Inside the Hottest British Watch Collab of 2025
This story is taken from Esquire's About Time newsletter, style director Johnny Davis’s straight-talking take on the wonderful world of watches. Sign up here
Last summer, I took a day trip to Bristol to visit Fears, one of Britain’s best homegrown watch companies.
Fears has a long history.
It was started in 1846, fell into disrepair along with the rest of the British watch industry in the 1970s, before being restarted in 2016 by the founder’s great-great-great-grandson, and former Rolex employee, Nicholas Bowman–Scargill.
(He has the winning job title of “Re-founder and owner”.)
Bowman–Scargill was generous with his time, showing me around Fears’ offices in the city centre, then its recently opened boutique in the chi-chi Clifton Village, and then on to an early dinner, which turned into a late dinner, on account of many Martinis, which absolutely did me in, but seemed to have precisely zero effect on my host.
He was generous too in discussing Fears’ plans, showing me designs for the next 18 months’ worth of releases and generally being candid about all sorts of ambitions, in a way diametrically opposed to how any Swiss watchmaker operates, ie: under nuclear-grade secrecy. (You can read that story here.)
Towards the end of our time at Fears HQ, Bowman–Scargill handed me a box. It had not long arrived from the manufacture, a collaboration he had done with another watchmaker. It wasn’t hard to work out who.
“Project 23” was a time-only model with an 1930s-style cushion shaped case reminiscent of Fears’ Brunswick Collection. The typography and skeletonised pipette handset also came from that set of elegant dress watches.
But the dial was very much not a Fears dial.
It was a punchy graduated lime green colour, with seven layers of glow-in-the dark Super-LumiNova sitting under a sheet of sapphire. Holding it up to the light, the printing details on the dial seemed to float.
The watch would be known as The Gimlet, its aesthetics and food-and-drink theme both coming from its obvious collaborator, Studio Underd0g – specifically that brand’s 02 Series of field watches.
Bowman–Scargill said that just 200 Gimlets would be made, a number that seemed completely mad, given the fact that Studio Underd0g can’t keep any of its watches in stock, and that the proposed retail price was £1,458 less than the cheapest Fears model and £20,000 less than the most expensive – just £1,000. (It runs on a much cheaper movement, but still.)
The Gimlet
The watch was scheduled for a November release and then pushed back to January.
Cocktail hour finally arrived at 9am this Thursday when the Gimlet was made public, to breathless feedback, alongside the news that it would be made available on a first-come, first-served basis at the second British Watchmakers’ Day in London on March 8th, a gathering of 40+ brands overseen by the Alliance of British Watch & Clockmakers.
Participants to the event are encouraged to create limited edition watches to sell, an idea borrowed from Record Store Day, and a model that helped the inaugural 2024 event to become such a triumph.
Last year, Studio Underd0g’s founder, Richard Benc, donned a chef’s outfit to “hand-deliver”, its pizza-dialled watches, produced in association with Time + Tide, a situation that caused queues to snake around everyone else’s stalls at the venue, and prompted some creative accounting by the media to suggest it was outselling Rolex.
I spoke to Bowman-Scargill again, with Richard Benc, in mid-January, the former joining the call from his office in Bristol, and the latter from Studio Underd0g’s base in Brighton, two hours before he left for Australia on holiday.
As detailed below, they had become so taken with The Gimlet that a new plan had been hatched.
Rather than just the 200 watches, The Gimlet would now be the launch pad for a whole new Studio Underd0g “Series” – cocktail-themed models that would roll out at in-person events with Fears around the world.
At lunchtime on launch day, Bowman-Scargill was chuffed.
“The response has been absolutely incredible,” he messaged me. “You always hope that people will understand what you’re creating straight away. There’s always a little bit of worry that it may be pushing things too far. However, with this it feels correct, and the right amount – ultimately resulting in a stunning watch.”
“Of course, there’s only one way to celebrate,” he added.
“And that will be with a gimlet or two tonight.”
About Time: Congratulations on The Gimlet.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: It’s so nice to be able to share it with the world. Because it’s been a secret for so long, even within our own organisations.
Richard Benc: It’s something that we worked on back in 2022. Nicholas had coined this codename “Project 23” so I’m sure that when it comes to various presentations, and at the launch, he’ll be poking fun at me for the various delays and whatnot. But I think it’s been well worth the wait.
About Time: What caused the delay?
