Enjoy Watches

Brand history & owner guide

Garrard

Garrard is a London jeweller with documented watch and clock business history, not merely a contextual label. 12

This profile covers the maker’s identity, history and documented work. A complete model catalogue is being researched separately.

At a glance

Subject
Confirmed Horological Business 12
First documented date
1735 — House heritage origin 13
Documented work
Patek Philippe exhibition at Garrard 4

What Garrard’s watch business meant before the luxury-brand era

Garrard is a London jeweller with documented watch and clock business history, not merely a contextual label. Alan Banbery joined Garrard after running his own watch shop and worked in sales using his watchmaking expertise.

A Patek Philippe exhibition at Garrard brought Banbery into contact with Henri Stern. The sources establish jewellery craftsmanship and historical watch retailing, but do not establish that Garrard made every movement sold under its name. 1243

The work and why it matters

The museum traces the house to George Wickes in 1735 and Robert Garrard’s takeover in 1802. The museum records R and S Garrard, then R and S Garrard and Company, and incorporation as a limited company in 1909.

Garrard was appointed Crown Jeweller in 1843. The museum records an Asprey association in 1998–2002 and regained independence in 2003. 13

People, production and attribution

Forbes reported Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa acquisition of Garrard in March 2006. Garrard has a current jewellery website and a Royal Warrant Holders Association listing at 24 Albemarle Street, London.

Garrard provides a documented link between luxury retail, watch expertise and Banbery’s subsequent Patek Philippe career. 5324

Key dates

  1. 1735

    House heritage origin

    The museum traces the house to George Wickes in 1735 and Robert Garrard’s takeover in 1802. 13

  2. 1802

    Robert Garrard takeover

    The museum traces the house to George Wickes in 1735 and Robert Garrard’s takeover in 1802. 13

  3. 1843

    Crown Jeweller appointment

    Garrard was appointed Crown Jeweller in 1843. 13

  4. 1909

    Limited-company incorporation in museum history

    The museum records R and S Garrard, then R and S Garrard and Company, and incorporation as a limited company in 1909. 1

  5. 1998–2003

    Asprey association and separation

    The museum records an Asprey association in 1998–2002 and regained independence in 2003. 1

Ownership and continuity

Forbes reported Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa acquisition of Garrard in March 2006. 5

Watchmakers and designers linked to Garrard

These people have a sourced relationship to this brand in the Enjoy Watches register. The label beside each name states the relationship recorded; it should not be read as a broader employment or ownership claim.

Identification and service

For an individual watch, record the complete reference, serial, dial, case, and movement markings and compare them with dated primary documentation.

A brand history cannot authenticate, appraise, or establish the provenance of a particular watch.

Evidence and limits

How the claims are supported
  1. reasonable inference

    Garrard is a London jeweller with documented watch and clock business history, not merely a contextual label.

  2. reasonable inference

    The museum traces the house to George Wickes in 1735 and Robert Garrard’s takeover in 1802.

  3. verified fact

    The museum records R and S Garrard, then R and S Garrard and Company, and incorporation as a limited company in 1909.

  4. reasonable inference

    Garrard was appointed Crown Jeweller in 1843.

  5. verified fact

    Alan Banbery joined Garrard after running his own watch shop and worked in sales using his watchmaking expertise.

  6. verified fact

    A Patek Philippe exhibition at Garrard brought Banbery into contact with Henri Stern.

  7. reasonable inference

    The museum records an Asprey association in 1998–2002 and regained independence in 2003.

  8. verified fact

    Forbes reported Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa acquisition of Garrard in March 2006.

  9. reasonable inference

    Garrard has a current jewellery website and a Royal Warrant Holders Association listing at 24 Albemarle Street, London.

  10. reasonable inference

    The sources establish jewellery craftsmanship and historical watch retailing, but do not establish that Garrard made every movement sold under its name.

  11. reasonable inference

    Garrard provides a documented link between luxury retail, watch expertise and Banbery’s subsequent Patek Philippe career.

Known limits

  • This identity dossier is not a complete catalogue of every watch or reference.

Direct sources

  1. Garrard and Company Limited 1735Science Museum Group · museum authority record · accessed September 15, 2026

    Locator: Authority record cp33296; industry, based, and dated company-history paragraph.. External source.

  2. Garrard & Co LtdRoyal Warrant Holders Association · trade association directory · accessed September 15, 2026

    Locator: Company listing: trade categories, address and website.. External source.

  3. About Garrard | Royal Jewellers & Iconic JewelleryGarrard · official brand history · accessed September 15, 2026

    Locator: About Garrard > A Heritage to Trust, lines 471–480; Crafted for a Lifetime, lines 493–495.. First-party source; its statements remain attributed.

  4. How Alan Banbery shaped the modern history of Patek PhilippeA Collected Man · independent specialist reporting · accessed September 15, 2026

    Locator: Career narrative, lines 1167–1188: own shop, Garrard sales role and Patek Philippe exhibition.. External source.

  5. Billionaire Burkle Buys U.K. Crown JewellerForbes · independent business reporting · accessed September 15, 2026

    Locator: Acquisition paragraphs naming Ron Burkle/Yucaipa, Garrard and the Asprey separation.. External source.

Corrections

The public correction mailbox has not yet been recorded as tested end to end. Read the reporting format and retain your evidence until receipt is acknowledged.

Read the corrections policy