps the 40.5mm Brunswick case, a cushion case design that splits the difference nicely between sporty and something more refined. I happen to own a Brunswick, and find that the case is something of a chameleon – on the right strap it feels like a true dress watch, and on a bracelet, worn casually, it has an almost Datejust-like quality, which is to say it’s right in the middle of that dress/sport spectrum.
But the real heart of the watch is Christopher Ward’s module, also carried over from the Alliance 01, that allows for the jumping hour complication. The circular aperture at the 12:00 position displays the current hour, and minutes are read via the hand at the center of the dial, which points to an interior minute track. It’s an intuitive way to read the time and allows for Fears to have a little fun with the dial in a way that wouldn’t be possible in a traditional time telling format. The typeface used for the hours, for example, is a custom version of the brand’s “Edwin” font that has been tweaked specifically for use in a circular window.
The most significant change from the original version of the watch is that the minute track is now applied, which gives the dial some additional depth and offers an opportunity to draw some contrasts in the finishing of each individual dial element. That varies slightly across each dial color option, of which there are three in total. The “Raven Black” variant, as the name would imply, is jet black all the way through, with a sunray finish on the outer portion. The interior minute track is hand painted in black, and the dial’s center has a CNC machine applied guilloche pattern for contrast. The “Mallard Green” option, a boutique exclusive that can only be purchased at the brand’s location in Bristol, is similar in execution to the black, but the applied minute ring is rhodium plated. The standout of the three, in my opinion, is the “Coral Lacquer” colorway. This one features black minute scale and a deep coral dial that is the product of several layers of hand polished lacquer.
The base movement powering the Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour is the tried and true Sellita SW200, which is paired with Christopher Ward’s JJ01 jumping hour module. The JJ01, it should be pointed out, has been used for years in Christopher Ward watches to great effect, and it even forms the basis of the movement behind the Bel Canto (whether the caliber chimes or moves a disc, it’s doing it on the hour).
The Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour is available now through Fears and their authorized dealer network, and unlike the Alliance 01 this is not a limited edition. The retail price is £3,541.67 on a leather strap and £3,708.34 on a five link bracelet (both prices are excluding VAT). Fears
