I always appreciate a bit of fun in my watches (a probable side effect of being surrounded by British watch design in the vein of Studio Underd0g) and Danish brand Arcanaut know how to have fun. Their latest limited-edition watch is the Experimental: Arc II Garnet Goblin, a super entertaining collaboration with Czech retailer Chronoshop.cz and dedicated to the country’s culture. Though importantly, it’s available outside the Czech Republic via Arcanaut’s online store.
The watch is based on the Arc II, so there’s not a huge amount that’s new about the 40.5mm steel case, with its CNC milled shape that feels modern and industrial. What makes this limited-edition special is the dial, which is formed of a cluster of 0.8mm garnets that are bonded together and polished down to a flat disc. Garnets have a strong connection to Czech culture and are considered their national gem, occurring naturally in the Bohemia region.
This fact inspired Arcanaut to create a fictional story based on Czech mythology to create the ‘Garnet Goblin’, the fun character depicted on the watch’s GlowPatch (decorated with elements of lume) caseback. The story tells of a Maria the goblin who felt alienated by her greedy peers in the mines and who built up enough courage to leave them behind and journey to the surface where she found a field of garnets, finding a new love for her own. She then sells the garnets to Arcanaut to make the watch you see here. It’s very silly and I love it.
In a slightly more grounded take on reality, the garnets are actually sourced from the Turnov surface mine by a famous Czech garnet brand, Granát Turnov. They hand-finish every stone to ensure the highest quality, which is why the dial of the Experimental: Arc II Garnet Goblin appears almost fiery, such is its clarity and intensity of colour.
Powering the watch is the Soprod M100 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve. It’s a perfectly suitable movement that doesn’t take any of the limelight away from the dial. There’s an initial pre-order batch of five pieces at a price of £3,386 prior to the main production run at approx. £3,710. It’s a limited edition of 66 pieces.
Price and Specs:
More details at Arcanaut.
