Fears Expands Their Brunswick Collection With Midas & Salmon

Now coming to the end of the fourth year since its rebirth, the Fears watch company have added two more models to the line-up of their Brunswick collection. The white-dial Fears Brunswick was the first mechanical offering since the brand’s relaunch in 2016, and now forms the centre point of the Fears catalogue. The brand’s re-founder and 4th Managing Director, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill paid me a visit to showcase the new Brunswick Midas and Brunswick Salmon, two beautiful watches with a warm, golden touch.

First up, the updated Midas model features a bronze case then plated in layers of 9 carat yellow gold and 18 carat rose gold, with a hand-brushed rhodium-plated dial. The hands and indices are also gold plated, matching the case.

The new Brunswick Salmon features a dial described as “coppery salmon” which is formed with galvanic coatings of gold and copper. On this model the indices take on a sand-blasted finish, with heat-blued hands contrasting against the warm salmon dial.

On both of these new models the fine vertical brushing gives a markedly different look depending on the light, and the concentric circles of the seconds subdial breaks up the sparseness. Although the Brunswick Midas and Salmon share the same 38mm cushion case and distinctive handset, they both feature a new set of hour markers. These indices go through a process of CNC machining, diamond polishing and sand-blasting before the particular finish is applied, and the typeface itself is a creation of Lee Yuen-Rapati (Instagram’s OneHourWatch) after spending time studying the Fears watch archives. Also present just outside those applied indices are very small versions of the Fears ‘pipette which has become an identifying symbol for the brand.

One new aspect of the updated Midas model is the inclusion of a solid case back. The hand-wound ETA 7001 is not a bad movement to look at through a display back, especially when finished with Côtes de Genève and a golden ‘pipette’, but Fears has taken on owner feedback to offer this model with a solid caseback which is more comfortable to some.

These two new models are also the first Brunswick’s to feature the word ‘England’ at the bottom of the dial. Although some parts are necessarily sourced elsewhere (notably the movement), Fears want to acknowledge the many parts that are sourced and produced in England (such as the calf leather strap from Bristol- the original home of Fears) as well as the fact that each watch is hand-assembled in England.

The Brunswick Salmon is priced at £3,150 and the Brunswick Midas at £4,250 (both including VAT), with delivery starting from 3 October. More from Fears.