Fears Watch Company has revealed EXPERIMENTAL 01, its most technically focused watch to date, and purpose- built for the British world record attempt, a Great British Odyssey.
This unique timepiece is announced alongside the ‘Odyssey Edition’, a special limited-edition version of the Fears Brunswick 40. Limited to 100 pieces, the Brunswick 40 ‘Odyssey Edition’ takes design cues from EXPERIMENTAL 01 and includes special features to commemorate this world record attempt. A portion of the sale of each ‘Odyssey Edition’ will be donated to James’ Place, the charity partner of a Great British Odyssey that saves the lives of men in suicidal crisis.
A Great British Odyssey will see ultra endurance athlete, Angus Collins (below), attempt to be the first person ever to solo row, unsupported, around mainland Great Britain. As the official timekeeping partner to this challenge, Fears has designed and manufactured a special version of its robust Brunswick 40mm wrist watch with eight enhancements all fashioned to aid Angus on his row.
The Fears EXPERIMENTAL 01 is the first tool watch created by the company since the 1970s, engineered to be put through the most extreme of conditions. This watch is the toughest that Fears has made to date and demonstrates the technical prowess of the company in its engineering. The EXPERIMENTAL 01 and its components have been through several months of advanced testing to ensure the watch will perform while on Angus’ wrist.
To create the EXPERIMENTAL 01, the inhouse Fears Design and Engineering team built a new specification based on the architecture of the Fears Brunswick 40, that was launched in October 2022. The cushion case shape of the Brunswick carries the unmistakable aesthetic of Fears design whilst its construction makes it the most robust watch to come from Fears. Sharing dimensions in line with the 40mm Brunswick, EXPERIMENTAL 01 has eight key enhancements to its specification, created to assist Angus on his world record attempt.
To commemorate a Great British Odyssey, Fears are releasing a special 100-piece limited edition inspired by EXPERIMENTAL 01’s technically focused design. The new watch, called the Brunswick 40 ‘Odyssey Edition’ takes its design cues from EXPERIMENTAL 01 with a portion of the sale of each watch being donated to James’ Place.
The dial of this new watch shares its layout, special texture and design with EXPERIMENTAL 01 but has an elevated elegance, including diamond polished applied numerals and hands, coated in Fears Blue PVD. These hand-riveted numerals and hands are filled with X1-grade Super-LumiNova® with a cool blue emission colour when charged.
The Brunswick 40 ‘Odyssey Edition’ is housed in the classic Brunswick 40 case with both polished and brushed finishes and is joined by two straps; the first a custom Delugs textured dark blue FKM rubber strap with waterproof rubber lining and fastened with a new Fears x Delugs leaf-spring deployant clasp. The second strap is an exact replica of the custom MN™ elasticated strap made by Erika’s Originals that was created and fitted to EXPERIMENTAL 01.
Each Brunswick 40 ‘Odyssey Edition’ is fitted with a commemorative case back featuring a detailed engraving of the British mainland and the route Angus will row during the world record attempt. Each case back displays the edition number from one to 100 which matches the owners’ card that accompanies each watch and is signed by both Angus Collins and Fears’ (4th) Managing Director, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill.
“I was honoured when Fears was asked to become the official timekeeping partner of a Great British Odyssey, a true British adventure for the 21st Century. What Angus is attempting to do during the Challenge will no doubt capture the minds and imaginations of so many, whilst the Mission of raising £250,000 for James’ Place will literally save lives. Since we started working on creating EXPERIMENTAL 01 I’ve been overjoyed by the passion for this project by all the members of the Fears Team and also our partners who manufacture our components. Building EXPERIMENTAL 01 pushed us to use our watchmaking knowhow and apply it to the most technically focused watch we’ve ever made. I couldn’t be happier to be supporting Angus by presenting him with this very special watch for his row. The Mission side of Great British Odyssey means a lot to me personally as sadly having lost friends to suicide I have an acute understanding in the importance of the work that organisations like James’ Place do. This is why we have created a commemorative limited-edition version of our Brunswick 40 to support them with a portion of the sale of each watch being donated to James’ Place.”
