pplater
5425
What’s a lighthouse got to do with it???...
Feb 24, 2013,08:45 AM
It was an uncharacteristically sunny day in Geneva when an earnest and clearly overworked young Irishman found himself standing amongst a sea of IWC ambassadors at the Mandarin Hotel. Out front, a stream of IWC-branded limos disgorged a steady stream of former Wimbledon champions and v-e-r-y leggy models, closely followed by their entourages of managers, photographers, stylists and sundry hangers-on.
SIHH was in full swing, and the Mandarin Hotel was serving as an operations centre for the assault of one of Richemont’s more utilitarian brands. The reception desk was working overtime with the demands (some major, some trivial but rarely any polite…) of the hangers-on; though it has to be said that the ambassadors themselves rose above such… minutiae.
As a consequence, the restaurants and bars of the Mandarin were claustrophobically packed, and hot – the sun (usually identified as a UFO in Switzerland at that time of year) was taking its toll on the air-conditioning of the hospitality areas and the pancake make-up of the less porcine brand ambassadors (should that be ambassatrices???). Impeccably groomed and tanned brand executives exercised their credit cards with gay abandon, being careful not to spill the Dom Perignon on their Brioni suits or Louboutin shoes.
Our Irishman had travelled in from Neuchâtel and could spend only a little while in Geneva before heading off to a commitment in Montreux and then to visit a client in Los Angeles (from whom we will hopefully hear soon). Nonetheless, he had very graciously agreed to meet a rather uncouth and unsophisticated Australian enthusiast and to share a glass of cheer to celebrate the culmination of a strangely multi-cultural journey.
After connecting in the lobby (his face is instantly recognisable to anyone who visits this forum) we found a small table close to the sunny window and ordered an obligatory bottle of champagne. Being both of rebellious and larrikin colonial stock, the curtains of politesse quickly fell away and much jolly jabbering ensued.
Our Irishman was Stephen McGonigle. That day he was wearing the prototype Tuscar ‘One of Ten’, and what a delight it was to see it, finally, in the metal. But briefly; only briefly – for reasons which will soon become apparent.
The conversation may have begun over watches, but it soon ranged far and wide. You should know that Stephen has an Irish pub in Neuchâtel; the stories of its acquisition and its thriving are his and his alone to tell. Be sure, though, to book a bed and you may survive the Guinness onslaught you are certain to enjoy.
What was meant to be an hour or so at lunchtime became a ‘craic’ for the rest of the day. ‘What goes on tour stays on tour’, as they say, but it was comforting to learn later that Stephen had in fact made it to Los Angeles as planned (although Montreux may be another story…).
Sadly, the Brothers McGonigle were not able to arrange their schedules such that they could be in the Mandarin simultaneously. Never mind; just as the patient waitress was clearing the empty champagne bottles and cocktail glasses from the table, Brother John arrived to ‘sub’ for his recently departed brother. John had flown in from Ireland that afternoon, and had driven straight from the airport to the hotel, just in time for… more champagne.
Fortunately, the IWC executives, ambassadors (and ambassatrices??) had not completely exhausted the supply of bubbles, for this time there was additional cause to celebrate. John was wearing his prototype Tuscar also: this time, the prototype for the production series. Again, the story of that watch is his and Stephen’s story to tell, and hopefully it will see much cyber-time soon: you will be impressed. However, he also had with him a second watch – the watch which is said to be the first of the ‘One of Ten’ to be delivered. By this time, one or two other Antipodeans had been drawn to the bar on the promise of this revelation.
(photo of John channeling Stepan Sarpaneva at the Mandarin, courtesy ‘aptronym’)
Those who have followed the story of this watch will recall that ‘One of Ten’ means simply that: there is no ‘Two of Ten’ or ‘Three of Ten’ – there is a sort of stubborn Irish equality to be shared amongst the ten lucky subscribers to the first of the series. So: what’s a lighthouse got to do with it?
Well, the watch itself is named for a solitary lighthouse standing on a bleak rock 11Km off County Wexford to the South East of the Irish mainland – in Gaelic, “An Tuskar”. It is apparently the first sight that travellers from that direction will see of the Emerald Isle; the first warning, also of the treacherous seas thereabouts which have claimed more than 170 ships in recorded maritime history. Here’s a photo of the rock, courtesy of Micheal Sean O Mathum from the McGonigle Facebook page:
The Brothers McG clearly have a deep and abiding passion for their admittedly wet homeland. Both trained as watchmakers and lived and worked in Switzerland for a time. John eventually returned to Athlone in Ireland, whilst Stephen remained in Switzerland, establishing himself in Neuchâtel (although it has to be said that his idea of ‘establishment in Switzerland’ involves teaming up with an Irish partner and inflicting Irish hospitality on the gentle Swiss!). Somehow they sustain their brand cohesion from these two very different bases, each working to the same degree of obsession on the perfection of the same watches.
