Worn & Wound
Hands-On: the Fears Redcliff 39.5 Date
The date: 3 November 2016. The place: Saatchi Gallery, London. The Fears watch company is relaunched by Nicholas Bowman Scargill in a story that most Fearsfans are now familiar with. The watch that relaunched Fears was not the popular and archetypal Brunswick, but the Redcliff Date. This quartz watch made use of the now-familiar ‘Pipette’ motif but was an altogether more everyday watch compared to the dressier Brunswick that followed a year later and catapulted Fears to success. In late February, Fears launched an update to the Redcliff line and, to differentiate it from that original model, named it the Redcliff 39.5 Date. Nicholas was kind enough to show the range to me in a London pub just before release, and even with dingy lighting it was clear that the quality and attention to detail were present. I have now been able to spend a little more time with the Pewter Grey in some lighter surroundings, though my initial impressions remain fairly unchanged. Is this a watch for every occasion? Jumping straight to the dial, I think this Pewter Grey is the best of the bunch. The Raven Black is probably more versatile. The Cherry Red makes a strong first impression. The ‘boutique only’ Mallard Green is a subtle gem. However, the Pewter Grey is a rich amalgamation of the best parts of each. The strong vertical brushing of the dial changes the shade from a bright and shimmering silver to a more brooding slate grey. I have to say I prefer the dial at its lightest in bright ...
