Honestly, I’m not sure why more collectors don’t go crazy for British watchmaker Garrick. On the one hand, their proper, British-made pieces stir more than a touch of home-grown patriotism; on the other, it means more watches like this, the Garrick S4.
The only reason I haven’t invested in a Garrick so far myself is, quite simply, the price. They’re not necessarily overpriced, they’re just a little more than I’d like to pay. The Regulator sits at between £7,000 and £8,000 and the S2, while beautiful, is just shy of £15,000. That makes the S4, for me, one of the most exciting things Garrick has released in the past few years.
The small seconds layout is pure Garrick, meaning anchor hands inspired by Britain’s maritime heritage, an oversized fluted crown to match and a multitude of different finishes. The small seconds, main dial and even the chapter ring all have contrasting forms of guilloche, enough engraving to give the oldest Swiss watchmakers a run for their money.
Where Garrick eke out ahead though is that each of those guilloches can be customised on order. Fancy something a little more streamlined? You can go for subtlety and sunrays. I’d go for as much barleycorn as possible because dammit, I want all the guilloche.
Really, the only way in which the S4 differs from the higher pantheon of Garrick watchmaking is the movement. The watchmaker’s usual, in-house calibre has been replaced with an ETA number. That obviously brings the price down a good amount, but even so Garrick has modified the base 6498 movement with their own bridges and it’s tested and regulated here in the UK.
The S4 is available in either a steel or gold on a wide choice of alligator, calf leather or ostrich, and the options available for finishes are far too numerous to go through. You want it, you can probably get it.
Honestly, the S4 is what I’ve been hoping Garrick would make. The watchmaker is obsessed with doing as much in-house work as possible, which is great for them, but not for entry-level buyers. But this more accessible version, priced at £4,995 yet still highlighting all the good work they do, will hopefully net them the attention they deserve.
Price & Specs:
Model: Garrick S4
Case/Dial: 42mm diameter x 10mm height, 904L stainless steel or 18-carat gold, hand frosted & rhodium-plated dial with an intricate hand-guilloché motif, central dial area can be specified with a contrasting guilloché pattern
Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: Calibre BF03 (modified 6498), hand-wound, 19 jewels
Frequency: 18,800 vph (2.5 Hz)
Power Reserve: 46h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Strap: Alligator, calf, buffalo or ostrich
Price/Availability: £4,995 (guilloche sub-dials)
£5,995 (full guilloche dial)
More details at Garrick.
