First Look Fears Bristol Unveils the Arnos Pewter Blue

Established in 1846 by Mr. Edwin Fear, Fears Bristol holds the distinction of being one of Britain’s oldest family-run watch brands. However, its legacy was interrupted by a hiatus between 1976, amidst the quartz crisis, and its revival in 2016 under Edwin’s great great great grandson, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill.

The brand is well-known for its vintage-inspired releases, particularly those featuring a unique and elegant rectangular shape, as seen in last year’s collaboration with its UAE agent, Perpétuel. This year, however, Fears is launching a new collection with the Arnos Pewter Blue, named after Arnos Vale, the Bristol (City in England) neighborhood that houses Fears’ modern headquarters and serves as the burial site of both founder Edwin Fear and his successor, Amos Daniel Fear.

The watch’s refined shape comes from a 33.5mm × 22.6mm stainless steel case with a remarkably slim 8.4mm profile and a 40mm lug-to-lug span. Machined in Switzerland, the case combines linear brushing and polished surfaces, while its fully curved architecture, including the sapphire crystal and solid caseback, ensures ergonomic comfort. The push/pull crown, engraved with the Fears Cypher, provides 30-meter water resistance.

The recessed central subdial features a galvanic blue coating with a machined concentric pattern, framed by contemporary Roman numerals (a first for modern Fears watches) and a crisp white minute track. Surrounding this, a rhodium-plated outer dial showcases a precisely angled hobnail guilloché texture, cut via CNC. Legibility is enhanced by Fears’ signature "pipette" shaped hands, their rhodium plating catching the light.

Powering the watch is the Sellita SW1000-1b automatic movement, customized to display only hours and minutes. Operating at 28,800 vph (4Hz) with a 46-hour power reserve, the movement features a rotor adorned with Fears’ signature Flower of Bristol motif, though, unfortunately, it remains hidden behind the solid caseback.

For the first time, Fears has partnered with Delugs to offer two strap options: a hand-sewn Taupe Barenia leather strap, lined with anti-allergenic calf leather, and a sportier Fears Blue FKM rubber strap, tapering from 20mm to 16mm. The leather variant comes with a signed pin buckle, while the rubber strap integrates a micro-adjustable butterfly clasp. The watch is priced at £3,625, which is approximately AED 17,600.

Note: image curtesy of Fears Bristol.

For more details, visit Fears Bristol’s official website.