The McGonigle Brothers

John and Stephen McGonigle are Irish brothers from Athlone, a town in the centre of Ireland. They  have been involved, behind the scenes, in the development and production of some of the most daring complicated watches in recent years. In 2006, having established workshops in both Ireland and Switzerland, they created their own brand, McGonigle Watches.

Their collaboration has yielded an exquisitely finished Tourbillon expressing the virtues of elegant simplicity and artisanal craftsmanship. The watch is a manual wind Tourbillon wristwatch available in Platinum or Gold. The clean lines, the complex case and the sapphire dial stay true to a philosophy that less is more. Turn the watch over and the wearer will see the Celtic inspired design by their sister Frances, a respected artist. The mainplate is tastefully engraved with the name of the maker, John or Stephen, and the date work commenced. The crown features Ogham characters, an ancient Irish alphabet that survived through engravings on stone and wood. Each watch is produced to the client’s requirements and in essence are bespoke. Due to the level of customisation involved no two watches are alike.

"We felt that if we were to embark on the challenge of making our own wristwatch we would want the watch to embrace some important core principles. These are principles that are present in the great timepieces we have been fortunate to work on in the past. We wanted our watch to encompass technical excellence, aesthetic beauty, resilience and longevity.“ John McGonigle

In keeping the the principle that less is more the Tourbillon cage is freesprung. John & Stephen dispensed with the regulator in order to adjust the timekeeping of the watch. This eliminates one of the eight elements that disturb the regular timekeeping of a watch. Put simply to regulate a freesprung watch it is necessary to balance the weight of the balance with the length of the balance spring. Rather than add weight to the Tourbillon cage, to poise it, John and Stephen have removed weight from the other side. The net result is a lighter cage. A cage stops, recoils and accelerates six times every second. A lighter cage makes this effort more efficient.

John and Stephen are famed for their level of finishing. This skill has made their services highly sought after by major watch brands. The highest standards of finishing are there to be inspected and enjoyed in each piece. Different finishes are often dictated by the clients preference. Each watch produced is a careful collaboration between the brothers and their client. It is this collaborative experience that makes owning a watch by an independent watchmaker (such as the AHCI members) so special. John and Stephen are always ready to attempt special projects or requests. They try and make their clients dreams a reality. 

 John McGonigle

John McGonigle studied watchmaking at the Irish Swiss Institute of Horology in Dublin before spending two years repairing watches and clocks in Ireland & the UK. After studying at the international watchmaking school, WOSTEP in Neuchatel, Switzerland, John worked as a service manager and watchmaker in Bermuda. On his return to Switzerland, he worked for five years with Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus. This was to be a pivotal period in his career as he gained considerable experience and skills in traditional ‘haut de gamme’ watchmaking.

"At Audemars Piguet I specialized in extra flat watches, perpetual calendars, minute repeaters and their famed titanium caged automatic Tourbillon which remains the smallest production Tourbillon ever made. I also had the opportunity to restore many of their antique and complicated watches."

After a rewarding period absorbing and learning as much as he could at Audemars Piguet, in 1997 John seized an opportunity to develop prototypes for Christophe Claret. There he developed Grande Complications, Tourbillons, Automates, and Minute Repeaters with Westminster Chimes.

In 1999 John returned to Athlone in Ireland, and established his own watchmaking workshop where he produces complications for Swiss watch houses.

In 2007 John joined forces with his brother Stephen to create their own brand, McGonigle Watches, which they launched at the AHCI stand as candidate members with their first model, a tourbillon.

 Stephen McGonigle

Stephen graduated from the Irish/Swiss Institute of Horology in 1996 winning a scholarship to Switzerland. He followed this with some excellent experience working for Somlo Antiques in Piccadilly, London as a specialist in the restoration of fine antique watches. He then moved to Switzerland where he joined his brother John working at Christophe Claret producing complications of every kind, from sapphire Tourbillons to Tourbillon Minute Repeaters and the development of complicated prototypes for prestigious brands.

Stephen subsequently joined Frank Muller where he worked in the production and after sales service of complications and gained experience with the Grand Sonnerie wristwatch. After Frank Muller Stephen moved to Breguet as Head of Complications in After Sales Service, and was involved in the training of watchmakers. Amongst other work, Stephen had the valuable opportunity to work on the restoration of the famous Sympathique clocks. He then joined The British Masters as Head of Complications. Stephen then opened his own independent atelier creating complications for some of the most prestigious names in watchmaking.

In 2007 Stephen joined forces with his brother John to create their own brand, McGonigle Watches, which they launched at the AHCI stand as candidate members with their first model, a tourbillon