Richard Benc: It was mostly technical challenges. It’s the 02 Series [build], with the sapphire construction and the luminous material. So, the challenges we faced in launching the o2 Series were exactly what we faced here. They were developed in tandem. We launched the o2 Series towards the end of 2023. Also, I don’t think we realised quite how strong this product would be, until the end of the process. And then we were thinking: “How can we go about launching it, where it has the space and the breathing room we felt like it deserves?”
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: Before jumping on this call I was going back through our WhatsApps, Rich. And in terms of a concept – the shape of the watch, the dial layout – we came to that pretty early on. But in terms of it being a “gimlet”, in terms of the colour and how the dial would be done, that took a bit longer. We didn’t want it to be “Oh, it’s just another colourful watch”. That would feel so far out of the Fears wheelhouse, it might feel forced. There needed to be something else, where we thought “Ok, this is where it’s really coming together”. I found the original WhatsApp, where I remember I was walking to work, and we were talking about what it could be and you said “It has to be the gimlet”.
Richard Benc: I know that exact conversation.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: Early on, we were, like, “Oh, it could be yellow, or it could be orange, or it could be, like, blue”. It’s not that absolutely everything has to have a story. But, also, we’re not designing by committee. We’re not looking Pantones or “Colour Of The Year”. It had to be something we both believed in. The thing I absolutely love about it is that it’s unmistakably Studio Underd0g, but it’s also unmistakably Fears. It’s the most Fears-y Studio Underdog and the most Studio Underd0g-y Fears. That’s what a collaboration should be.
About Time: Why gimlet?
Richard Benc: [After a long pause] Nicholas is a big fan of that particular cocktail. I'm not the sort of person who’ll do anything to cause a scene. But Nicholas will persistently order that, even off-menu.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: Anyone who’s been drinking with me will know, if we’re in a pub, it’s two halves of different lagers [one consumed after the other]. If we’re in a wine bar, it’s a glass of champagne. But anywhere else, it will be a cocktail. I usually have a dry martini or a gimlet. Now: you can imagine, a dry martini hardly makes for an exciting watch, you know? “Oh, it’s crystal clear”.
About Time: And so that led to the Gimlet?
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: The other day, Richard, I found the photo where you first showed me the very first prototypes of the 02 Series. I don’t think anyone had seen them. You’d literally just got them. And we went out to 45 Jermyn Street at Fortnum & Mason. And, Richard, you ordered a drink, and I was like, “Oh, I’ll have a gimlet”. And you’re like, “What’s that?” Subsequently, we’ve been out drinking quite a few times, and I always go off-menu. But it wasn’t until July 2023 when we were in America for Windup Chicago [watch fair], and we’d been out drinking with loads of British brands. At the end of the evening, everyone peeled off, and it was just you and I. Even though there was loads of British companies, you and I were the only founders. Both running a watch company, we’ve got stuff to talk about. We’ve both been there for each other. We’ve both given each other advice. So, we stayed back for another drink. Again, I ordered a gimlet. And you were like, “You know what? You’re always ordering these drinks. I’m gonna order one as well”. I’ll let you tell the rest of the story, Rich.
Richard Benc: As is being suggested, I didn’t really know what it was. It is a strong cocktail. And these ones in the States were very well made. We had a few. Because I’m constantly picking Nicholas’s brain and trying to better understand the industry. As Nicholas said, we have a lot to share.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: You’re picking my brain. I’m pickling your brain.
Richard Benc: We had one or two too many. The next morning I was in no state to talk to hundreds of eager enthusiasts [at the fair]. And of course, Nicholas was there, you know, suited and booted, chipper as ever. That was a very difficult day at work. I didn’t take my sunglasses off. I had to sneak off to hide in a dark corner. Nicholas came to find me. I remember seeing this shadow in a suit, and I was thinking, “Oh God, please don’t let him see me”.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: Subsequently, it’s become a running joke. Whenever I’m out and about and I’m having a gimlet, I’ll take one photo for Instagram and another one to send to Rich.
Richard Benc: I’ve got over 40 photos. Mind you, we had our Christmas party down in Brighton with the Studio Underdog team and when it came to ordering cocktails at a bar we went to, I think every single person had a gimlet.
About Time: I’ve been out for cocktails with you, Nicholas. I think the expression is, "you can hold your liquor."