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, (4th) Managing Director, Fears Watch Company
Technical Specifications:
Fears EXPERIMENTAL 01 specification
| CASE | 316L Stainless Steel, 40mm x 40mm cushion-shaped (depth 11.06mm to top of domed sapphire glass). Screw down, signed crown. Closed caseback. Fixed bars. Satinised finish.30ATM (300 metres) water resistant.Made in Hong KongModified in United Kingdom |
| LUG WIDTH | 20mm (fixed bars) |
| MOVEMENT | Top-grade La Joux-Perret G101, automatic winding, 24 jewels, 28,800vph (4Hz) and 68 hr power reserve. Finished with Côtes de Genève, Rhodium plating and blued screws. Custom decorated rotor featuring the ‘Bristol Flower’.Fears Precision Time Testing with accuracy to 0/+1 seconds per day.Made in SwitzerlandModified in United Kingdom |
| GLASS | Sapphire Crystal (curved) with ARdur® Swiss anti-reflective coating on inside and outside. Crystal made in Hong KongAnti-reflective coating applied in Switzerland |
| DIAL | Challenger White EXP01 in two sections. Anti-glare finish in white with matte lacquer. Black and Red printing. Bevelled, applied chapter ring. Edwin numbers and Indices CNC-milled, painted matte black and hand applied. Appliques filled with Grade X2 Super-LumiNova®.Dial made in GermanySLN filled in Switzerland |
| HANDS | ‘Fears’ hands – filled with Grade X2 Super-LumiNova®. Painted matte-black with matching seconds hand.Made in GermanySLN filled in Switzerland |
| FUNCTIONS | Time, Hours and Minutes |
| STRAP | Orange custom MN™ Strap by Erika’s Originals in elasticated textile with satinised engraved hardwear.Made in Bulgaria |
| SERIAL NUMBER | Individually numbered, sequentially |
| MODEL REFERENCE | BS24000A-EXP01 |
| RETAIL PRICE | Not for sale |
Fears Brunswick 40 ‘Odyssey Edition’ specification
| CASE | 316L Stainless Steel, 40mm x 40mm cushion-shaped (depth 11.06mm to top of domed sapphire glass). Screw down, signed crown. Engraved closed caseback.15 ATM (150 metres) water resistant.Made in Hong Kong |
| LUG WIDTH | 20mm (spring bar holes) |
| MOVEMENT | Top-grade La Joux-Perret G101, automatic winding, 24 jewels, 28,800vph (4Hz) and 68 hr power reserve. Finished with Côtes de Genève, Rhodium plating and blued screws. Custom decorated rotor featuring the ‘Bristol Flower’.Made in Switzerland |
| GLASS | Sapphire Crystal (curved) with ARdur® Swiss anti-reflective coating on inside and outside. Crystal made in Hong KongAnti-reflective coating applied in Switzerland |
| DIAL | Challenger White in two sections. Anti-glare finish in white with matte lacquer. Black and Red printing. Bevelled, applied chapter ring. Edwin numbers and Indices CNC-milled, PVD coated in Fears Blue and hand applied. Appliques filled with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova®.Dial made in GermanySLN filled in Switzerland |
| HANDS | ‘Fears’ hands – filled with Grade X2 Super-LumiNova®. PVD coated in Fears Blue with matching seconds hand.Made in GermanySLN filled in Switzerland |
| FUNCTIONS | Time, Hours and Minutes |
| WARRANTY | 2 Year guarantee from date of purchase |
| STRAPS | Orange custom MN™ Strap by Erika’s Originals in elasticated textile with satinised engraved hardwear.Made in Bulgaria Fears Blue in textured FKM rubber with 20mm to 16mm taper in width. Fitted with 316L stainless steel leaf-spring deployant clasp. Easy-release springbars fitted.Strap made in Hong KongClasp made in Hong Kong |
| SERIAL NUMBER | Individually numbered, sequentially |
| MODEL REFERENCE | BS24000A |
| LIMITED EDITION | 100 numbered pieces |
| RETAIL PRICE | £3,550 inc. VAT (£2,958.34 ex. VAT) |
For more information please visit Fears Watch Company