Fears is introducing a new interpretation of their Brunswick Jump Hour this week with a watch dubbed the ‘Ultimus’. The watch is built in the familiar framework of the existing Brunswick Jump Hour designs, though sheds some of the formality with a unique dial that features three separate sapphire elements revealing the workings underneath. The clean white and black aesthetic work with a subtle gradient to tell a very different story than the original vision of the watch, and of course, there’s plenty of lume that amps up the drama.
The jump hour watch has seen a slow resurgence, it’s something we’ve talked about here, and it’s not just limited to the upper echelons of watchmaking. In 2023, Christopher Ward teamed up with Fears through the Alliance of British Watch & Clock Makers to develop a jump hour complication that was based on the work they had done to develop the Bel Canto. Both Fears and Christopher Ward have put the complication to good use, and with the Ultimus, that vision takes a step further.
The Ultimus is built in a familiar 40.5mm Brunswick cushion shaped case with a short lug that allows for a pleasant 47mm lug to lug width. The large onion crown remains and provides a splash of contrasting personality compared to the dial itself. The case and crown may convey old-school, but the dial is another story, and is the real draw to what’s going on here. The two themes work surprisingly well together, however, and this brings a new design language to the collection without looking out of place entirely.
The dial is constructed from three separate sapphire elements, consisting of an outer portion with a subtle black gradient, the frosted minute track, and a textured inner dial made from luminous ceramic. All of these work together to bring the hour into full visibility through an aperture at 12 o’clock, while the minute track remains fully visible to work with the single hand set at the center of the dial. The remaining hours of the day are semi-visible, seemingly disappearing into the inner portion of the dial. This means that the look of the dial will be different throughout the day.
All of this is built upon the JJ01 movement with a module developed in-house by Christopher Ward. This is a base Sellita SW200 that’s been regulated to chronometer spec, though there’s no seconds hand so you won’t need to be too fussed about precision. The movement is visible through an exhibition back, and gets a blue oscillating weight. The fully lumed elements of the dial is where this one really comes together, though, and I applaud Fears for taking such a big swing with their Jump Hour design.
The Brunswick Jump Hour ‘Ultimus’ will be available within a one week window that will close on 23:59 BST (GMT+1) on August 17th. Orders received from now until then will be produced. Pricing is set at $4,600 on a strap, and $4,900 on a bracelet (which also includes the strap). Fears
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