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: I seem to have this bizarre skill, despite my size and shape, that I can keep going. And then the next day, I just wake up absolutely fine. But the thing was, when Rich first suggested that the watch should be a gimlet my initial feeling was “Oh my goodness, this is so funny, because it’s an in-joke between us.” But, then, very quickly it was like, “Oh, actually, yes”. Because the thing is, the way a gimlet is made – gin, fresh lime juice and then a bit of syrup – means that you end up with this green cocktail that’s kind of opaque, but kind of frothy. So it’s green, but it’s not like a solid green colour. And having seen prototypes of the 02 Series and in particular, Pink Lem0nade, it was like, “Well, hang on, I know that the Studio Underdog dial maker can actually do this gradient effect”. It’s something I wouldn’t even dare to suggest to our dial maker. Because they would go: “Absolutely not. This is going to be way too complex”. But immediately it was: “If we can capture that essence, that milkiness, then one hundred percent we’ve got something really interesting, really different”. I know, Rich, you worked on so many different versions before we even started prototyping – working out how to capture that essence.
Richard Benc: We went through a lot. But it’s always the case. You want it to be perfect. You want people to be blown away by any new development. So, it took its time. We wanted it to be not super in-your-face as a gradient. But still noticeable.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: At [Geneva trade fair] Watches And Wonders, you showed me dial samples I was, like, "Oh, they look really good. Let’s see them cased up". And then – it’s always Brits abroad, isn’t it? – do you remember when we were sat outside that bar with the shuffleboard just before Windup San Francisco last year? You brought out two watches and they had different finishes and slightly different hands. My team is used to me and my standards. We’re designing watches, we haven’t got time to… Well, Rich, you’re about to go to Australia. I think the phrase is “We’re not here to fuck spiders”. We’re here to make something amazing and incredible. And I remember afterwards you revealed to me that you were a little bit nervous showing them. Like, “I’ve built the watches. What was the reaction going to be?” At this point either the concept works, or we’re way off the mark. Because the thing is: I wouldn’t want someone to buy this watch, because Rich and I are mates. And I’ve got him drunk. And I like drinking these weird gin cocktails.
Richard Benc: Hence why that isn’t detailed in the press release.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: Exactly! But, Johnny, when you saw the watch here in Bristol, in person, there’s got to be that thing that, when you pick it up, you’re just like, “I love this”. That, for me, is the criteria. If you strip the name “Fears” off the dial, and, with that, 179 years of heritage and all of that, is what you’re left with something where you actually go, “This is a beautiful object”? To me, luxury should fundamentally be something that brings you joy. And we got there. We had a few of our respective teams with us [in San Francisco], and everyone was like, “Oh, can I wear it? Can I try it on?” I think if people don’t want to grab it and pick it up, then you’re way off the mark.
Richard Benc: I think it was two things. I loved the product so much that when I showed it to you, I was nervous, because I just didn’t want you to [disagree]. We’d done some iterations and I was, like, “This is it. It can’t be anything else”. One of the biggest challenges with this particular version is that we’re taking influence from the Brunswick case. At a glance, it’s very much a Brunswick case. But the challenge we have is that it’s also based on the sapphire dial construction. A typical dial is 0.4mm thick. The sapphire dial construction is seven layers of lume, a spacer, and then a 1mm of sapphire crystal. In total, that’s 2mm thick. Which means that, when you’re constructing it, everything is pushed down. The movement sits 2mm lower. Which means the crown sits 2mm lower. So, we had to design a new case to give the Brunswick aesthetic, but a total from-scratch design to make sure that the crown didn’t feel out of place. That was really challenging. And I think that was one of the reasons when I first showed Nicholas the case sample that I was nervous. Fine: we can rework the finishing. But does this still feel like a Brunswick? Does this still feel like a Fears watch?
About Time: Without seeing the watch, the idea of a Fears x Studio Underd0g collab is quite hard to imagine. It could have looked like a dog’s dinner. An Underd0g’s dinner, if you will.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: That’s it. Our brands are very different. But behind that is the fact that we’re both very passionate about what we do and how we do it. We’re very protective. It’s not a case of just going “What’s an easy option?” Richard’s had to work very hard to go: “It’s still got to be elegant.” It’s really fun to see someone else take your thing, and kind of redesign it.
About Time: Does that make The Gimlet Studio Underd0g’s first dress watch, then?
Richard Benc: Yeah, I guess it does. It’s a blend of all sorts of things, isn’t it? It’s like a hybrid: a dress and a field watch all wrapped into one.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: It’s the first dress Studio Underdog. And it’s the first field Fears watch.
About Time: You’ve only made 200. People are going to be upset about that.
Richard Benc: In hindsight, given the reaction so far [maybe we should have done more]. Also, as Nicholas as said, you only really get a real feeling for a product when you have it in hand…
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: When we first discussed this in 2022, the watch industry was in a very different place. Studio Underd0g and Fears were in very different place. I had literally just taken keys for this office. But we didn’t want it to be so ultra-limited. Like, you know – 50 pieces. We want a lot of people to enjoy this and get pleasure from it. But at the same time, it’s going “This is different from the way Studio Underd0g have their model of doing a time-limited drop”. [Its watches are released in non-limited pre-order windows, on a first-come, first-served basis.] We don’t want there to be so many of these out there. It’s still had to be special.
