Tag Archives: HAND WOUND

Bronze Patina

More Bronze watches are now available and one of the first questions you might ask before committing to buying one is “how does the famous bronze patina develop” ?

As I took procession of my Pinion Pure Bronze the week before Christmas I thought it might be useful to post weekly updates.

New Bronze

New Bronze

Despite wearing the watch every day the colour change is very gradual.

After one week

After one week

I will try to make some better close-ups for next week.

 

My (o)Pinion

You might have noticed on instagram that I now have my own Pinion, An Axis Pure with a dark green dial, The green dial previously on the Gunmetal Green version of this watch.

My Pinion

My Pinion

My first impression when compared to my previous English watch, the Smiths Deluxe, was big and heavy. But clearly that is compared to a 1950’s 35mm steel watch. You might remember that I have been suggesting for some time that cases over 40mm were getting a little large for my taste.  Maybe I should re-consider this as my other regular wear is a Speedmaster Pro which is also 42mm.

With it’s 42mm case and wide (22 mm) strap the Pure is actually re-assuringly solid. The manual wound Unitas movement reinforces that sense of dependability.  The last feature making this the perfect weekend/holiday (and maybe Friday) watch for me is the 100m water resistance rating.

Finally, there is the bronze case. Pinion now feel this material is becoming too mainstream. Coming from the generation that appreciated how materials such as denim and leather become more personal with age I am very happy to have a watch that will do the same.

I will keep you updated on how the patina develops.

Garrick Portsmouth

When I met David Brailsford a couple of months ago he told me about the new movement they were working on to put in a new watch to be launched at this year’s Salon QP. At the time the name was Plymouth and he told be it would be significantly more expensive than Garrick’s current range.

More details are now available. Here is what it looks like.

The Garrick Portsmouth

The Garrick Portsmouth

He was not joking about the price, this new watch will be on sale for £17,995.

At the heart of the new Portsmouth is a new hand-wound, exclusive Garrick movement, designed by British watchmaker Simon Michlmayr and the legendary movement specialist, Andreas Strehler. The movement parts are manufactured both in the UK and Switzerland. Thereafter, movement finishing, assembly and regulation takes place within Garrick’s own Norfolk workshop.

Garrick has been for some time making its own- free-sprung balance, delivering a daily variation of just +3 seconds per day. Now, with the advent of the Portsmouth, Garrick has signalled its progression to a higher level, offering an exclusive movement par excellence. 

As with all Garrick timepieces, most of the parts including the case, hands and dials are engineered in-house or sourced locally.

If you cannot wait until the opening of the Salon QP. You can always sign -up for the special collector’s event “the night before” on November 2nd.

This year’s Salon QP looks like it should be a great event for British watch brands.

 

Christopher Ward C8 – Power Reserve

The folks at Christopher Ward have been busy over the summer, which is pretty useful for those of us looking fro something to write about.

This week say the announcement of this watch the C8-Power Reserve,

 

C-8 Power Reserve

C-8 Power Reserve

And what a handsome watch it is. When I first press shots I was very tempted.

Combining classic aviation design with the Johannes Jahnke movement , this is a timepiece that exceeds at both visual and mechanical levels. Powered by a hand-wound version of the Calibre SH21, the  chronometer movement comes with a redesigned bridge, and can be seen through the watch’s exhibition caseback.
As you will guess from the title of this model the key feature of this watch is the movement’s 5 day power reserve.

 

The price is interesting to at £ 1550. This issue for me is the case size, 44mm I would have liked to see this at 38/39mm. I am still not convinced all brands have the right “presence” to be so large.

As usual Christopher Ward have produced a great video

Marloe Watches

Another British hopeful has come to my attention, this time as a Kickstarter project, Marloe Watches. British designed – hand wound watches.

Find our more here

Their first watch is the Cherwell.

2302906

Cherwell is the first edition from Marloe Watch Co. Designed in Great Britain and inspired by the prestigious university city of Oxford, this timepiece is named after the River Cherwell which meanders through this City of Dreaming Spires.

Like all Marloe watches, the Cherwell is a hand-wound timepiece which is powered by a manual movement. It features a multi-layered sandwich dial and a double-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.

  • 43.4mm diameter x 12mm high (lug tips to crystal zenith)
  • 20mm lug width, 48mm top to toe
  • Hand-Wound mechanical movement with 21,600bph
  • Power Reserve of over 50 Hours
  • Double-domed sapphire crystal with AR coating
  • Exhibition Case-Back with custom glass and perimeter engraving
  • Multi-layered dial
  • 3ATM

New Hand Wound Chr. Ward

A post I realised I had not published. So this is slightly old news, over a month out of date but still worth mentioning given this great looking watch.

