Often times, the most interesting or important watchmakers of any given era are those that expand the scope of watchmaking discourse beyond the strict discipline of designing and constructing watches. Watchmakers who take inspiration from other areas of knowledge and experience are the ones who innovate and push the field ever further. Stephen McDonnell is one such watchmaker. The Belfast-born watchmaker studied Theology at Oxford, and started his formal watchmaking training in 2001, working with Stephan McGonigle, Christophe Claret, Peter Speake and other independents of his era. However, it’s his work with MB&F for which he’s most famous, specifically the Legacy Machine Perpetual and Legacy Machine Sequential Evo — award-winning designs that are widely regarded as works of mechanical genius. What’s perhaps more remarkable, though, is that he hasn’t worn either of his most famous creations and is remarkably upfront about the trials and tribulations of his own relationship with watchmaking. It’s this awareness of self, and not just craft, that makes Stephen McDonnell one of the most remarkable watchmakers working today.

Legacy Machine Perpetual

Legacy Machine Sequential Evo