Fergus Nash
Firefighting has been a romanticized profession since its inception. Children often compare firefighters to astronauts and secret agents, and this glamorization of the job can sometimes obscure the true danger and sacrifice that it actually entails. William Wood has built his brand on paying tribute to these legendary figures, but with the Fearless collection, he takes a more practical, serious stance.
Incident
William Wood’s previous British Fire Brigade-inspired models had opted for relatively larger case sizes, such as the Valiant, which has a 49mm lug-to-lug length and a 41mm diameter that sits heavily on the wrist. The first big change to the field watch-style Fearless is the size. The diameter has been reduced by just 2mm, but the length has increased by 4mm, resulting in a very wearable size of 39mm in width and 45mm lug-to-lug length. Considering the absence of the dive-style timing bezel, there is now more space for the dial, which gives it a more solid presence on the wrist without sacrificing comfort.
Embracing the more modern, tactical side of firefighting, the William Wood Fearless ditched the shine of steel and the allure of bronze for a smooth, sandblasted finish with black ion plating. The result is a very dark, matte surface that has a unique glow in direct sunlight. Speaking of the play of light, the flat sapphire crystal has a blue anti-reflective coating that creates an interesting play of color when interacting with the dial. The case is 13.8mm thick and is water resistant to 100m.
Dial
Of course, there’s no firefighting without fire. That’s why the William Wood Fearless takes three fiery hues as its centerpiece. Yellow, orange, or red intensely illuminate the dial, while rose gold is used around the applied indexes and hands to enhance the color’s sparkle effect. The lume used is also slightly off-white, embracing the overall theme of warmth. Rather than the sandwich construction previously favored by William Wood, the Fearless uses a granular black dial as its base, evoking asphalt and simplifying the overall look. As always, a bronze firefighter helmet is displayed above the William Wood script logo, made from a melted-down antique version of the original.
strap
While some brands that stick to niche themes struggle to make it relevant to watchmaking, one of William Wood’s specialties is the shared material between the worlds of watches and firefighting: rubber. Black fire hoses are not as easy to find as the red and yellow ones they originally stocked, but they still managed to incorporate a repurposed hose into a supple and comfortable rubber strap. Other colors are available separately from the store if you prefer. If you put your nose close, you can even faintly smell the smoke residue from previous use. The strap is also stitched to match the color of the dial, but if you prefer something more traditional, the 20mm lug width means there are plenty of aftermarket options available.
motion
Those who already know the price of this watch may have to hold their breath to find out what movement is used. It is the humble Seiko NH35. With this movement, the William Wood Fearless is unfortunately not a bargain, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad choice. The 21,600 vibrations per hour and 41-hour power reserve are stable enough, and the factory accuracy spec is -20 to +40 seconds per day, but it’s very easy to adjust. It’s also very robust, and if the worst happens, it’s cheaper than a replacement service. The case back is very elaborate, displaying a modern firefighter helmet with a colored visor that matches the dial, giving a glimpse of the movement.
William Wood Fearless Price and Availability:
Each colour variation of the William Wood Fearless is available now, but is limited to 250 pieces of each. Price: AU$1,608 / £895 / US$1,126
Brand William Wood Model Fearless Case size 39mm x 45mm x 13.8mm Case material Stainless steel with black ion plating Water resistance 100m Crystal Sapphire Dial Black with red, orange and yellow accents Lug width 20mm Strap Firehorse rubber Movement Seiko NH35 Power reserve 41 hours Availability Limited to 250 pieces per colour Price AU$1,608 / £895 / US$1,126
