Haute Horlogerie from Ireland? Introducing the McGonigle Tuscar

March 22, 2011

The saying, a rising tide raises all ships is certainly proven out in the world of high end watchmaking. The blossoming of small talented watchmakers has extended far beyond Switzerlands borders, to places like Finland and now Ireland. Two brothers from the Emerald Isle, John and Stephen McGonigle, started up an eponymous watch company back in 2007. McGonigle Watches met the world at that years BaselWorld, when they were candidate members of the prestigious AHCI, the Acadmie Horlogre Des Crateurs Indpendants.How fitting that a week after St. Patricks Day and the week of BaselWorld, McGonigle introduces their new Tuscar watch. The Tuscar, named for a rocky outcrop off of Irelands coast, is a stunning, time-only piece with a sapphire dial that allows the owner to see the stunning workmanship of the in-house McG01 movement.The brothers McGonigle, who both had experience working with some of Switzerlands top names, first produced a tourbillon and it established their credibility right away. With the Tuscar, they wanted to focus on a simpler piece but one of high precision and a long power reserve. The latter comes as a result of two hand-wound parallel mainspring barrels that endow the watch with an impressive 90-hour rserve de marche. Timekeeping is driven by a free-sprung Breguet overcoil hairspring and solid gold escape wheel, designed to function without lubrication.There are only 20 Tuscars available, all in red gold. Visit their Facebook page to check out the details and check out their Website for more on the company.