Originally published soon after my tip to meet John & Stephen McGonigle in July 2006. I was visiting family in the UK, and decided to hop over to Dublin from Liverpool's John Lennon airport, which is only 20mins from my parents. I wasn't really prepared for the experience I received.
Now 3 years on, I'm able to reflect back on the huge fortune I had being present when the first McGonigle Tourbillon was presented. One of the two fellows who initially recognised the McGonigle's talent and passion, then footed half the bill for it's development; Tom and his lovely wife were over in the UK to see the Daniels exhibit in London prior to jumping on a plane to meeting John & Stephen in Dublin. I now recognise true passion in someone willing to forward two "no name watchmakers" from Ireland, many thousands of Euros in order for them to develop and make the first two platinum cased McGonigle tourbillon watches. It was a huge risk that these two took on knowing full well they were backing an "unknown dark horse".
I can tell you they were both immensely thrilled almost 3 years on from the initial concept of having a watch made by John & Stephen. I was again fortunate to be present when the second piece was presented finally in October that same year when then brothers came over to CA. Rudy, wanted to receive it in person, after Tom called him from Dublin, with all the excitement of a small boy, and look the lads in the eye in order to thank them. This is one aspect of what makes buying a watch from an Independent watchmaker so compelling, the personal interaction with it's creator.
Here it is the original article I published:
Dublin & Athlone to find the home of Irish watch making
The Irish brothers McGonigle are to watch-making what a Pagani Zonda is in the car business. Lest I oversell John and Stephen’s first effort out of the gate, I offer one of, if not the finest tourbillon wristwatch made. They started this project 3 years ago at the request of a couple of collectors from Florida, whom had made the McGonigles acquaintance whilst touring the workshops of Christophe Claret. Here John was acting the tour guide, taking time from the bench to show the guests around. On seeing their prototyping work for Claret, which happened to be non other than Westminster chiming minute repeating tourbillons, Tom and his business partner being visionaries in their field, realized a need that they asked John and Stephen to fulfill. As opposed to buying a fine watch from a company where one doesn’t have a clue who actually assembled the timepiece, a watch designed and built by hand from the Irish brothers was what they were after. The ability to acquire a handmade watch built by the watchmaker named on the dial is rare. A treat few get to enjoy.
My connection and introduction came through Peter Speake-Marin, who has worked with both the brothers at various times in both Switzerland and England. He suggested to me during the Basel fair in March that I invite them over to our event in October. They were interested and agreed to come based on Peter’s say so. Well as I was taking a holiday over in the UK getting back last week, I thought it would be a great opportunity to hop over from Liverpool, where my parents live, and make the effort to meet the brothers prior to them coming over here. What follows is a pictorial history of the 2 days spent in the Emerald Isle.
I left for Dublin around 10.30am from John Lennon airport (formerly Speak airport to those of us who grew up near Liverpool) for the 45 min flight over the Irish Sea. On arriving I was met by John at the airport, who informed me we couldn’t go too far as we had to return an hour later to collect Tom & Connie who where arriving from London to take delivery of the first McGonigle Tourbillon. Well guess where we ended up, yes a watering hole next to the airport for the first of several Guinness’ that I had been relishing since organizing my trip. For those of you who enjoy Guinness, it is something else when drunk in Ireland, I think the further one goes away from the River Liffy in Dublin, the less you get to enjoy this special beer. It is quite superb, and of course the company helps!
I wasn’t expecting to see the watch until we got to Athlone where John has his home and workshop, as we sat down outside, John opens up the backpack he had with him to reveal this gem of a watch. Having seen several images sent to me prior to going over, I was not prepared for what was laid before me.
A staggeringly beautiful execution of the classical tourbillon wristwatch. This one cased in Platinum like it’s sibling, the brothers have created the first two watches both in Platinum, however a rose gold version will also be available in the future.
Here placed over my wrist, wow!!! A manual wind Irish Tourbillon finished to the highest standards. The dial, a slab of sapphire crystal reveals the mainplate with it’s circular graining which is cleverly centered on the tourbillon pinion not the pinion for the hands which is what one might expect. At 12 o’clock a cut out reveals the mainspring barrel with the wolfs teeth gearing. Almost all of the lower half of the dial is cut away to frame the upper tourbillon bridge, which is mirror finish polished in the stylized “M”. This is a labor of love and a work of art. Tom, who commissioned the first two watches together with his business partner, are very lucky and visionary fellows. To place their trust and hard earned money with Stephen & John on something unknown four years ago, shows to me a tremendous understanding of the high horological world in which John & Stephen exist.
