Garrick sits at the high end of British independent watchmaking, assembling and finishing each of their watches by hand in their Norfolk workshop. Their watches are made to order with plenty of room for customisation options, meaning that the watches pictured are a taste of what’s possible rather than definitive versions of the watch. For their newest creation, the S8 Skeleton, they decided to challenge themselves to producing the simplest form of wristwatch with the highest degree of finishing possible.
Starting with the case, it measures 39mm x 8mm in a choice of 904L steel or precious metals at request. That sizing makes it one of the smallest watches in the Garrick stable, matching the S5 that’s also 39mm. It’s very deliberate in its clarity and understated simplicity with a smooth bezel and sweeping lugs. The fluted crown projects from the side of the case proudly at 3 o’clock, serving as the method of setting the time and winding the watch as the S8 uses manual winding (60-hour power reserve).
The dial is where the majority of the magic is on display. It’s a three-hand display with central hours and minutes, and a small seconds subdial at 8 o’clock – the bare essentials of timekeeping. While the display itself is basic, Garrick have gone all out on the finishing by skeletonising the dial and movement, removing as much extraneous material as possible to showcase the inner workings of the movement.
Every single exposed edge and wheel is bevelled by hand with details picked out in black polish – a technique where surfaces are polished to such a smooth sheen that they appear black from most angles. The rest of the movement is frosted, a classic Garrick finish that provides a soft, almost matte finish with a subtle texture across its surface. Wrapping around the edge of the skeleton display is a German silver hour and minute scale, matched by a smaller ring around the seconds. The markers are engraved into the metal and filled precisely with ink.
On the customisation, made-to-order front, the skeleton movement can be produced in silver, dark grey rhodium, yellow gold or pink gold. Similarly, the hands are also customisable and can be polished, heat-blued or heat-purpled. Once the order has been decided upon, a single Garrick watchmaker will take the watch from start to finish, personally handling every stage of its assembly and finishing. That’s why only five S8 watches will be produced each year.
For pricing, it’s variable depending on your specific order, but the guide prices are £71,400 in steel or £87,600 in precious metal including VAT. They’ve also committed to not changing that price for the steel version specifically for the first three years. Needless to say, the waiting list will be a long one.
Price and Specs:
More details at Garrick.