Richard Benc: I’d like to think that the 200 pieces will be snapped up relatively quickly, even considering the limitation of them being available [in person] in March. But one of the ideas that we’re toying with is continuing this storyline. The idea of doing some different variations – a Manhattan in Manhattan.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: A Singapore sling in Singapore, you know? I love the idea of it being in-person Because, look: the photography [of The Gimlet] is great. It looks amazing. But as we all know a watch looks better in person. And a watch like this looks exceptional.
Richard Benc: You want to be able to get it on-wrist and experience it for yourself. From my side, as effectively an online-only brand, being able to connect with the community [is really important]. To effectively have a launch, closer to a bricks and mortar style experience, is something that I get really excited about.
About Time: So, there’ll be a whole line of different cocktail watches, to come?
Richard Benc: I think so. If it does have a really great reaction on British Watchmakers’ Day, then I can guarantee there’ll also be the equal amounts of frustration. Both Nicholas and my biggest market is the US. The availability for our products there is limited at the moment. And unless you’re planning a trip to the UK in March getting hold of The Gimlet is going to be quite challenging. So, I like the idea of saying this is the first in a longer project. It makes sense, as well. The amount of development and work that both Nicholas and I put in, to develop this watch from scratch. I think it kind of deserves it.
About Time: And you’ll launch them in different cities?
Richard Benc: I think The Gimlet will stick to the UK. It’s kind-of based around British Watchmakers’ Day. But then the idea is to be able to tour with a Series and bring it to different markets. It’s a great opportunity for Nicholas and I to host physical events. And meet the enthusiast community again. You know: go global!
About Time: It’s fancier than a pizza-dialed watch.
Richard Benc: It’s a bit more elegantly understated.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: I’m having an effect! It’s rubbing off on him! But Rich makes a good point. When you see a new watch like this, it’s very easy to be like, “Oh, two brands come together, and they’ve made a watch.” But if you think 90-95 per cent of this watch is completely from scratch. The movement is the same movement in the 02 Series, and that’s it. Everything else is bespoke and new. And it’s a lot of energy and effort to get it right to then be like, “Oh, we’re one and done”. So, when Rich suggested [the cities idea] to me, I thought “It’s actually a fun, playful way of engaging with people in different markets”. We’ve got a weird thing with the Edwardian Edition [of the Brunswick model] at British Watchmakers’ Day [Fears is releasing another special edition at the fair, this one in a run of 10]. We’ve currently got five individuals flying over from America to try and pick one up. And we’re not free reserving, we’re not doing pre-ordering. So, we’re kind of like, “Please, dear God, make sure you’re the first in the queue”. You know: get in there. The point is, we have these groups of enthusiasts around the world. And there is kind of a nice overlap of where Fears owners are and Studio Underd0g owners are.
About Time: How will it roll out?
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: There’s no set plan. It’s not like we’re saying “In the next number of months this will be happening”. I mean, look: The Gimlet was first mooted in 2022 and here we are in 2025 to launch it. I guess, Rich, it’s probably fair to say the Manhattan watch comes out in, what, 2030? Something like that.
Richard Benc: Yeah, if we’re lucky.
About Time: I spoke to the guy at the front of the queue at British Watchmakers’ Day last year. He was an American who’d flown over especially. You both travel all the time to these watch fairs. What do you get out of them?
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: For me, it’s lovely to meet Fears owners. But actually, the most vital thing is to get feedback. For example, last summer we introduced open case backs across our whole range. That came out of something that happened at WindUp San Francisco in April, where my colleague, Daniel, had said, “We should be doing open case backs”. And I was like, “No, no one’s ever asked”. And he goes, “Ok: experiment. Everyone who comes up to the stand, look at them when they pick up a watch”. And everyone would come up, they’d look at the watch, and you see their eyes light up, and then they’d flip the watch over and you could see disappointment in their eyes. And then they turn the watch back, and their eyes would light up. And you know, you wouldn’t notice that if you’re not in an event, in person, talking with people. I’m not saying it’s a focus group. I’m a strong believer in the Henry Ford quote – “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses”. We’re not in the business of doing that. But, certainly, I like meeting people. And then also, it’s the camaraderie of being there with other brands. Especially the other British brands. I think, Rich, it’s fair to say a good number of my team and your team have become friends. They chat regularly. Because when you find yourself in Canada or America, suddenly there’s this camaraderie of we’re all doing something a little bit unusual, that’s quite weird. So, it’s nice to have that.
