From the crucible of fire and the deep embrace of the earth, a truly unique timepiece emerges: the Arcanaut ARC II – Garnet Goblin. This is not merely a watch; it’s a surface-dwelling stunner, a horological entity born from the rich tapestry of imagined Bohemian folklore, a testament to a fascinating collaboration between Danish design mavericks Arcanaut, the esteemed Prague-based retailer Chronoshop.cz, and the historic guardians of Bohemian garnet, the Granát Turnov company.
While the name might conjure images of a quirky ale or a fantastical quest, make no mistake – this is serious watchmaking, executed with an audacious spirit and a knowing, sly grin. Arcanaut’s signature off-kilter charm is present and accounted for, but here it’s anchored by a compelling sense of mythological gravity. The garnet itself, a gemstone steeped in legend and once believed to ward off poison and serve as a nocturnal guide for travellers, lends a powerful, almost talismanic quality to each piece. It is, quite literally, wearable magic, a fusion of deep geology and a delightful dash of goblin mischief.
This creation transcends the typical watch collaboration; it’s a partnership built on a shared cultural bedrock, seamlessly blending the minimalist precision of Danish design with the vibrant heritage of Czech culture and the inherent, dark beauty of natural garnet. With an exceptionally limited run of just 66 pieces, each Garnet Goblin is more than scarce; it feels like a relic in the making, a fragment of myth brought to tangible life on the wrist. The focal point, the dial, is a breathtaking spectacle.
It incorporates hundreds of diminutive garnets, each precisely 0.8 mm, meticulously arranged in a captivating cluster formation. These miniature gems are then fused by a clear binding agent and polished down to a perfectly flat disc before being adhered to a gold-plated baseplate. This golden foundation is key, designed specifically to coax out the inner fire of the garnet, allowing it to catch the light with dazzling effect. Arcanaut’s commitment to authenticity means they exclusively use garnet sourced from the legendary Turnov open-pit mine, the historical gemstone heartland of Bohemia.
The case housing this fiery dial is a marvel of modern manufacturing. Crafted from 316L stainless steel, it is CNC milled north of Copenhagen with astonishing tolerances, down to a single micron – roughly the size of a bacterium. The case features Arcanaut’s innovative “skeleton framing” decoration, with micro-blasted recesses providing a captivating contrast to the polished surfaces. As with all their creations, the case is completed by their signature “Pentablock” crown, also CNC milled to micron precision, ensuring it integrates seamlessly and perfectly with the case profile.
The hands, crucial for timekeeping, are laser-cut and micro-welded steel, crafted in the southern reaches of Denmark and coated in Copenhagen with a layer of exquisite 9-carat gold. Even the caseback, often an overlooked element, is a point of innovation and character. Arcanaut’s luminous “Glowpatch” casebacks have evolved.
Moving beyond the deeply-engraved single-piece medallions, they’ve developed a sophisticated two-part construction utilising a laser-cut stencil design as the top layer and an etched base filled with potent lume. This results in superior glow intensity and duration, alongside a crispness of line and depth that is truly unparalleled in watchmaking. This particular iteration of the Glowpatch features the latest Arcanaut character, the Garnet Goblin itself, captured mid-mischief with a devilish grin.
While the first five pieces are available at a pre-order price, securing one of the remaining pieces means acquiring a watch that is not just a timekeeping instrument, but a wearable piece of art, folklore, and precision engineering.
