The delightful cushion-shaped Fears Brunswick watch has been presented in a varying range of dial colours since its launch in 2017. There’s been classic black, silver and blue displays alongside more enthusing hues of pink, burgundy, champagne and - one of my personal favourites - ‘Mallard Green’.
Today, the Fears Watch Company expands the line even further with two new dial colours and an updated case design. The novelties include the Fears Brunswick ‘Aurora’ watch which is the company’s first mother of pearl dial and the Fears Brunswick 40 ‘Copper Salmon’ which follows on from the success of the Brunswick 38 Salmon model. Both models also feature a new strap option; a leather strap or a 5-link stainless steel bracelet.
Fears Brunswick 40 - Credit Fears
Updated Case and New Strap Option
Before we dive into the dials of the Fears Brunswick ‘Aurora’ and ‘Copper Salmon’ watches, let’s first explore what exactly is new for the Brunswick 40mm case and its straps. It seems the case now features an improved water resistant rating of 150 metres. Before, this was rated at 100 metres, and having looked at the Fears Watch Company’s website, all their 40mm models now boast this very upgrade.
This increased water resistance is thanks to an adjusted case architecture and the inclusion of a bespoke, screw down crown which sees the Fears cypher engraved onto the tip. There are still no flat surfaces to be seen on the case, just one fluid curved cushion-shape with polished and brushed finishes. There’s still sapphire crystal with Swiss anti-reflective coating and a closed case back completely lacking of any decoration.
Fears Brunswick 40 - Credit Fears
Another addition for the new Fears Brunswick ‘Aurora’, Brunswick ‘Copper Salmon’ watches, and all the Brunswick range for that matter, is a new leather strap option. Previously, these watches debuted on the Fears five-row link stainless steel bracelet whereas now, for a lower cost, you can also order them on a buffalo leather strap. The Brunswick ‘Aurora’ is offered on an Aegean blue nubuck buffalo strap while the Brunswick 40 Copper Salmon arrives with a premium Raven Black buffalo leather strap. The straps feature quick release spring bars so you can easily swap them over without the need for any tools.
The Fears Brunswick 40 ‘Aurora’
For the first time in its 177-year history, the Fears Watch Company has created a watch with a mother of pearl dial. It was about time. The Fears Brunswick ‘Aurora’ uses gorgeous natural mother of pearl to evoke the colours of the aurora borealis, otherwise known as the northern lights. The dial is crafted from two sections of mother of pearl that are cut to different lengths. Each piece is hand tinted to give it its unique shade of blue.
The iridescent centre is complemented by the Brunswick’s familiar milled and hand-applied numeral indices and bespoke ‘Edwin’ typeset. The numerals are diamond polished and coated in rhodium to glisten just as brightly as its pearl-crafted backdrop. Like the rest of the Brunswick 40 collection, the classic time-only display is powered by the ETA 2824-2 automatic winding movement with 25 jewels, a frequency of 28,800vph and a 40-hour power reserve. According to the British brand, the rotor is custom decorated with the ‘Bristol Flower’, but we’ll have to take their word for it since it’s hidden behind the case back.
Fears Brunswick 40 - Credit Fears
The Fears Brunswick 40 ‘Copper Salmon’
A couple of years ago, in the September of 2020 to be exact, Fears launched the inaugural Brunswick 38 Copper Salmon watch. This beautiful, pink-hued model remains a firm favourite with Fears collectors and is a fixture of the Brunswick collection even today. Making the most of its success, the British brand now delivers the salmon-coloured dial (albeit with slightly different finishing) to their larger 40mm model.
The Brunswich 38 ‘Copper Salmon’ is rather different in its approach compared to traditional salmon dials. It stands out for its textured vertical brushed finishing. For the Fears Brunswich 40 ‘Copper Salmon’, however, things are kept a little more classic. It uses the same shade of ‘salmon’ but with a raised outer section with subtle vertical brushing and a central lower section that has been finely sandblasted. This display also differs with diamond polished applied numerals and hands coated in black gold.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, Managing Director of Fears Watch Company comments on the launch of the Fears Brunswick ‘Aurora’ and Brunswick 40 ‘Copper Salmon’ watches: “Following the successful introduction of our sportier, automatic Brunswick 40mm range in late 2022 I was keen to see the collection grow. The Brunswick ‘Aurora’ is a watch I’ve wanted to create for a long time, having been a big admirer of the beauty of mother of pearl ever since my parents gifted me a pair of silver cufflinks, intricately set with the material when I was 16 years old. Since then I’ve always enjoyed the way this delicate material changes in the light and were compelled to show off its versatility in our sportier watch model by capturing the sensation of experiencing the northern lights.
Fears Brunswick 40 - Credit Fears
“The Copper Salmon colour we developed during 2020 has gained so many admirers I was intent to see how it would work on the larger dial area of the 40mm Brunswick. The two levels of the larger dial allowed us to experiment with different finishes to find a combination that best worked with the metallic tones of the copper and 18ct Red Gold coatings.”
The Fears Brunswick ‘Aurora’ and Brunswick 40 ‘Copper Salmon’ are available to purchase from Fears and Fears Authorised Stockists around the world. The Brunswick ‘Aurora’ retails at £3,850 on the leather strap and £4,050 on the bracelet. The Brunswick 40 ‘Copper Salmon’ retails for £3,550 on the leather and £3,750 on the bracelet.
Technical Specifications:
- Brand: Fears
- Model: Brunswick 40 ‘Aurora’ & ‘Copper Salmon’
- Price: Starts from £3,550
- Material: Stainless steel
- Movement: ETA 2824-2 automatic winding
- Complications: Hours, minutes, seconds
- Dial: Blue mother of pearl or copper salmon
- Size: 40mm wide, 11.6mm tall
- When the reviewer would personally wear it: I’d happily wear either of these models, most likely with formal attire.
- A friend we’d recommend it to first: A lover of quintessentially British-looking timepieces.
- Best characteristics of the watch: The dials are beautiful and the overall vintage look is very appealing.
- The worst characteristics of the watch: I can’t understand why these watches have closed case backs, especially at this price point and with custom-decorated rotors hiding within.