The C9 5 DAY SMALL-SECOND CHRONOMETER

c9-40-hw-swk_1_nf

To release an important movement in British watchmaking – their first in-house Calibre, SH21 – was a satisfying feat in July 2014. One year on, they are beginning to capitalise on Johannes Jahnke’s innovative, Baukasten system design approach with the release of a hand-wound execution with a small-second hand display at 6 O’clock, housed in their classic C9 dress case.

Blued hands in elegant curved forms flatter the optic white dial and roman indexes, bringing refreshed elegance and refinement to the C9 Collection.

The robust nature of the Calibre SH21 movement provides a stable foundation to the reliability of the C9 Small-Second and with each movement given the accolade of chronometer status by the Controle Officiel Suisse des Chronometres (COSC), precision and accuracy is guaranteed.

Each watch is hand crafted by their Swiss watchmakers at our atelier in Biel giving the wearer, therefore, a direct connection to the mechanics of Swiss engineering, encompassed in a watch with a quintessentially English design ethos.

For more pictures and information follow the link  C5 Hand wound

Garrick Shaftesbury SM301 – Monochrome-Watches.com

http://monochrome-watches.com/british-watchmaking-introducing-the-garrick-shaftesbury-sm301-price/

England might not instantly leap out as a natural ancestral home for a new watchmaking company, but for Garrick and its owner David Brailsford, the location of its centre of operations was never in question. Watchmaking has a rich historical connection with England, and back when the foundations of the science were being established, the city of London was at the forefront of technical innovation in horology, and it is upon that history that the Garrick Watch company was conceived.

For a new company to cite such horlogic legends as Arnold, Mudge, Harrisson, Graham and Tompion as its inspiration is an eyebrow raising way to make an entrance, but the new Garrick Shaftesbury SM301 watch and the approach to its creation make for an impressive statement of intent.

Garrick Shaftesbury SM301 - 6

The Garrick Shaftesbury SM301 is a fresh and confident debut from the young London company, and its style and dial layout are very much in the classic vein, with gentle curvature, crisp legibility and elegant poise all themes throughout. It also has a lot of character too, and that becomes evident almost at once, as the eye begins to soak in subtle nuances such as the undulating decoration around the edge of the dial and the finely drilled slots which constitute the minutes, hours and seconds indices in the two steel chapter rings. The finely brushed rings hover slightly proud of the dial on their pedestals accentuated by three heat-blued screws, they cross paths either side of the 6 o’clock position to pleasant effect, where the dominant hours and minutes ring passes beneath the smaller off-centre seconds.

Garrick Shaftesbury SM301 - 2

Dials are offered in a choice between the classy lustre of oven-fired enamel in either black or white, or anodised aluminium, a malleable material which easily lends itself to colouration, thereby opening up a wider á la carte spectrum of personalisation options which Garrick will be happy to accommodate to the customer’s specific requirement.

Garrick Shaftesbury SM301 - 1

A handsome, gentleman’s watch, best suited to smart casual attire and above, the Garrick Shaftesbury is offered in a round 42mm polished stainless steel case with sapphire crystals to the front and rear, and a lovely compressed ‘onion’ crown. The sides are straight and tall, but round off gracefully as the bezel yields towards the expanse of glass above the dial. The lugs extend from the outer case profile, yet do not protrude far from the case, falling off abruptly at the tips. The buffed steel spear-tip hands are simple yet wholly complementary to the Shaftesbury’s distinguished demeanour.

Garrick Shaftesbury SM301 - 8

Flip it over to reveal the rear detail and the Shaftesbury impresses with an almost total vista of the Unitas 6498 NOS manual winding calibre which beats within. Garrick have taken this trusty 1950’s movement, favoured by among others Panerai and TAG Heuer in the past, and reduced it to its base components before gold plating and then reassembling using Garrick bridges, Cotes de Geneve stripes and their very own free sprung balance. A narrow squared lip around the edge of the caseback means that the entire spectacle can be appreciated without being obstructed with an overly intrusive rear bezel.

Garrick Shaftesbury SM301 - 5

The Garrick Shaftesbury SM301 is presented on leather straps only, although the choice again is wide and varied. A tang buckle secures the watch to the wrist.

Garrick Shaftesbury SM301 - 3

Priced at £3,950 / € 5,350 Euro, it surely comes in at a very attractive price point for such exclusivity, and it is clear that every aspect of this fine watch has been carefully considered, even down to the cost, because with most of its peers costing a lot more, Garrick believe that while it’s all fair and good to sell a watch for £10,000, that kind of investment requires faith in a brand, and that faith takes time to cultivate. Another view is that there are few timepieces which represent small scale watchmaking available at that kind of money, so there again Garrick have another USP.

