I’ve been wanting to write an article about Enicar for awhile now. Its large, sporty Sherpa models are widely appreciated among collectors. Additionally, a recently published book has brought increased scholarship and attention to the brand.

Enicar: The real Explorers?

A super brief history on Enicar: It was founded in 1913 by the Racine family (Enicar is “Racine” spelled backwards). Immediately, I related: one of my favorite Pokemon growing up was Ekans the snake (true galaxy brain for a 6-year-old).

Like another brand you might be familiar with, Enicar began outfitting mountain climbers and other adventurers with its watches in the 1950s as a marketing tactic. A Swiss team of climbers wore Enicar watches to the top of Lhoste and Mount Everest in 1956.

Seizing on this success, Enicar quickly registered the “Sherpa” name, and began releasing its first Sherpa watches later that year. (Enicar trademarking Sherpa, which Wikipedia tells me is an ethnic group native to the most mountainous regions of Nepal and the Himalayas, seems a bit like that Chicago poke company that tried to trademark the word “aloha”, but I’m not here to virtue signal and guilt you out of buying an Enicar — the brand basically collapsed during the quartz crisis anyway.)

The Sherpa line would go on to define Enicar through the following years, as it released dozens of different Sherpa models. This included a line of Sherpa Graph chronographs using large Super Compressor cases, typically powered by the Valjoux 72 movement widely used by a number of brands during the time.

At a time when Rolex’s, Heuer’s, and other brands’ chronograph lines were defined by smaller, minimal models, the Sherpa Graph was a true sports chronograph: 40mm, a Super Compressor case with serious water resistance, and often bold color schemes.

However, I was drawn not to the sporty Sherpa Graph, but to a smaller, more enigmatic Enicar: the reference 2303 “Garnix” chronograph. It’s one of those models that, when searching eBay, Instagram or Chrono24, you have to do searches with multiple sets of keywords, because no one really knows how to refer to it.

Getting the Garnix

If you tuned in last week, you might’ve figured out that I’ve got a thing for grey dial chronographs. There really aren’t that many around, and to me, the steely grey dial paired with a stainless steel case is just ice cold. It makes for a cohesive piece that looks like it was plucked right off the manufacturing line at a steel plant.

The Enicar reference 2303 — or Garnix, German for “nothing”, so named because of the lack of text on the dial besides the Enciar name and Saturn logo — was a chronograph released in the 1960s alongside the larger Sherpa Graph line.

While some have referred to this as a “pre-Sherpa” chronograph, that’s not accurate: The Garnix has an Enicar logo, tritium lume (a “T” over the 6 o’clock sub dial even indicates the use of tritium), and other features emblematic of 1960s Enicar. It’s more likely the reference 2303 was simply aimed at a different audience than the Sherpa Graph.

The Enicar Garnix case measures just 36mm in diameter and it doesn’t use the same Compressor technology as the Sherpa Graph line. The Sherpa Graph also has longer, noticeable lugs than the Garnix, making the Garnix wear even smaller on wrist. Inside, the same Valjoux 72 engine powers both the Garnix and the Sherpa Graph.

The Garnix is still waterproof, though lacked the “Seapearl” branding seen on the back of more robust Enicar sports watches. The Garnix is engraved 072/003 on the case back, so you’ll often see the model referred to using this number as well.

Sporty simplicity

While the Sherpa Graph collection is highlighted by panda, reverse panda, and “albino” dials, the Garnix comes only in a monochromatic grey dial. The outer rings of the sub dials have a different polished finishing, but overall the design is a somber departure from Enicar’s colorful sports watches.

Looking at the Enicar reference 2303, it’s clear this isn’t intended as a sports watch: It’s more akin to a “dress chronograph” that can be worn everyday. It was offered in either a stainless steel or gold-plated case, again illustrating that this was a watch meant for the office as much as the ocean or mountains.

Enicar being Enicar, there’s still some fun to be had: on most examples, the hour and minute hand are Enicar’s instantly recognizable paddle hands. The sweep seconds hand features a small red lollipop, and small lume plots complement the indices. But, more subtle details also complement the funky and sporty to make for a well-balanced dial: raised, polished indices assure you this is still a dress chronograph capable of slipping seamlessly under a cuff.

The mix of slight pops of color against the clean grey dial offer an aesthetic that’s really not seen anywhere else in vintage watches. It’s mid-century minimalism with just a wink towards the loud, 1970s disco to come.

There’s still a lot to be learned about the Enicar reference 2303, but it’s that bit of mystery that makes this enigmatic Enicar all the more interesting to collectors. There aren’t that many that come up for sale, so it’s hard to even know if the various hand sets and configurations seen on examples are “correct.”

The Enicar reference 2303 Garnix is just one in a long list of Valjoux 72 chronographs from the 1960s deserving of more attention that it receives, but with a truly unique design from a quirky brand, it’s a watch worthy of continued discovery.

Sales corner: Enicar ‘Garnix’

Now that you’re familiar with the Enicar reference 2303, let’s take a look at one for sale: a stainless steel example of the Enicar Garnix. The dealer offering up this example says the case is unpolished, and is even selling it with the original beads of rice bracelet. The Enicar Garnix is a great entry point not only into Enicar the brand, but to mid-century chronographs as a class. Powered by a Valjoux 72 movement and priced lower than many other models with the same movement, it’s a good way to dip your toes in without going full-on Sherpa. DM dealer Timeist (@timeist_insta) for more info on this Enicar reference 2303.