At first glance, the Fears Redcliff Confetti Burlingame Edition appears to be a classy sport watch with splashes of colorful character. But as the fourth collaboration between the British watchmaker and Topper Jewelers (a family-owned retail store in Burlingame, California, that has long served as a major hub of Bay Area watch enthusiasm) the Confetti isn’t just a tasteful splash of pop-art wrapped in a sleek, dressy package—it’s also a symbol of joy, and an ode to overcoming adversity.
The Confetti’s unapologetically exuberant dial motif was hand-drawn by John Caplan just after completing three years of chemotherapy in his fight against Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Caplan’s design was emblematic of the relief and joy both he and his family felt following the conclusion of his treatment: “…I kept thinking about how it would feel to be finally finished [with my three years of chemotherapy],” Caplan says. “My father and I discussed the idea of making something inspirational that would both recognize the journey we’ve gone through as a family and also be a joyful thing to look at…after some experimentation, we presented my hand drawn confetti concept to Nicholas [Bowman-Scargill], and after a few discussions, we all knew that we had something worth developing.” The stand-out pastel blue of the running-seconds hand is John’s favorite color, adding an extra touch of triumph and joy to the center of the Confetti concept. “I love using bright colors in my work because they remind me of life’s best moments,” Caplan states, “and I wanted to create something that someone else could use for their own celebration of those moments—whether a personal milestone, or overcoming adversity.”
The Fears Redcliff serves as a beautifully subtle and classy backdrop that allows the dial design to take center stage, without sacrificing reliability or function to form. “Back in January 2024 I showed Rob Caplan the soon to be launched Redcliff models…it was within days of seeing these pieces that he contacted me with the idea for the ‘Confetti’ and it felt right for it to be in the Redcliff case as the elegant curves of this traditionally shaped case were the perfect canvas for what would be the most intricate and complex dial Fears has made,” Fears Managing Director Nicholas Bowman-Scargill says. “Through the process of creating this watch we worked very closely with John and his father Rob who had a clear vision for how they wanted this watch to not only look but also feel. It’s been such a pleasure working with them both as over the years we’ve become close friends.”
And while John Caplan has contributed art and graphic design to merchandise items, Instagram posters, and more for Topper in the past, the Confetti’s dial design represents his biggest project yet, and a chance to work closely with his father. who elaborates: “[this project] was my son John’s vision of creating a joyful piece that served as a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and reaching the finish line of difficult challenges…he took center stage. Getting to work closely with him where I was in a more supporting role was incredibly fun and I think both of us will reflect fondly on the time we spent working together on Confetti.”
The Watch
The Confetti features a sporty, modern design with a round, 39.5mm 316L brushed stainless steel case. Gently sloping lugs further streamline the silhouette of the watch, with a 20mm lug width that accommodates the included Fears 3-link stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp (a Powder Grey textile strap with a stainless steel pin buckle is also included). Bolstering the case design are a screw-down crown and caseback with original artwork and limited edition engravings, and a sapphire crystal. A Swiss-made La Joux-Perret G100 movement powers the Confetti, and promises a 68-hour power reserve and 300m of water resistance.
Of course, John Caplan’s dial design is what sets the Confetti apart from other variants of the Redcliff. Backed by ivory-colored lacquer and adorned with an all-over multi-color lacquer confetti motif, the dial represents the idea of celebration to the fullest. The diamond-polished hour markers are coated with SuperLuminova X1-Grade lume, and the blue seconds hand adds one last splash of joyous color. The centered Fears logo, “England” text below the 6 o’ clock position, and red numerals counting up to 60 above each hour marker are the only text details on the dial, giving full attention to the delightful pastel squiggles and dots. Despite all the color, it remains clearly legible and retains the refined air of a classy sport-dress watch from all angles.
The Celebration
Naturally, with such a special story and creation process, the Confetti’s release was given the proper party treatment by way of a special “celebration” event, hosted by Topper Jewelers, on the evening of Saturday, March 1st. I was lucky enough to attend the event, mingle with guests, and watch the presentations unfold.
The key hallmarks of a Topper event were all there—excited gaggles of watch enthusiasts sharing their treasured timepieces, delicious hors d’oeuvres and ice-cold drinks being passed around, and of course, a Warriors game on the big TV behind the bar. But even before the Caplan family and Bowman-Scargill took center stage to share the biggest announcement of the evening, there was a palpable static in the room—a buzz of anticipation that emanated out from each exuberant conversation. Early Confetti buyers in the crowd each wore their new watch, a fun excitement-building tactic set up by Topper, and some family members and friends even sported matching Confetti scarves.
The crowd at Topper on the night of the Confetti’s launch
As the evening went on, I chatted with Topper employees and guests, who all seemed to exhibit an enthusiasm for the Confetti and its story, and an eagerness to share it with the world. Because of Topper’s position as a meeting spot for Bay Area watch enthusiasts, the crowd felt warm, welcoming, and genuinely involved in the atmosphere of celebration—these were the people who meant the most to the Topper family, and vice versa. As the first presentation kicked off, attendants crowded eagerly around the bar area to hear the three Caplans and Bowman-Scargill speak about the process of designing the Confetti—which, it turns out, was more complicated than it may seem.
“Each piece of confetti is hand drawn,” Bowman-Scargill explained, “This was something we worked very hard on with our dial maker, because it couldn’t be flat. It had to have the joy of confetti ‘landing’ on the dial.” Indeed, each piece of confetti on the dial was designed and drawn individually, and stands out from the background to create a convincing illusion of actual confetti resting on a physical surface. This idea was summed up eloquently by John himself, to cap off the first presentation: “this is a metaphor of joy and celebration”.
The Caplan family and Nicholas Bowman-Scargill discuss the Confetti
And celebrate we did, as the evening wore on. Some two hours later, the crowd once again hushed and turned towards the bar as a few special guests were introduced: Dr. Liora Schultz and Gina Dagher, John’s care team at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, and Korynn Pope, Program Manager for Community Fundraising at the Lucile Packard Foundation.
Here, the biggest unveiling of the event occurred via a massive $20,000 check, made out to the Lucile Packard Foundation. Cheers practically shook the building as John signed the check and the microphone was passed to Pope to explain the details of the donation, and what specifically it would be in support of. In short, the first $10,000 will be sent to the Pediatric Leukemia and Lymphoma Fund to support cutting-edge research for leukemia and other pediatric cancers, and the second $10,000 will go directly to help support staff and allocate supplies for the art therapy program at the Children’s Hospital. As a surprise bonus, the Fremont Bank Foundation, as represented at the event by CEO Andy Mastorakis, pledged an additional $10,000, with $5,000 going to each of the two funds respectively, upping the donation total to $30,000.
Following the signing of the check, Dr. Schultz and Nurse Dagher each took a turn on the microphone to share warm sentiments and anecdotes that not only served as a wonderfully fitting capstone to such a joyous event, but lent even more credence to the idea behind the Confetti’s design, production, and release—that joy should be celebrated at every chance, and shared as widely as possible.
Though the Fears Redcliff Confetti Burlingame Edition’s first batch has already been sent out to early buyers, the second batch will be available exclusively at Topper Jewelers in late April at a retail price of $3,700. Fears x Topper