With the Shaftesbury, Garrick have laid down a notable marker, and one which symbolises a brand which has its heart in the right place as it consolidates. The watch is refined, beautifully finished and earnestly constructed in England, and of course, where possible in-house.

Garrick Hoxton sm302 – watch review by ESCAPEMENT

Seeing red

Angus Davies provides an in-depth review of the Garrick Hoxton sm302, available with a broad choice of dial options. However, it was the red dial option which provoked a reaction in this self-confessed grumpy 47 year-old.

Garrick Hoxton sm302

Middle-age sneaks up on the unsuspecting. I have become a grumpy 47 year-old, experiencing a sense of repeated irritation. Indeed, some aspects of modern life quite simply infuriate me. The world has seemingly gone mad.

If I venture into a supermarket and wish to pay for my goods, I am suddenly expected to morph into a checkout assistant and scan my own shopping. Moreover, as an impatient queue assembles behind me, I have to try and pack my shopping. This in itself may not sound much of an issue, but the shopping bags provided are so thin they have merged into one homogenous fusion of polythene and, try as I might, I can’t separate them.

Then, all of a sudden, my till displays a message enquiring of my age. Now I have to wait for human intervention, whilst the ever lengthening queue stares at me with a sense of disdain. I am clearly over 18 years of age and a bottle of Chianti does not constitute a matter of life and death, but automation dictates I now need to be inconvenienced further. The queue is getting longer and I could readily seek refuge in a case of Chianti such is the magnitude of my annoyance.

Is it just me, or has the world gone mad?

Take aeroplanes, I can think of no other area in life where it is considered acceptable to shoehorn adults into seats which are unduly small. The airlines health and safety gurus have decided a reasonable precaution is to warn passengers of the potential risk of deep vein thrombosis. Exercises are described within the inflight magazine, accompanied with small pictures my myopically impaired eyes can barely decipher. However, should I wish to stand and stretch, mitigating the risk of clots forming in my arteries, my actions will be met with ‘the look’ from an angry air hostess who has a trolley to wheel down the aisle, laden with ‘tat’ no self-respecting sane person would ever really consider purchasing.

Indeed, the very notion of customer service doesn’t exist at 30,000 feet. Should you show the merest of annoyance at the brusque service and rancid sandwich presented, you will be met with a strong rebuke. We now live in an age where disappointed customers are labelled potential air rage perpetrators. Don’t even dare complain unless you wish to be tasered.

Is it just me, or has the world gone mad?

The introduction of speed cameras seems well intentioned. However, if you ever look at drivers on the M6 in rush hour, they are not looking ahead watching the road, they are transfixed on the needles of their speedometers, expending huge amounts of energy to ensure their average speed over a given distance does not stray a couple of miles per hour over the limit.

With variable speed limits becoming de rigueur on our motorways, drivers panic as the prevailing maximum speed displayed on a sign is reduced by 10 miles per hour. All of a sudden the driver ahead performs a near emergency stop, anxiously fearing a further three points and resulting in numerous cars behind, swerving in his wake.

Is it just me, or has the world gone mad? You get the idea!

The fact is, many aspects of modern life make me angry. Wherever my eyes look there are elements of living in the modern world which irritate me, causing me to see red. However, whilst I saw red when first encountering a vibrantly hued Garrick Hoxton sm302, very different emotions came to the fore. This is a timepiece sporting a red dial which confers a striking appearance and justifies further discussion.

Garrick Hoxton sm302

In 2014, Garrick launched its inaugural watch, the Shaftesbury sm301. This timepiece represented a departure from the norm. While I am accustomed to seeing watches in the sub £4000 segment being mass produced, by virtue of Garrick’s size, the sm301 is made on a one-man, one-watch basis, typical of manufacturing high-end wristwatches.

Garrick Shaftesbury sm301

Garrick Shaftesbury sm301

It is this low-volume production method which has allowed Garrick to incorporate its own in-house free-sprung balance. The inclusion of a free-sprung balance proves incredibly labour intensive, necessitating much effort on the part of the watchmaker to fettle the balance wheel to run to the specified +3 seconds per day.

Recently, Garrick launched its second, simpler timepiece, the Hoxton sm302. While this watch does not include a free-sprung balance, which is reflected in the price, this model loses none of the hand craftsmanship and aesthetic allure of its older, costlier sibling, the Shaftesbury sm301.

Garrick Hoxton sm302

Recently, I had the good fortune to share a few calm weeks in the company of the new Hoxton sm302.

The dial

The first aspect of this particular Hoxton sm302 to arrest my attention was the dial colour. It is a vivid shade of red with a wonderful metallic lustre to its surface. The dial is machined with a series of concentric circles populating the periphery of the dial area.

