The Alliance Of British Watch And Clock Makers Debuts The Fears Christopher Ward: Alliance 01 Collaboration Watch

Ever because it was formally based in 2020, the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers has had the purpose of uniting its varied business members, and forging new partnerships between them. Along with presently containing 77 completely different commerce members, all of that are British manufacturers working inside the area, the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers additionally affords a membership member program. This program is open to anybody, and is meant to lift consciousness for British watch and clock manufacturing amongst a wider group of collectors and fans. Though the group has solely been round for a short time, it’s already producing tangible outcomes, and two of its founding members — Fears and Christopher Ward — have teamed as much as produce the Alliance’s very first collaboration watch. Formally generally known as the Fears Christopher Ward: Alliance 01, the brand new mannequin represents an aesthetic mix of each model’s distinctive design languages, and the entire proceeds from the collaboration piece shall be donated to the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers in an effort to assist fund and assist its efforts all over the world.

From an aesthetic standpoint, the brand new Fears Christopher Ward: Alliance 01 very a lot nonetheless has the core DNA of a Fears watch, and that is largely because of the design of its case. Crafted from 316L chrome steel with brushed and polished surfaces, the cushion-shaped case measures 40.5mm diameter by 12.8mm thick (measured to the highest of its curved crystal), and it affords an general profile that shall be immediately recognizable to those that are aware of the Brunswick fashions from Fears’ modern catalog. The underside of the lugs characteristic small Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers hallmarks as a delicate option to denote the collaboration, whereas on the 3 o’clock location sits an onion-shaped winding crown that provides entry to the inner motion. The reverse aspect of the watch will get fitted with a conventional stable caseback, whereas the highest aspect of the case receives skinny domed bezel with a high-polished end that surrounds a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective remedy on each side. Fitted to the 20mm lugs is an oxblood crimson two-piece strap, which is handmade from British calf leather-based and lined with Alcantara for a cushty really feel on the wrist and a basic general look.

Christopher Ward begins to come back into play with the motion that powers the Fears Christopher Ward: Alliance 01 collaboration watch. Reasonably than being a normal time-only motion with a duo of centrally mounted palms, the 25-jewel Sellita SW200 computerized motion contained in the watch is fitted with the JJ01 leaping hour module. The Caliber JJ01 initially appeared inside Christopher Ward’s leaping hours watches, and whereas the model presently doesn’t supply a leaping hour mannequin in its lineup, this novel module has made a return to energy the brand new Fears Christopher Ward: Alliance 01 watch. Because the motion itself is predicated on the Sellita SW200, you get the acquainted specs of an working frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with an influence reserve of roughly 38 hours, though the true focus of this motion is its leaping hours show. Reasonably than having a normal pair of palms to show the hours and minutes, a lone minute hand resides within the heart of the dial, whereas the corresponding hours are displayed by a disc, with the present hour showing by means of a window within the dial that mechanically jumps to the subsequent worth when the minute hand passes midnight.

To show the mannequin’s signature leaping hours show, the Fears Christopher Ward: Alliance 01 makes use of a wealthy burgundy crimson dial with a concentric format to its design. The outer part of the dial incorporates a sunburst end, whereas the inside part is adorned with concentric rings engraved into its floor. Separating the 2 sections is a delicate printed minute monitor surrounded by a cultured rhodium-plated chapter ring that options beveled edges. On the very heart of the dial is a rhodium-plated and diamond-polished “Fears” minute hand, whereas bisecting the 2 concentric sections on the prime of the dial is a round aperture that shows the present worth for the leaping hours mechanism, with the hours disc itself printed in black numerals in opposition to a white background. Aside from the “Fears” title at 12 o’clock and the phrase “England” reverse it in small letters on the 6 o’clock location, there isn’t some other textual content on the dial in anyway, and the truth that it requires no hour markers permits the watch to supply a really elegant and minimalist aesthetic, regardless of not really being overtly dressy in its general design.

Each Fears and Christopher Ward are recognized for delivering top quality at pretty affordable costs, and it’s due to this fact solely pure for his or her collaboration mannequin to stick to the same set of ideas. With an official retail value of £3,950 together with VAT (£3,291.67 ex. VAT), which works out to about $4,000 USD for these of us right here in the USA as of press time, the Fears Christopher Ward: Alliance 01 is priced proper in keeping with the remainder of Fears’ present catalog and solely represents a small premium for its extra difficult, jumping-hour motion. With that in thoughts, not solely is the collaboration watch solely being produced as a restricted version of simply 50 items, however it’s also solely going to be obtainable to Membership members of the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers — and on a first-come, first-served foundation with orders opening on January twenty seventh, 2023. Provided that the entire proceeds from the sale of the watches shall be donated to the Alliance itself, Membership members who buy the watch can primarily consider it as including to their collections, whereas additionally making a beneficiant donation to their very personal group. For extra info on the Fears Christopher Ward: Alliance 01, or to affix the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, please go to the Alliance’s web site.