Rare Gold Dial Variant: Garrick S3 Deadbeat Seconds with British Hand-Finishing
The Garrick S3 Deadbeat Seconds in gold-toned frosted dial represents British independent watchmaking at its most refined. This variant pairs the mechanical deception of jumping seconds—a complication that ticks like quartz but is entirely hand-regulated—with warm gold aesthetics that elevate the technical openworked dial. Only ~5 pieces built annually from Garrick's Norwich workshop.
The British Watchmaking Story
Garrick founders David Brailsford and Simon Michlmayr established their Norwich facility in 2014 with one goal: revive Britain's dormant haute horology tradition. The S3 Deadbeat Seconds represents the culmination of that mission. Every DB-G07 movement is built and finished by hand by watchmaker Stuart Smith—no CNC mass production, no assembly line shortcuts. The deadbeat seconds mechanism requires exponentially more adjustment time than a standard seconds display, which is precisely why so few independent makers attempt it.
The gold-toned dial variant showcases Garrick's mastery of traditional finishing: hand-beveled bridges with black polishing (achieved through tin plate and diamantine paste, not buffing wheels), frosted surfaces that catch light like crushed velvet, and that massive Trinity free-sprung balance at 6 o'clock. The balance uses Garrick's proprietary Sircumet alloy—anti-magnetic and positioned "in-board" to reduce air turbulence. Each watch undergoes three weeks of positional regulation to achieve ±3-second daily accuracy.
Garrick earned back-to-back GPHG Finalist recognition in 2024 and 2025, the same award tier as F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour. The DB-G07 caliber was developed in collaboration with master watchmaker Andreas Strehler, bringing Swiss precision engineering to British aesthetic traditions—Harrison, Mudge, Tompion, Graham.
Why the Gold Dial Configuration
The gold-frosted dial adds warmth to the S3's technical architecture. Where silver emphasizes the movement's mechanical purity, the gold variant creates visual harmony with the blued hands and brings out amber tones in the German silver chapter ring. The frosted gold surface scatters light differently than polished gold, creating a matte glow that complements both dress and casual contexts. This is the variant for collectors who want technical horology without clinical aesthetics.
Who This Watch Is For
If you're drawn to independent makers who control every production step—dial manufacture, hand production, movement development—the S3 Deadbeat Seconds gold dial variant represents modern British horology at its peak. This is for collectors who understand that Garrick's ~50 annual production (5 per flagship model) means genuine exclusivity, not artificial scarcity. You're buying a 24-month build-time timepiece where the watchmaker's signature appears on the movement.
The Exquisite Timepieces Advantage
This new S3 Deadbeat Seconds includes full Garrick presentation, box, and papers, backed by a 2-year manufacturer warranty. As a Garrick authorized retailer, we provide authentication guarantees, trade-in evaluations on your current collection, and concierge service at our Naples, FL showroom. Financing options available for qualified purchases.
