One of my favorite stories in independent watchmaking over the last few years has been the evolution of Garrick, the Norwich based brand specializing in meticulously finished, custom made watches. In a relatively short time, the brand has transformed itself into something of an experimental haute horlogerie specialist. The first Garrick watch I can recall writing about was the S4, upon its announcement, which represented the entry point into the brand at around £4995 (in 2021). That watch was, and is, impressive, with a great deal of hand-work and a dizzying level of customization possible. But it would have been tough to predict that just four years later Garrick would be playing at another level entirely, flirting with GPHG honors, and offering bespoke watches that, if made by other, larger brands or more established watchmakers, would likely have price tags sailing into the six figures.
The new S3 Deadbeat Seconds release feels like a statement of purpose from Garrick. It is, as the brand puts it, “the pinnacle of Garrick ownership.” The watch itself is effectively a combination of two ideas the brand has been playing with over the last few years, the S3 Mk II (the GPHG finalist from last year featuring a completely openworked dial, focusing on the brand’s finishing capabilities), and the deadbeat seconds complication, as seen in the S2 Deadbeat. The new watch, then, features a deadbeat complication but is given an aesthetic treatment similar to the S3 Mk II, which is to say it has a radically openworked “dial” (in scare quotes because – is there really a dial here at all?) with the same elaborate finishing, along with one of the most exotic and “if you know, you know” mechanical complications.
The heart of the watch is the Calibre DB-GO7, featuring Garrick’s signature Trinity free-sprung balance wheel, which they believe is among the largest used in watchmaking today. Its size certainly adds a layer of drama to this watch in person (we had a chance to see it in Geneva earlier this month). The caliber also features wheels, pinions, and bridges that have been improved compared to their counterparts on the S3 Mk II. As always, custom finishing is an option, and Garrick tells us that wheels, for example, can be had with grained, frosted, or polished finishes. Bridges have been hand beveled and are also subject to custom finishing.
It’s not all about looks, though. Garrick places a great focus on chronometry in addition to the movement’s appearance. Each movement is tested over a period of three weeks until an average daily variance of no more than +3 seconds is achieved across multiple positions. That’s better than the COSC standard, and because you can basically see every movement component working in unison at all times thanks to what is effectively a dial-less design, the watch has the uncanny effect of forcing you to think about time telling as you’re observing it. That might sound like an obvious thing to say about a watch, but the unique sense of motion with a deadbeat seconds complication just leaves a different impression. Seeing how the caliber is constantly working to release and maintain power on a second to second basis is honestly kind of a thrill. While I’ve had some experience with deadbeat seconds watches over the years, I can’t recall another that gives you quite the same view in the mechanics as this one.
The S3 Deadbeat Seconds is a statement piece through and through, and it’s sized like one, with a case measuring 42mm in diameter, but perhaps wearing a bit bigger thanks to the visual impression of the exposed movement and the expanse of negative space. It’s just 11mm tall, though, so it wears quite well for a watch on the larger side of medium. In addition to the deadbeat seconds complication, the watch also features a power reserve indicator which adds some visual complexity to the dial and provides for some additional functionality. Somewhat amazingly, the watch is also 100 meters water resistant, so if you’d like to take your S3 Deadbeat Seconds swimming, you should be good to go.
The S3 Deadbeat Seconds strikes me as a pretty incredible accomplishment and is a genuine quantum leap from many of the watches Garrick was making just a few years ago. It’s all the more impressive given the fact that Garrick is still such a small operation – they say they can only produce 3-5 of these watches per year, and the first year’s allocation (at least) has been pre-sold. So, if you want one, you’ll likely have to wait, but given the long waitlists across the brand’s catalog, that seems to be a burden Garrick owners are happy to bear to own one of these pieces.
The S3 Deadbeat Seconds has a retail price of $52,500. Garrick
