Bravery comes first – William Wood Fearless Orange

Inspiration can come from anywhere, but when you mix it with performance, then you have a real winner, our favourite tool watches are usually made to help on a task and also take a bit of a beating. Water resistance is key for every diver, split seconds and precision are the norm for chronographs and travellers really enjoy the flexibility of calculating various time zones with a GMT function, but what if your inspiration comes from firefighters? If you think about it, it really makes sense, this is a very noble profession that is not only exposed to the worst elements/situations possible, but also one where time is as key as anything else. Just like every professional job, Firefighters have their own accessories which are key for their everyday activities, from the fire hood to the structural gloves, trousers, coat and boots, the very brave person who decides to enter this challenging lifestyle, must be well protected, but now the real question, can you imagine what type of watch they would have to wear? I would say something durable, something that is ready for everyday use, and here, for me, the mechanical watch must come into place, a quartz watch is definitely more accurate, but the lack of electronics feels more reliable, always ready to work and it has the added benefit that is not as flammable. William Wood is the first watch house that has taken the step to honour this amazing ‘métier’, they use real materials to celebrate their pieces, from their straps to their beautiful case backs, everything has a sentiment of truth, a real feeling. I manage to have the Fearless Orange for a week, it is different, unique, and well made, below are my impression of a watch that oozes quality from every corner.

The specifications

The Fearless range is Williams Wood’s field range, they are a go anywhere/do anything watch and at 39mm, they really get the job done, the watch is short at 45mm lug to lug, it really wears comfortable in my 6.25-inch wrist. What I like about the Fearless Orange is the design, it looks like nothing out there, the chapter ring stands out nicely, that beautiful black textured dial which is refereed as ‘charcoal’, its really something else and combined with the gold rose accents, makes the watch come alive. The case also brings some good elements to the table, is sandblasted with a black IP coating, very nice feeling and makes the watch stealthier, more tool like. The back of the case contains a lovely detail with a firefighter visor with yellow glass which allows you to see the automatic Seiko NH35, it is a proven movement that will give no headaches to the user, easy to service and reliable, all that a firefighter needs. Of course, this watch that is going to perform in dangerous and dark places, so it would need to have their lume game a step above the competition, and the Fearless Orange doesn’t disappoint, all the numerals and markers are filled with blue SuperLuminova, it is a torch.

On the wrist

The fearless Orange is very comfortable, the dimensions are perfect for a field watch, at 13mm thick the watch has presence, but it is countered by the black case, making it feel smaller and thinner. Legibility is really key for William Wood, everything on the watch has a great contrast, the date, the hands the numerals, it is very easy to tell the watch at any glance. Remember when I mentioned that William Wood uses real materials from firefighters on their watches? Well, we must speak about the strap. The strap that I got with the Fearless Orange was outstanding, not only because it was comfortable and matched the watch to perfection, but because it was made from real upcycled fire hoses that has been used in the real world, they look like nothing else in the market and adds a real twist to the watch, it brings character and comfort, a real combination that I have seen only in watches 2x the price.

Conclusions

There is nothing like a new idea, a new approach to what we really love, when I had the chance to spend time with the Fearless Orange I was very excited and I have to say that it has met my expectations, from the built quality to the original design, it is a watch that can be worn all day and always gives a new detail that you might have missed. We, watch enthusiast are always complaining about lack of originality and that everything looks like and homage from something, well, William wood is producing watches that not only are original but also well machined, usually people get similar cases to lower the prices, use pushers that have been used in other chronographs, but what I experienced with the Fearless Orange was uniqueness from the case back to the dial. I am looking forward on seeing more watches from William Wood, I am sure they will manage to keep us surprised, there is a sense of proudness to be one of the few people who has something unique in a room of collectors.

Specs Fearless Orange

Case 39mm Water Resistance 100m

Lug to Lug 45mm Dial Charcoal Black with orange accents

Thickness 13.8 Crown Sandblasted with brass insert

More information at www.williamwoodwatches.com

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