Stephen McGonigle Unveils His Latest Creation, Ogma

Stephen McGonigle, the renowned Irish watchmaker, grew up surrounded by the ticking of clocks and the intricacies of mechanical movements. His father, Johnny McGonigle, was locally known for his passion for watch repair, a passion that paved the way for Stephen's journey into the world of horology.

In 1996, Stephen graduated from the Irish-Swiss Institute of Horology in Dublin, earning a scholarship that allowed him to travel to Switzerland. There, he worked with some of the biggest names in the watchmaking industry until 2003, when he founded his own independent workshop. Initially focusing on crafting complications for prestigious brands, he eventually launched his own brand in 2006.

Today, the watchmaker unveils his latest creation: the Ogma, a timepiece inspired by Irish mythology. It combines exceptional craftsmanship and innovation to introduce an entirely new design language, while remaining true to McGonigle’s core philosophy.

Named after the mythological Irish god of eloquence and writing, credited with creating the ancient Ogham alphabet, the Ogma blends heritage and contemporary elegance. It pushes the design boundaries for which McGonigle watches have become known.

The Ogma features a more compact case size of 39.3 mm compared to the 43 mm case of the previous “Tuscar” model. While the prototype is crafted from stainless steel, the first series of 20 watches will be made from rare tantalum, a bluish-grey metal known for its durability and manufacturing difficulty. The prototype boasts polished edges and grained case flanks, with sapphire crystal on both sides offering water resistance up to 60 meters.

The dial layout is highly distinctive: the hours and minutes are displayed on an off-center black sub-dial at 2 o'clock, with a small seconds counter at 8 o'clock and a power reserve indicator at 10. These elements are finished with black PVD coating and polished details, set against a backdrop of grained German silver.

The watch features polished, beveled blued steel hands, while the arrow-shaped hour and minute hands are tipped with white gold, reflecting meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail.

At 6 o’clock, the large 11.9 mm balance wheel takes center stage, suspended beneath a prominent black bridge, an iconic design signature of McGonigle watches. The escapement beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz), offering precise and stable timekeeping.

The Ogma is powered by the manually wound McG01 caliber, delivering a power reserve of 90 hours from a single barrel. The movement can be admired through the transparent sapphire crystal caseback, showcasing bridges and a mainplate made of German silver. A highlight of the movement is the mainspring bridge, hand-engraved by Stephen’s sister, Frances McGonigle, with illustrations inspired by the Ogham alphabet a unifying theme across the brand’s creations.

The watch is paired with a hand-stitched natural rubber strap featuring an alligator-style pattern and a steel pin buckle, engraved by hand.

Although the prototype is in stainless steel, the tantalum version will be a limited edition of just 20 pieces—all of which were sold out prior to the official unveiling. The brand has announced plans to release new versions of the Ogma in the near future. The price is CHF 79,000, approximately AED 351,000.

 For more information, please visit Stephen McGonigle official website.