McGonigle Watches - John and Stephen McGonigle

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The McGonigle Family

John and Stephen's father, a compositor by trade, was a very practical man who could turn his hand to anything. Of the many things he worked on, he repaired clocks and watches. John and Stephen grew up in a house where it was thought to be usual to have a clock on every flat surface. Their brother Anthony is also a watchmaker based in Rome. He spent years in Switzerland making perpetual calendars & automats. Their sister Francis is an established artist. Her influence and designs were instrumental in forging the vision for the McGonigle watches.

John McGonigle

Stephen McGonigle

John McGonigle studied watchmaking in the Irish/Swiss institute of Horology in Dublin before spending two years repairing watches and clocks in Ireland & the UK. 

Having studied at the international watchmaking school, Wostep in Neuchatel, Switzerland, John worked as a service manager and watchmaker in Bermuda. On returning to Switzerland John then spent five years with Audemars Piguet in LeBrassus. This was a pivotal period in his career as John was able to gain experience and skills in traditional ‘haut de gamme’ watchmaking. He specialized in extra flat watches, perpetual calendars, minute repeaters and their famed titanium caged automatic Tourbillon which remains the smallest production Tourbillon ever made. John also had the opportunity to restore many of their antique and complicated watches.

After having learned an enormous amount at Audemars, John jumped at the opportunity to develop prototypes for Christophe Claret in 1997. At Christophe Claret he was able to develop Grande Complications, Tourbillons, Automates and Repeaters with Westminster Chiming. In 1999 John decided to return to Athlone in Ireland, and established his own watchmaking workshop producing complications for Swiss watch houses.

Stephen McGonigle graduated from the Irish/Swiss Institute of Horology in 1996 winning a scholarship to Switzerland. 

After Stephen's education was complete he began his work with Somlo Antiques in Piccadilly, London as a specialist in the restoration of fine antique watches. This gave him some excellent experience working with fine timepieces.

From London Stephen moved to Switzerland where he joined his brother working for Christophe Claret producing a variety complications, from sapphire Tourbillons to Tourbillon minute repeaters and the development of prototypes for major houses. Subsequently Stephen joined Frank Muller where he worked in the production and after sales service of the complications. Stephen also gained his first experience with the Grand Sonnerie wristwatch. After Frank Muller Stephen continued on to work for Breguet as Head of Complications in After Sales Service. There he was also involved in the training of watchmakers. Amongst other work, Stephen had the opportunity to work on the restoration of the famous Sympathique clocks. He then joined The British Masters as Head of Complications before eventually opening his own workshop to build complications for some of the most prestigious names in watchmaking.

John and Stephen were raised in Athlone, a town in the Irish midlands on Ireland’s longest river, The Shannon. John now lives in a rural area north of the town surrounded by lakes. He has a purpose built workshop equipped to the highest of Swiss standards. Stephen lives and works in Neuchatel, Switzerland overlooking the lake. This town and it’s environs have a special place in watchmaking history. Stephen’s workshop benefits from its position at the centre of innovative watchmaking.

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