Fears Brunswick 40.5 'Ultimus': The Last Jump Hour

Some watches end a chapter with a quiet fade to black. Fears, however, is closing the book on its Jump Hour series with a grand finale. The Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour 'Ultimus' is not just another colorway; it's a complete reimagining of the complication and the final edition of the series.

Created in collaboration with collector and watch authority Andrew Morgan, this watch pushes the design to its most contemporary and complex form. Priced from about $5,850 USD (£4,600), it's a serious proposition from the British independent. But a look at the specs reveals there's a lot going on under the crystal.

The purchase window for the 'Ultimus' is currently closed, but a waiting list is available for those hoping to secure one. This isn't a watch you can just add to your cart. It’s a piece for those who appreciate the details.

The Last Jump: Fears Brunswick 40.5 'Ultimus'

The core appeal of a jump hour watch is its digital-style display, a complication that predates quartz by decades. Instead of a sweeping hour hand, an aperture shows a numeral that "jumps" precisely at the top of the hour. The 'Ultimus' takes this concept and turns it inside out.

Most jump hours hide the mechanism, showing only the result. This watch reveals the entire process. Its complex, multi-layered dial exposes the rotating hour disc, making the complication itself part of the show.

The Art Deco Case, Perfected

The Brunswick case is a signature for Fears, inspired by a cushion-cased model from their 1924 archives. For the 'Ultimus', it's rendered in 316L stainless steel at a modern 40.5mm diameter. The key dimensions are a 47mm lug-to-lug and a 12.8mm thickness, which should make it wearable on a wide range of wrists.

What the numbers don't tell you is the complexity of the shape. There are no flat surfaces here; every plane is a gentle curve. The mix of brushed and polished surfaces is executed to a level you rarely see on steel, creating a play of light that feels more like a precious metal.

Subtle details include the traditional onion-shaped crown signed with the Fears Cypher and a small, engraved "AMW" logo on the underside of a lug to mark the collaboration.

A Dial Made of Sapphire and Light

Here’s where things get really interesting. The 'Ultimus' dial is the most complex Fears has ever produced. It’s a multi-part construction using three separate sapphire elements stacked on top of the hour display.

The outermost layer is a sapphire disc with a black gradient. Below that sits a frosted, semi-transparent ring for the minute track. This layered transparency creates an incredible sense of depth, allowing you to see the luminous hour disc constantly rotating beneath.