Introducing: The Limited-Edition Fears Garrick Salmon For Collective Horology
Two years ago, British watchmakers Fears and Garrick joined forces. Together, they presented the aptly named Fears Garrick. Fears ensured the watch looked charming and elegant, like a true gentleman. Garrick was there to impress us with the exposed balance wheel and the overall finishing of the watch. Now the two parties are back with a new version — the Fears Garrick. This time, it has a frosted salmon dial and is limited to just five pieces.
These are available exclusively through independent watch retailer Collective Horology, the first American retailer for both Fears and Garrick. Let’s take a quick look at this very exclusive version of the Fears Garrick.
The Fears Garrick Salmon for Collective Horology
Like the original, this limited-edition Fears Garrick Salmon for Collective Horology has a curvaceous 42mm stainless steel case. Garrick makes this case in its Norfolk Workshop in the east of England. Its carefully polished and elegantly tapering lugs hold onto the striking moss-green leather strap. This strap comes from The Strap Tailor, and while it’s an unusual pairing with the frosted salmon dial, it works.
Other than the dial’s color, its layout and functions remain the same. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that because it’s still a joy to look at. At the edge, there’s the railway minute track, featuring a tiny Fears hand-tip logo at each five-minute interval. Then there are the diamond-polished numerals in the brand’s unique Edwin typeface. Their black gold coating enhances readability.
The signature skeletonized Fears hands indicate both the hours and minutes. At 10 o’clock, there’s a recessed running seconds sub-dial framed by a beveled rhodium edge. On the opposite side is a gauge for the watch’s 45-hour power reserve in a less-is-more execution.
The Garrick UTG04 movement
Then we get to the pièce de résistance — the hand-crafted traditional large balance bridge with the free-sprung balance wheel and hairspring behind it. How fitting that this is a US limited edition because the balance assembly is bigger and better, just like practically everything in the US. Normally, you’d call this the watch’s open heart, but in this case, it looks more like its open mouth. It perfectly complements the dial’s face.
Upon turning the watch over, you see the movement the balance connects to. The hand-wound UTG04 by Garrick features 19 jewels and has a hand-frosted, rhodium-plated finish. You could say the finish is fairly minimalist and modern, but the polished bevels look finger-licking good. Garrick makes many of the parts in its workshop, and the brand’s watchmakers also assemble the movements there. Another great thing about this gentlemen’s watch is that it also has quite a sporty side to it. The watch is water resistant to 100 meters, which makes it a great daily wearer.
Final thoughts
The limited-edition Fears Garrick Salmon for Collective Horology is a great combination of elegance and technical tour de force. The charming design by Fears goes very well with Garrick’s modest but impressive level of finishing. The collaborators will make only five examples of this watch, and I’m sure they’ll sell out very quickly, especially since the US is such a large market.
The Fears Garrick Salmon is available for pre-order now for US$25,500. It’s only available through Collective Horology, so if you want one, visit the retailer’s website. Each example will be built to order.
Let me know in the comments below what you think of the new Fears Garrick Salmon for Collective Horology.
