Garrick S2 Central Seconds

Despite the looming threat of Brexit, weak retail sales growth, and an underlying sense of doom and gloom in the UK, specialist artisan brands are still finding ways to survive. And in some cases, even thrive. British watch manufacturer Garrick is one of them. Having established a niche following, the brand has a very clear understanding of what its clients like; mechanical watches, handmade in the UK and with a strong sense of British artisanal flair. The brand’s latest model satisfies all these needs and then some. Introducing the Garrick S2 Central Seconds.

The S2 Central Seconds is the fifth watch from Garrick and the first to use a central sweep seconds display. What will undoubtedly be the main talking point, however, is the stunning engine-turned dial available in a choice of rhodium or gold plate finishes. According to Garrick, it takes around five days to build and finish each individual dial. The guilloché pattern can be customised to the new owner’s specifications, allowing for a real sense of personalisation. Around its periphery, and slightly raised, is a chapter ring decorated with a circular-grained pattern. Hours are denoted with thermally blued Roman numerals, while a hand-finished chemin de fer (railway) allows for easy reading of the minutes and seconds.

As with the dial, the hands are also made in-house and feature facetted edges. You can choose from several finishes, including polished, brushed or thermally blued steel hands. At six o’clock there is a large cut-out to allow the brand’s in-house, free-sprung Trinity balance to be on full display. The rim is made from a special, patented alloy called Sircumet, and it is regulated to +/-3 seconds. Again, in keeping with the notion of absolute customisation, the mainplate visible beneath can be in frosted gold plate or rhodium plate with perlage decoration. The choice is up to the owner.

The 42mm case is made in-house in Garrick’s Norwich workshop from high-quality 904L stainless steel. The case is very similar to (if not the same as) the earlier Garrick S1, and so I would expect that it will actually look and wear more like 40mm, due to the curved lugs and the various polished angles and bevels that createthe illusion of a reduced diameter. The case is also available in 18k gold by special request. Completing the case is a fluted onion crown.

Turning the watch over reveals the manual wound Calibre UT-GO3, the latest evolution of Garrick’s in-house UT-G01 calibre designed in partnership with Andreas Strehler and his company Uhr Teil AG. As previously mentioned, this is the first Garrick watch to feature a central sweep seconds display. The movement has been designed to look stereotypically British and is frosted and polished by hand. Assembly and finishing of the movement take place over three days by master watchmaker Craig Baird, a 30-year-veteran of the industry.

Available for order now, the Garrick S2 Central Seconds is priced at GBP 11,500 excl. VAT (i.e. outside the EU) and GBP 13,800 incl. VAT (i.e inside the EU). Visit www.garrick.co.uk for more information.