Introducing The Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour 'Ultimus'

It’s time to say goodbye to a complication that started as a special collaboration for Fears, so it may only be fitting for it to bow out with another. What began as the Alliance 01, housing the Christopher Ward-modified Sellita SW200 calibre, eventually became the Brunswick Jump Hour, and now sees its final iteration. Made together with watch YouTube legend Andrew Morgan, Fears is designating it the Brunswick Jump Hour Ultimus, a suitable name for going out in style.

The Ultimus sports a multi-layered luminescent dial, comprising layers of transparency and ceramic, with a high-contrast monochrome colour scheme. Unlike previous editions, the Ultimus shows off a little bit more of its jump hour complication, surrounding the inner lumed ceramic disc with a transparent layer, allowing you to see the hour ring numerals that lie in wait to pop up beneath the magnifying cyclops at 12. A singular central hand indicates the minutes on the inner scale, with minute markers made up of black dots that are ever so slightly larger in five-minute intervals. Branding is subtle, and design language does the talking.

One thing is familiar with previous Brunswick Jump Hour models, and that’s the cushion case. The watch’s full name gives you a hint of its dimensions, and it does indeed come in at 40,5mm across. Lug-to-lug is a compact 47mm, and taking into account the domed sapphire crystal, thickness sits at 12.8mm. You can opt for either a black Epsom leather strap with a polished pin buckle, or a case-matching five-link beads of rice bracelet. The latter is as well-finished as the case, matching the interchanging brushing and polishing, and ending in a butterfly clasp, the inside of which is adorned with that lovely Bristol flower engraving.

Popularity of jumping hour watches has exploded over the last few years, becoming somewhat of a mini-trend, but Christopher Ward’s been on that train since 2011. The reason why I mention them is that it’s their JJ01 module fitted to a Sellita SW200 that powers all Brunswick Jump Hours. Developed by Johannes Jahnke of Synergies Horlogères (a Biel movement manufacture that merged with CW in 2014, now responsible for all of the brand’s in-house developments), the JJ01 was the first of their many collaborations, and has been further adapted for use by Fears, but also into calibres like CW’s Bel Canto. All the basic specs are the same as you’d expect from a Sellita SW200, including the somewhat basic 38-hour power reserve, though it is commendable that it’s not any lower considering a jumping hour complication is much more power-hungry than an hour hand.

Starting with the first Alliance, the Jump Hour has been one of the most easily recognisable Fears models, owing to both its unique time display and the Brunswick case. There’s an inherent elegance that is consistent across all of the brand’s designs, in a way that is difficult to explain - as it so often does, it’s down to the details. I think the Ultimus in particular works really well, as the numerals surrounding the central minutes make it appear slimmer and follow the concentric circle motif. Also, the fact that it’s a lume dial is somewhat oxymoronic in contrast with the usually reserved way Fears presents itself.

As elegant as the case shape may be, the side-on view does show the one drawback of affordable complications. The module adds considerable thickness, and along with the cushion design that already makes the Brunswick collection wear a bit larger, the 40.5 Jump Hours were always a bit thick for my liking. We also have to touch on the price, which starts at A$8,500 on the leather strap. Few microbrands (or independents, however you want to categorise) have had the guts to challenge the well-established names that tend to dominate this segment, and competition is stiff. CW’s Jump Hour is half the money, and the secondary market hides gems like Omega’s De Ville Prestige and Genta’s Retro for the same price of admission.

Though this is the very last Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour, I have a feeling (read: I’m hoping) it won’t be the last Fears with a jumping hour complication. It’s a fitting end to a model that has defined the current Fears offering, and is one that collectors will undoubtedly be waiting to be replaced with bated breath.

Brand: Fears x Andrew Morgan
Model: Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour
Reference Number: BS240.500A

Diameter: 40.5mm
Thickness: 12.8mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Color: Lumed white ceramic
Indexes: Printed
Lume: Yes
Water Resistance: 100 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Black calfskin strap, or an optional stainless steel 5-link bracelet

Calibre: Sellita SW200 base with Christopher Ward JJ01 jumping hour module
Functions: Jump hour, minutes
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 VpH (4 Hz)
Jewels: 25
Chronometer Certified: No

Price: £4,450 inc. VAT with a strap (A$8,520); £4,750 inc. VAT with a bracelet and strap (A$9,000)
Availability: One-week order window, August 10th-17th, 2026.
Limited Edition: No, but limited by order window and individually numbered.

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