Fears Watch Company launches its first watch to be made in solid precious metal since the 1960s with the Brunswick Pt in Platinum. Weighing nearly three times that of the steel Brunswick, this new watch features a case crafted in the traditional way. The precious case houses a new dial coated in real Anthracite and set with six flawless diamond indices.
Before machine-produced precious metal watch cases became the norm, each case would have been made by hand, often by a jeweller, and requiring great skill. This time-consuming process is being used again by Fears who have worked with award-winning Goldsmith Justin Richardson in Canterbury, England to create the Brunswick Pt’s case.
Using nearly 100g of Platinum, each case takes 100 hours to shape and polish by hand resulting in a deep lustre, before receiving its London Assay Office hallmark. Continuing a Fears tradition since 1846, the company’s hallmark is the initials of the Managing Director at the time, and so the case and buckle have been marked by the London Assay Office with the initials of Fears’ current Managing Director: ‘NBS’ – Nicholas Bowman-Scargill.
The dial on the Brunswick Pt features a Platinum-exclusive Anthracite Grey, made using a coating of real Anthracite. The natural colour combines with three surface finishes to result in a dial that changes in the light giving a two-tone affect. Each dial is hand finished, involving over 58 processes, and features a contemporary layout with alternating platinum plated Arabic numerals and flawless diamonds. The discreet diamond markers complement the D-colour, flawless diamond set into the Platinum winding crown.
“Since I was a young boy I’ve always been fascinated with Platinum. Not only by its incredible weight but also by its mesmerizing bright white shine when perfectly polished. Having known that Fears used to make watches in precious metals I was keen to re-create one, but in a traditional way and tackling the difficulties that come with working with Platinum. I’m pleased that our first solid precious metal watch is a contemporary take on what a precious metal watch can be in the 21st Century. Combining Platinum and diamonds with materials like Kevlar is the result when you turn Fears up to 11.”
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, (4th) Managing Director of Fears Watch Company
The Brunswick Pt’s hands follow the same distinctive Fears shape used on other models but are represented in solid rather than skeletonized form. Each hand is first water cut from a sheet of Platinum before being bevelled by hand. Finishing takes one day for each hand, using polishing and frosting on either side of the bevel to give increased legibility. Finally, the Brunswick Pt is fitted to a hand sewn strap, made using Kevlar® with contrasting platinum coloured stitching and Fears Blue Alcantara® lining. The strap is joined by a platinum pin buckle, whose shape mirrors the silhouette and cross section of the watch’s case.
The Fears Brunswick Pt retails for £28,200 inc. VAT, built to order with up to four pieces each year being made.
Fears Brunswick PT specification:
| CASE | 950 Platinum, 38mm x 38mm cushion-shaped (depth 12.12mm to top of domed sapphire glass). Closed caseback in 950 Platinum. Made in the UK & hallmarked by the London Assay Office with the Fears hallmark |
| LUG WIDTH | 20mm |
| MOVEMENT | Top-grade Swiss made ETA 7001, manual winding, 17 jewels, 21,600vph (3Hz) and 40 hr power reserve Modified with new bridge shape, linear graining and plated in Platinum. Finishing done in the UK |
| GLASS | Sapphire Crystals to front with ARdur® Swiss anti-reflective coating on inside and outside |
| DIAL | Anthracite Grey in real Anthracite coating. Sunken subsidiary seconds counter at 6 o’clock with vertical brushing (by hand) to outer ring and matt finish to the centre & index ring. Polished and Platinum plated hand applied alternate Arabic numerals and D-colour, flawless Diamonds. Made in Germany |
| HANDS | ‘Fears’ hands – 950 Platinum, bevelled, polished and frosted. Made in the UK |
| FUNCTIONS | Time with subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock |
| WARRENTY | 2 Year guarantee from date of purchase |
| STRAP | Kevlar, hand sewn – fitted with a 950 Platinum buckle. Made in the UK & hallmarked by the London Assay Office with the Fears hallmark |
| SERIAL NUMBER | Individually numbered, sequentially |
| MODEL REFERENCE | BS23802 |
| RETAIL PRICE | £28,200 inc. VAT |
More information can be found at http://www.fearswatches.com/brunswickpt