After we picked up Tom & Connie, we headed into Dublin to their hotel and lunch after the watch was presented to Tom. He was I think I can safely say blown away by it. He has obviously been involved in the project with pics being sent to him along the way, but in person, the watch is something else. I liked what I saw in the pictures, in person infinitely better. After lunch a little touring of Grafton Street, Dublin’s Madison Ave. I dropped in on Boodles‘ latest shop, the British Jewellery firm where I got started in this business in Chester back in 1987. I spent a half hour chatting with Jody Wainwright, among other things lamenting the lack of vision and leadership in the mainstream watch business. Boodles is one of the few jewelers to stop carrying Rolex watches as they are more focused on their own brand as opposed to promoting Rolex. A decision I thought odd when I first heard it, but knowing a little more of the details of how Rolex operates I understand why they made that decision, although I don’t think I would have done it. There-in lies a difference between us and Boodles. I have a tremendous passion for watches.
On returning to the hotel we reconvened in the beautiful lobby for yet another Guinness whilst we waited for Stephen to arrive from Switzerland with the second watch for Tom’s business partner. I was honored to be present at the delivery of the first watch, well to see both was quite special. Note the hour difference, one being Swiss the other GMT.
The backs:
We spent a good hour chatting about the watch business and other fun topics, generally getting to know each other. At around 7pm John and I headed out west to Athlone, the town where john and Stephen grew up on the banks of the Shannon river. We left Stephen to dine with Tom & Connie with a plan to catch up with him the following day in Athlone. After a splendid dinner (Guinness included) at a local restaurant in Athlone, I retired to bed in a rather smart golfing hotel just outside of town that was owned by friends of the McGonigles.
The view from my room looking out across the lough (pronounced lock Celtic for lake)
A full Irish breakfast got me off to a brilliant start after which I was picked up by John to go to his home and workshop. On returning in 1999 to Athlone, John achieved another of his life’s goals, to establish himself as an independent watchmaker in Ireland. He and his family acquired a lovely old country cottage to which they have added the modern workshop, an extra bedroom and living room. When we arrived I was struck by how peaceful it was, possibly the perfect spot to create his “horological art forms”.
I spent many minutes taking pictures of the “shop”, as always I’m fascinated by the watchmakers world. Small and compact, forever a 15 square foot world with an array of tiny tools carefully laid out.
Some of the "tools of the trade"
John very kindly offered to show me the workings of his Westminster chiming minute repeater mechanism he designed whilst at Claret. I think you can figure out which two, well known to us, super complicated watches this is deployed in, in addition to the tourbillon feature. Two of the last independent great old watch houses utilize this in their top end watches, which sell for several hundred thousand dollars! Here I was with the man responsible, demonstrating how the springs, slides and hammers all operate under a binocular microscope. In John’s calm presence his description and demonstration of how it all works sounded serenely simple, of course it is not. As independent watchmakers, both lads are still asked to lend their skills in prototyping and executing complications for many of the mainstream watch houses. Evidence was all around John’s bench.
Familiar "Golden Bridges" with westminster chimes and tourbillon...
Closer up:
I spent two and a half hours at John’s home/workshop, taking tons of pictures in the hope of capturing a few good ones, learning about what he does on a day to day basis and getting to be a close observer of some amazing movements. I think I captured a couple of great shots outside in the garden whilst enjoying a cup of tea.
Now to the back, showing off the lad's sister's design for the Celtic engraving:
Tea time:
I thought I’d include some images of the tough “work environment” John has to struggle getting to each day!
As you well know I subscribe to the concept of all work and no play makes one dull, so with our shared love of the water, John offered to take me out on the lake on his little cabin cruiser to spend 45mins puttering down to the center of Athlone which lies on the Shannon river. Powered by an older Perkins marine diesel I think we managed to hit 4 knots flat out
As we drew alongside, we were greeted by Stephen who had made the trip out to Athlone for our lunch get-together. Of course they insisted on taking me for a Guinness in the oldest pub in Ireland prior. I was a little suspect of the claim made by “Sean’s Pub”, however the plaque on the wall by the folks at the “Guinness Book of Records 2004” says so. Since returning to the States and “Googling” this, there seems to be several claimants to the title, but whether or not it is true, the Guinness was superb!
In closing, I would like to say a huge thanks to John & Stephen for taking the time to show me around Athlone and for inflicting all the pints of Guinness on me over the course of 2 days and a night. The watch that they have created is one of the rare finds that I’m sure the lucky few who will get to acquire one will treasure for ever. I’d say it has been one of my favorite watchmaker tours ever, owing to John & Stephen’s wonderful nature. These chaps are sure to be making a few ripples in the watch world and we are all the better for it.
It has been 27 years since I had gone west from Dublin, then it was to go dapping for brown trout with Mayfly on Lough Corrib, aged 12 with my Dad. I must say I fell in love with Ireland on that trip. John, you are a lucky man to have found your calling and be able to enjoy your beautiful land.
