The Grand Finale? Fears x Studio Underd0g Mim0sa Review

The 2 ^nd British Watchmakers Day in March of this year was dominated by two brands and one watch. I am of course refereeing to Fears and Studio Underd0g and the watch responsible for all this craziness – The Gimlet. Six months went by after Nicholas Bowman-Scargill and Richard Benc teased that the Gimlet would not be a one -off with little more than a rumour of a second collaboration watch. But, at the end of September the beautiful and elegant Manhattan was announced. Now there is a third cocktail on the menu.

The Gimlet and Manhattan were exclusively available at watch shows. The Gimlet being the star of British Watchmakers Day 2025 and The Manhattan pulling a British takeover at WindUp NYC 2025. For many people, attendance to these shows was just not possible and so they missed out on their opportunity to purchase one of these watches at retail. However, this new watch will be available online and worldwide!

Just like the Gimlet and Manhattan that went before, the dial on the Mim0sa is it’s stand out feature. It is fully lumed like the gimlet but has a very unique pattern on the sapphire layer of the dial. The previous two watches have flat crystals that sit on top of the base dial, this layer has been CNC machined using an advanced 5-axis CNC machine that can only produce 6-8 pieces per day! The effect is a dial that looks like it is liquid. I’ll admit that the effect is so convincing that Mario and I spent a good few minutes trying to peel what we thought was a sticker off the top crystal until we realised it was a texture on the dial making it look so fluid. In fairness to us, we hadn’t seen pictures or read anything about this watch at the time so weren’t to know that this dial had a three-dimensional element.

The colour of the lumed dial below is produced by carefully layering custom-formulated super-luminova. Each layer is applied and left to dry before the next layer is added. The result is a deep layer of luminescent material that glows extremely bright. The orange tones at the 6 o’clock area of the dial gradually transition into a brighter yellow toward the 12 o’clock side. And those colours begin to turn green when the lume starts to glow. In low light conditions the dial glows bright green, like the Gimlet, but that gradient of colour is still faintly visible. I find that lume dials are a bit like Marmite in the watch community. You have some people that thing it’s the tastiest accompaniment to a fresh slice of toast, while others can barely even look at a jar without retching. I on the other hand am indifferent when it comes to both Marmite and lume dials. But you cannot argue that on this particular watch, the addition of the lume dial is stunning and elevates the cool factor to infinity!

The case and movement are carried forward from the Gimlet and Manhattan which is of course carried from the wonderful Fears Brunswick 38. This case size is brilliant on almost any wrist size and paired with a suede strap it is comfortable too. I love the way these collaboration watches wear. Their proportions make their profile understated and classic which is what allows those incredible dials to stand out above all else.

To secure yourself a Mim0sa you will need to have your finger on the trigger on October 23 ^rd from 3pm-12am BST. Once the clock strikes 12, these watches will be discontinued but, anyone that secures and order slot during that window will be guaranteed a watch!

There we have it, the last in the cocktail trilogy from Fears and Studio Underdog. Another brilliantly thought-out watch that combines fun and colour with prestige and elegance. A perfect end to a spectacular partnership from these two wonderful brands.

This somehow doesn’t feel like the end of the collaborations between Fears and Studio Underd0g. I know that this is the final piece in the cocktail trilogy, but that does not mean that this is the last collaboration. With Richard and Nicholas’ strong friendship, I am confident in saying that they will be working together again very soon. Perhaps on not just a watch, but something more. It will be very interesting to watch the future of these two brands.

Now that we have all three cocktail watches officially launched, I’m curious to find out which one is your favourite. The green Gimlet that started this journey; the brilliantly elegant Manhattan; or maybe the smoother, more palatable Mim0sa. Let me know in the comments below. For me, it’s a tricky one. I have a lot of love for this year’s British Watchmakers Day and as the Gimlet was the star of that show it will always be special to me. But if I were to buy one, it would have to be the wonderful Manhattan.

Price

SSP: £1000 / €1000 / $1300.00 (Free worldwide shipping)

Model

SKUs: 02MIG

Reference: The 02SERIES Mim0sa

Case dimensions: D38mm * 12mm (9.7mm excluding crystal)

Additional dimensions: 20mm Lug width, 43.5mm Lug to lug

Architecture: Two-part case construction, screw down case-back and an onion crown

Material: 316L Stainless Steel

Crystal: Sapphire crystal

Water-resistance: 10 ATM

Movement

Movement type: Sellita manual winding SW210-1

Beat Rate: 28,800 (4hz)

Accuracy: 7 ±7 s/d

Winding crown: Clockwise wind system with hacking

Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds

Power reserve: 42h

Leather Strap

Band: 20mm tapered to 16mm strap

Band colour: Grey Alcantara

Spring bars: Quick-release

Buckle: Co-signed 316L Stainless Steel

Warranty 

Term: We've partnered with Horologium to offer a limited 2-year warranty