Richard Benc: It’s funny that it so often it takes a trip to the other side of the world for the Brits to hang out. London’s down the road for all of us, but suddenly we find ourselves in a bar in San Francisco, or wherever it may be. But yeah, I echo Nicholas’s thoughts there from my side as well. So much of what we do is online, and we have an amazing community. And when we do a drop, there’s this huge amount of excitement. We have this great dashboard [in the office] that makes everything visible on a drop day. We see the number of hits on the website: what’s being viewed, orders coming through, and it’s really exciting. But the end of the end of the day, that is still numbers on the screen. It’s very hard to visualise that enthusiasm. So, when we do these shows it’s great. British Watchmakers’ Day was a prime example of seeing that passion. It's just a whole different thing. And that’s why a big part of this [Gimlet] project was realising: let’s lean into that even more. This isn’t just about people being able to check out watches that they’ve had on order. It’s an actual launch event and people walking away with the watch on their wrists, all wrapped in into one. I’m quite excited to see what people make of that.
About Time: Do you get a sense of enthusiasm for British watches building, in other countries?
Richard Benc: I think so. The Alliance, that’s been a huge support. [The Alliance of British Watch & Clock Makers was formed in 2020, to support homegrown horology.] One of the great things about British brands in general – and Nicholas proves this point – is that it feels like the whole market for British horology can be bigger. So effectively, if it all grows together by all the British brands working together, everyone’s slice of the pie gets bigger. You know, what’s the phrase, Nicholas? “A rising tide lifts all ships”?
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: A rising tide lifts all boats. Yeah, absolutely.
Richard Benc: It does feel like that. Nicholas was one of the very first handful of people to support the Studio Underd0g brand, back in 2021 when I launched my Kickstarter. He was one of the buyers there. I’m sure I must have hand-delivered that first watch to you.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: I’m very honored that Fears was one of the founding brands of the Alliance. And I remember when the Bellwether Report came out, and [Christopher Ward CEO and co-founder, and co-founder of the Alliance] Mike France and I were chatting about it on the phone, and he was, like, “You know, [Britain’s watchmaking business] is at £110 million. It’d be great, in a decade, if we got up to a billion”. And I remember thinking “Well, that sounds nice!” And then working out what my market share was. Like, my little sliver. And I realised: actually, if you took that and said we’ll keep the exact same market share by percentage, but you take it from £110m to a billion, and my little share stays being a little share, but it just gets bigger [in value]. Actually, that’s a really good, healthy business. When I first started out, back in 2016, there weren’t that many British brands. The few that were, were very suspicious about offering advice and help. There were some rare people who were very generous with their time and support. In particular, David Brailsford of Garrick watches. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help and support that he’s given over the years. I think every few years there’s a generation of people coming through. And when you see a new brand, like Studio Underdog, that doesn’t have 179 years of heritage and those trappings of being British that Fears can lean on. And just absolutely blows people away. That’s incredible. That makes me feel proud to be British.
Richard Benc: It’s true, in terms of passing it forward. I felt so welcomed into the industry, and Nicholas supporting me. Literally last week I had [founder] Matteo [Violet-Vianello] from Anoma [the lauded new brand launched its first watch last summer] come down to Brighton. He was showing me his plans and his business plan and hand-delivering the watch to me that I’d ordered. Much like Nicholas who supported me from the outset. So, the motivation is there to play it forwards.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: People come to work for Fears from other industries, and they go to a trade show like Windup. And after their first evening they’re just flabbergasted. “We were just hanging out with our competitors. We were talking openly about what we’re launching. And we’re helping each other?” You go back even five years, and that didn’t exist. The Alliance really did something. It’s not that the Alliance is going, “Right Richard, you and Nicholas, we’re going to put you together on a forced blind date”. But what they did is they created the environment where suddenly we go, “Actually, if you’re a brand new brand, and you’re starting out, and you’ve only been going a year, and you join the Alliance, you can feel confident picking up the phone to Fears or Studio Underd0g and saying, “Could I pick your brains on things?” I’m a huge champion of the Alliance.
About Time: That’s not what happens in Switzerland.
Nicholas Bowman-Scargill: Sadly not. Not even within the same watch groups.
This story is taken from Esquire's About Time newsletter, style director Johnny Davis’s straight-talking take on the wonderful world of watches. Sign up here
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