Retiring your most recognizable watch is usually something a brand does quietly, hoping nobody notices the SKU disappearing. Fears decided that they were going to do the opposite.
The Bristol watchmaker just announced that its Brunswick Jump Hour, one of the defining designs of the modern British indie scene, is finished after one last hurrah. And for that farewell, it tapped watch YouTuber Andrew Morgan to co-design the wildest version yet, the Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour ‘Ultimus’.
A Very British Goodbye
The Jump Hour only landed a few years ago in 2023, born from the Alliance 01 project between Fears and Christopher Ward under the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers banner. Fears brought its 1924-derived cushion case and Christopher Ward brought the JJ01, which is its in-house jumping hour module riding on a Sellita SW200 base.
Three Sheets of Sapphire
Fears claims that this is the most complex dial it has ever built. The construction stacks three separate sapphire elements over the jump hour mechanism, and this includes an outer disc with a black gradient and a frosted, semi-transparent minute track floating above the hour display.
Every previous Fears Jump Hour hid its rotating hour disc behind a solid dial with a little cutout at 12. The ‘Ultimus’ rips that cover off entirely, letting all 12 numerals sit in view beneath the frosted layer, with an integrated magnifying window (Fears likens it to a water droplet) bubbling over the current hour.
Wait Until Dark
In daylight, it reads like a proper 1920s Art Deco dress watch, sporting an all monochrome aesthetic. But when you kill the lights, though, this thing really transforms.
The ceramic center disc and the full hour disc are both luminous, so the entire dial erupts in blue including both the numerals and minute plots. It might be the most dramatic day-to-night personality swap we’ve seen on a dress watch. A 40.5mm steel cushion case with 100 meters of water resistance rounds out the affair, so it’s actually made for worry-free daily wear.
Spec Sheet
Model: Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour ‘Ultimus’
Reference: BS240.500A
Case Size: 40.5mm
Lug-to-Lug: 47mm
Thickness: 12.8mm
Case Material: 316L stainless steel, brushed and polished
Dial: Phantom White, 3-layer sapphire with luminous ceramic center
Movement: Sellita SW200 base with Christopher Ward JJ01 jump hour module
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Water Resistance: 100m (10 ATM)
Band: Obsidian Black Epsom leather; optional 5-link steel bracelet
Limited Edition?: No, but ordering window closes August 17
Pricing & Availability
Here’s the catch, and it’s a big one. The ‘Ultimus’ is only available to order for a single week, with the window closing at 23:59 BST on August 17. Production isn’t capped, but once the clock runs out, the final Jump Hour is gone for good. Pricing sits at $4,600 on the strap or $4,900 with the bracelet included, with deliveries starting in November.
Recap
Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour ‘Ultimus’
Fears ends its beloved Brunswick Jump Hour line with a fully lumed, triple-sapphire-dialed finale designed with Andrew Morgan, available for one week only.
