The Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers was founded in 2020 to unite the British watch industry’s various members and to help encourage new partnerships between them. The organisation is currently home to 77 different trade members, and has a club member program open to anyone interested in British watch and clock production, hoping to raise awareness for the trade.
Two of the alliance’s founding companies – Fears and Christopher Ward – have joined forces to produce a unique design that highlights this spirit of collaboration and kinship. The Fears Christopher Ward: Alliance 01 purports to be an aesthetic blend of both brand’s signature styles, created specifically to bestow the virtues of the alliance, with all profits from the design going to the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers to further their mission of horological education.
No tears for Fears + Christopher Ward
While Fears and Christopher Ward have said that the Alliance 01 blends their design styles, at face value the watch feels very ‘Fears’ thanks to the case, which is reminiscent of the Fears Brunswick cushion shape, albeit at a slightly larger 40.5mm diameter, with a 12.8mm thickness when measured to the top point of it’s topper crystal.
The underside of the Alliance 01’s lugs feature subtle nods to the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, with small hallmarks indicating the collaboration. The underside of the watch is fitted with a traditional solid caseback, while the top of the case is fitted with a thin domed bezel sapphire crystal, which receives an anti-reflective treatment on both the outer and inner sides.
At the usual 3 o’clock position an onion-shaped winding crown operates the watch’s 25-jewel Sellita SW200 automatic movement, which is fitted with a JJ01 jumping hour module. The Caliber JJ01 could originally be seen in Christopher Ward’s previous range of jump hour watches, and is a nice addition considering the brand’s current line-up is missing a jump hour model. The Sellita SW200 operates at 28,800vph and has a power reserve of around 38 hours.
Rolling out the red carpet
While the watch’s rich burgundy red dial featuring a concentric layout and a sunburst finish on the outer section is certainly eye-catching, it’s the jumping hour display that is the standout highlight of Alliance 01’s face.
Rather than opting for the typical two/three hands, the Alliance 01 features just the one lonely minute hand, that points to minute markers on the small inner ring of the dial. The corresponding hours are shown through a large window display with black numerals printed on a clean white background at the top of the dial, rotating on an inner disc in a similar fashion to the date display on other watch designs.
The outer section of the dial is treated to a sunburst finish, while the inner is engraved with concentric rings that allow the small and reserved rhodium-plated, diamond-polished minute hand to still stand out. The complete lack of hour markers, and no text on the dial other than an understated ‘FEARS’ at the top and even smaller ‘ENGLAND’ at the bottom leads gives the watch a dressy yet understated feel that stands out on the wrist, but doesn’t catch the eye in any garish way.
The design comes with an oxblood red two-piece strap that matches nicely with the deep red of the dial, and is handmade from British calf leather, lined with an Alcantara.
The official retail price of the Fears Christopher Ward: Alliance 01 is £3,950 including VAT, granting it a price point in line with the rest of Fears’ current range. Only 50 of this unique collaboration are being made, which will be available exclusively to club members of the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers. More information can be found at fearswatches.com and britishwatchmakers.com.