Garrick Hoxton sm302

I suspect for some readers, the ebullient colour scheme may prove a tad too conspicuous and they may prefer more subdued shades. There is no need to worry, Garrick offer an array of dial options suiting a broad range of would-be buyers. I must confess, the red dial option worked for me and proved incredibly versatile, matching an array of shirts and jumpers and provoking comment wherever I chose to wear the watch.

Garrick Hoxton sm302

Unlike the sm301, where the dial includes a small seconds display, the sm302 presents the hours and minutes alone. This succinct presentation of the prevailing hour represents a charming contradistinction to those dials proffered by some brands which seem at best rather ‘busy’ and in some cases, virtually impossible to read. No such affliction effects the sm302 which tastefully articulates time with seemly poise and absolute decorum.

Garrick Hoxton sm302

The hour and minute hands are produced in-house. Close examination reveals their hand crafted nature with small surface undulations on the recesses to the centre of each hand. They lack the homogeneity of mass produced stamped items typically used on mainstream brands. The resultant subtle nuances reveal a comely individuality which I appreciate, reaffirming this is a handmade watch.

A stainless steel chapter ring sits atop the red dial surface and is retained with three thermally blued screws. I noted the screws were not recessed and enquired of David Brailsford, Managing Director of Garrick, what was the reason for this decision. His answer was clear and unequivocal, ‘We wanted the thermally blued screws to sit above the chapter ring, to engage with light more readily and for the screws to yield beautiful bluish purple shades in ambient light. By recessing the screws we would have lost much of this interplay with light and sacrificed the delightful depths we have achieved using the screws.’ Listening to Brailsford, everything suddenly made sense. The brands attention to detail is incredibly impressive, especially in a company which is still relatively small and young.

The case

I appreciated the polished case of the sm301 with its effervescent mien. Simon Michlmayr and his team are masters of polishing and successfully infused the sm301 with an almost mirror-like gleam. However, with the sm302, the caseband is grained, adopting a gentler, calmer persona. Whilst I like the shiny flanks of the sm301, I favour the muted disposition of the younger, sm302.

Garrick Hoxton sm302

The 42mm case sits comfortably on the wrist and the crown does not impose its presence on the arm with unsightly red marks. This timepiece accords an agreeable fit which should appeal to a wide audience, avoiding the extremes of unduly small or excessively large, dimensions.

Garrick Hoxton sm302

An exhibition caseback reveals the inner psyche of the timepiece, with the finely decorated movement freely disclosed via one of the largest ‘widescreen’ sapphire crystal panes you are likely to encounter. Indeed, Garrick has utilised virtually all of the caseback to reveal as much of the movement as possible.

Garrick Hoxton sm302

The movement

Garrick used a hand-wound, ‘new old stock’ Unitas 6498.1 base movement on the sm301 and the sm302 repeats this formula.

Where the movement of the sm302 differs from the sm301 is with the absence of a free-sprung balance. However, the sm302 uses a screwed balance which will appeal to many purists, myself included.

Garrick Hoxton sm302

Garrick has also elected to eschew the Geneva stripes found on the bridges of the sm301 and employ a frosted finish which I personally find fresh and eye-catching. The appearance of the bridges on the sm302 appearmodern when contrasted with the sm301, but confer a degree of originality which is very endearing.

Traditional watchmaking crafts are still much in evidence, despite the modernity of the timepiece. The thermally blued screws are not mass produced in a large oven, but heated on a bed of brass filings to achieve the beautiful bluish purple hues.

Garrick Hoxton sm302 and Garrick Shaftesbury sm301

Closing remarks

The red-faced Garrick Hoxton sm302 makes me smile. It disarms me with its unique appearance and charming details. Some elements exhibit modernity, which, unusually for me, lighten my mood. I cannot help being drawn towards many ingredients of this mouth watering horological proposition and feeling a sense that all is well with the world.

It is refreshing to see British craftsmanship is still alive and well. Indeed, as a patriot and watch lover I can report, that for once, seeing red actually makes me happy. The future of Garrick looks assured if it continues to produce watches that display such breathtaking invention and skill.

Garrick Hoxton sm302

Technical Specification

  • Model: Garrick Hoxton sm302
  • Case: stainless steel; diameter 42.00mm; height 12.50mm; water resistant to 10 bar (100 metres); sapphire crystal to front and caseback.
  • Functions: Hours; minutes.
  • Movement: Vintage Unitas 6498.1 base, hand-wound movement; frequency 18,000 vph (2.5Hz), power reserve 42 hours
  • Strap: Black leather strap presented with a stainless steel pin buckle
  • Price: £2495 (RRP as at 3.6.2015)

Acknowledgement

All images bearing the ESCAPEMENT logo by © Euan Davies 2015

http://www.escapementmagazine.com/articles/garrick-hoxton-sm302—watch-review-by-escapement.html