Introducing: Studio Underd0g And Fears Serve Up The Gimlet

Good morning! I know it’s a bit early, at least here in Europe, but Studio Underd0g and Fears are about to serve you a delicious cocktail with a fresh little kick. It’s called The Gimlet, and it’s a perfect combination of Studio Underd0g’s playfulness and Fears’s understated elegance. At the base is the classic Fears Brunswick 38, and it’s mixed with a gradient lime green dial, a 1mm-thick sapphire disc, and black printing and hands. Beware, though, because this punchy combination is limited to 200 pieces and only available at the British Watchmakers’ Day on March 8th in London.

Usually, when you order a gimlet at a cocktail bar, you get one part gin and one part lime juice. Indeed, that’s quite a punchy combination. There might be some sugar on the rim of the glass to soften it a little, but the drink itself will certainly wake you up. That’s also precisely the same effect this watch had on me when it arrived at our office.

The original Fears Brunswick 38 Polar White

The Brunswick 38 Polar White was one of the first watches that Fears introduced when Nicholas Bowman-Scargill revived his family’s brand in 2017. Eight years later, that same reference is still available and very popular. Why? Well, to understand that, please read Henry’s ode to it. It thoroughly charmed him when he had a chance to go hands-on with the watch. But how do you combine that elegance with Studio Underd0g’s playfulness? Well, you just add some sapphire and a little lime to it, et voilà!

The Studio Underd0g × Fears Gimlet

Let’s continue with the rest of the ingredients. As expected, the stainless steel cushion case measures 38mm wide. The lugs span 43.5mm from tip to tip, and the watch, including the domed sapphire crystal, is 12mm thick. It’s roughly the same case as Fears’s Brunswick 38, however, the lug-to-lug measurement of that watch is 42mm. The concave bezel, the top of the case, and its right and left sides are brushed. The signature push-pull onion crown measures 6mm in diameter and has a matching brushed finish. Finally, the lugs, including the flanks they are attached to, are polished.

The real star of the show here, though, is, of course, the lime-green dial. What started as a white dial received a lime-green gradient and no fewer than seven layers of Super-LumiNova. That’s right, The Gimlet has a full-lume dial. But that’s not all. On top of all those layers of paint is a layer of transparent sapphire. This bears the minute track and hour numerals as well as both companies’ logos proudly at 12 o’clock. Fears’s signature skeletonized hands top it all off and tell you what time it is.

Sellita inside

Like the original Brunswick 38, The Gimlet contains a hand-wound movement. However, instead of an ETA 7001, this time, it’s a Sellita SW210-1 caliber. That means there’s no sub-seconds dial anymore, but it’s still a very reliable movement. It runs at a frequency of 28,800vph, features 19 jewels, and holds a power reserve of 42 hours. There’s no exhibition case back this time. In return, you get an engraving of a small lime disc on the back of the screwed-in and brushed stainless steel case back.

With the help of that case back, The Gimlet is water resistant to 100 meters, so don’t worry if you spill your drink all over this one. However, that might do a little more harm to the dark green Vert Marquis leather strap. It’s made by The Strap Tailor and comes with quick-release spring bars and a stainless steel Studio Underd0g-signed pin buckle. If it does get damaged, it’s nice to know that any 20mm strap will fit between the lugs.

I’ll have a Gimlet, please

There’s no point in hiding it: I’m a big fan of The Gimlet. The original Brunswick 38 was already on my radar for a while, and I can completely understand why it charmed Henry so much. But this Gimlet mixes it up very nicely and gives it just that little extra kick. The sapphire disc with the black printing on top of the gradient dial creates a lovely sense of depth. During the day, the shadows dance all over the dial, and at night, the awesome fully lumed dial takes it to a whole other level.

When I first heard that Studio Underd0g and Fears were bringing out a watch together, I thought it was a logical matchup between these two British brands. But to design a watch that stays close to Fears’s understated elegance and can be as playful as so many of the other Studio Underd0g watches must have been a hard task. Maybe that’s why it took the two parties well over two years to finally present The Gimlet. However, in the end, I think this is a watch that perfectly combines the characters of both collaborators.

Only available in London

I haven’t even mentioned the price of The Gimlet. At £1,000, I think this is an absolute steal. All right, the finishing might not be up there with the regular Brunswick 38, and the Sellita movement is a slight downgrade. However, for that price, I think you’re still getting a very original, elegant, and fun watch. The problem is, though, that they’ve only made 200 of them, which will only be available to purchase at the British Watchmakers’ Day on the 8th of March in London.

Now I just hope that no one reads this article and I’ll be the only one in line that day. Yes, I might be getting myself a ticket from AMS to LHR to see if I can get my hands on one of The Gimlets. If not, I’m sure visiting the fair will still be a lot of fun.

Let me know in the comments below what you think of the Studio Underd0g × Fears Gimlet. Will you be standing in line on March 8th in London?