John, presumably conscious of the vehicle he had left nearby, moderated his consumption of cheer to an amount which would fell only a few mere mortals. Growing pile of empty bottles notwithstanding, we were all coherent and buzzing as he reached into his rucksack and, with a maniacal grin worthy of Jack the Ripper, handed across a wound, set and fully-functioning Tuscar.
And here it is:
The things which, visually, are most distinctive about this time-only beauty are the beak-like balance bridge, the large balance wheel, the modern architecture and the impressive barrels.
The balance bridge was to have been in white gold, like the case. However, white gold proved to be too pliable, so the perfectionist Brothers McG switched to titanium, and then worked at finishing the titanium to be coherent with the case and other bridgework.
Here are bridges fresh out of the CNC machine (production pictures lifted shamelessly from the McGonigle Facebook page):
Finishing the bridges:
The final product:
The bridge holds a balance wheel of 13mm diameter, free-sprung and counter-weighted with eight variable inertia screws to replicate the lazy but traditional 18,000bph. The Brothers McG consider that this adds to stability and longevity (not to mention the increased power reserve: a conservative 90 hours on twin barrels).
What’s not to love about these blued hands?
Early prototypes featured two types of hands – blued, and all over ‘white’ metal. There is no doubt that the blued hands make for easier reading.
The appeal is not solely aesthetic. The watch wears its innovations quietly. Take, for example, the winding mechanism. Rather than utilise the standard ‘straight cut’ gears meshing at right angles (much like the ‘direct cut’ non-syncro gears of the early Minis, come to think of it…), the Brothers McG devised conical gearing for the interface of the winding pinion and lower crown wheel. This, they say, maximises efficiency on winding and reduces wear. Who knows? It certainly has a buttery-smooth action, and it certainly looks pretty:
But back to aesthetics. The ‘One of Ten’ series is favoured with engraving by Frances, the Sister McG:
(photo from McG Facebook page)
In keeping with the subtle yet distinctively Gaelic character of the watch she draws her inspiration from early Gaelic design motifs such as those to be found in the Book of Kells, an illustrated gospel manuscript created by Celtic monks around 800AD:
Some of the engraving on the watch represents animals – mythical animals or birds – as is the case with many of the illustrations in the Book of Kells. Other of the engraving is a nod to the Ogham alphabet, an ancient Pictish/Celtic method of writing and counting. This ancient ‘alphabet’ can still be seen in Ireland carved into stones used as territorial markers or signposts;
It appears, also, on the crown of the Tuscar (note the irregular engraved lines and scallops), although what it says there remains a mystery!
It’s a lovely, quirky little touch that distinguishes this essentially Swiss watch as essentially Irish – if that doesn’t sound too ‘Irish’.
A few more images of the watch itself:
…including a last wrist-shot in the light of a setting Antipodean sun:
There were subtle variations between the prototypes and the finished product, just as there will be subtle variations between the ‘One of Ten’ and the RG series-production Tuscar. That is for you to discover at another time.
(photo courtesy 'aptronym')
But no doubt you were interested to hear how the day ended? ‘Craic, Part Two’ wound into full swing until even the IWC ambassadors (and ambassatrices???) tired of the free hospitality and wandered off to check their pecs, cheques and Botox, leaving us to ponder the meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything (the answer to which, incidentally, was reflected in the case diameter of our watches!).
(original photo courtesy 'aptronym')
The night might have been complete at that point, but there was yet a cherry to be added to the top of the cake. John had – very sensibly – given up any thought of driving away from the hotel to his digs nearby. Food therefore became an imperative. John had been invited to a low-key gathering of a few fellow watchmakers and, after the mandatory polite call to check, soon had a couple of eager Australian enthusiasts in tow.
It would be impolite, here, to drop the names of those in attendance. Suffice to say that, if it were an Indie rock concert, those attending would be the counterparts of Clapton, Hendrix, Page, Lennon and Sibelious (cut some slack here – how many Finnish rock stars do you know???). Can you imagine a long table, in the middle of SIHH, where any number of Indie watchmakers are slurping truth serum and passing around their novelties and prototypes? Kiddie Heaven! It was also fantastic to meet a few of our own who were at that same table: ‘you know who you are’, as they say.
Did the night end there? No, it did not. A post-prandial visit to an Irish pub (yes! – in the middle of Geneva!) was mandatory. Once that closed it was enlightening to learn that (without mentioning any names at all…) Dutch watchmakers have an amazing capacity for sniffing out early morning purveyors of libations.
Stephen, John: thank you. It was an honour and a privilege to break bread with you. It is an honour and a privilege to be wearing your Tuscar. Sith agus sláinte 'bha!
Cheers,
pplater.
This message has been edited by Hororgasm on 2013-02-27 11:52:01