AnthonyTsai
[PuristS]
22937
Stephen McGonigle October 2007: a casual Guinness interview
I've had the pleasure of meeting the McGonigle brothers John and Stephen on two occasions, most recently with Stephen at PuristSPro's 5-Master Watchmaker event in Los Angeles in October. The brothers hail from Athlone, Ireland and create their exquisite tourbillon in a workshop there, making it a truly Irish product. They've been affiliated, either together or separately, with Audemars Piguet, Franck Muller, Breguet, Christophe Claret, The British Masters and others, in various capacities, working on high complications. They still perform consulting work for other firms now, but their primary focus is on their own masterpiece.
This casual "fun" interview was conducted in October during PuristSPro's 5-Master Watchmaker event on October 8th at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles .
PPro: OK, first question: how many pints of Guinness does it take to construct a McGonigle tourbillon?
SM: Numerous kegs - I'm talkin' hundreds 'n hundreds of pints.
Guiness is an Irish beer
PPro: Hundreds and hundreds of pints?
SM: The more, the better, although not consecutively, because if we'd drink too much at the same time we'd ruin the watch. [note: chuckling all the while]
PPro: How many pints to regulate one?
SM: [chuckling] Well, as Phillipe Dufour says, just find the excuse that helps [note: I think he was still answering my first question]
McGonigle tourbillon in 18k red gold
PPro: OK, well, that's fair enough . . . after how many pints does Moebius 9010 lube start to look like Guinness?
SM: Actually, if you breathe on the watch after several pints of Guinness, everything looks . . . black.
PPro: OK, let's go on to the next one. Would your tourbillon function on the moon?
SM: [short pause] Well, if you're asking me if it would serve it's (function), it wouldn't do what it's meant to do as a tourbillon.
PPro: Would you go there to perform the test, or would you send John?
SM: Uhh . . . I think it'd be a nice holiday. I wouldn't mind going myself. [eyes rolling]
PPro: Why a tourbillon for your first watch?
SM: Actually, that was a big decision . . . first, we were thinking we wanted to do a complication because we both worked on minute repeaters and tourbillons, that's all we've ever done ever since I arrived in Switzerland - minute repeaters and tourbillons. A minute repeater is, of course, even a bigger project than a tourbillon . . . I knew we could do either, but a minute repeater is just such a massive project. There's also the question of finance, so that's why we decided on a tourbillon. That also had to do with the two guys that helped us . . . [now asking me] . . . you know about the two guys [note: who placed the first orders] . . .
McGonigle tourbillon in platinum
PPro: I thought your first order was a lady in San Francisco . . .
SM: Ah, that was the third order. The first two guys were the catalyst that got us started. We met them at a Timezone - uh, can I mention Timezone?
PPro: Sure, of course . . .
SM: . . . a Timezone trip. [all of a sudden, Steve starts laughing] Did you actually have those questions about Guinness written down?
PPro: [laughing] Yes, I wrote all these questions . . . [now we're both laughing] . . . umm, alright, now we know why you built a tourbillon for your first watch, umm, would you ever build watches in series, or will you always make custom, bespoke watches?
SM: I'd like to make watches in series if, of course, first, it's our watch. I mean, someday, we have to tackle the (issue), because we hear so often that there's a question that we can make a watch more affordable, a simpler watch, with our high standards. So long as it's under our control, and our work, I'd be more than happy to work on a watch in series (production). I mean, doing complications and small batches and unique pieces is not guaranteed work, and there's not many watchmakers that can do that.
Celtic engraving on the McGonigle tourbillon movement
PPro: So a series McGonigle, numbered 1 thru 15 or 1 thru 40 is a possibility . . .
SM: Absolutely.
PPro: Last question: if you had to wear one watch all the time, which would you choose?
SM: Is finance or money an issue?
PPro: It's all up to you . . .
SM: Some of the Langes I absolutely adore . . . I don't keep up with Langes, but I saw a split chrono yesterday that was absolutely stunning [probably meaning the A L & S Double Split] . . . even the Richard Lange is fantastic.
PPro: Thanks, Steven . . .
SM: [laughing] Guinness questions! I can't believe it . . .
For more pictures of the McGonigle Tourbillon, please CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE
Copyright Oct 2007 - Art Dakessian and PuristSPro.com - all rights reserved
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Comments, suggestions, and corrections to this article are welcome.
This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2007-11-06 13:47:44
