R. McMahon Watchmaker's restoration centre. We have the best equipped vintage Rolex service workshop and vintage OMEGA repair workshop in Adelaide, South Australia.

Independent qualified watchmakers, vintage Omega and Rolex experts. Custom in-house watch manufacture. Complicated machinery manufacture and process engineering consultants.

Tonsley Innovation District.

Prototype manufacture and custom watch manufacture.

Lower Ground 1 Tonsley Boulevard,

Tonsley SA 5042.

and

McMahon Micro Machining

Mawson Lakes, South Australia.

Adelaide University and University of South Australia Precision Micro Engineering Centre and CAD design studio, micro machining watch movement manufacture centre. Medical and aerospace design, prototyping and testing. Small mechanical and electro/mechanical device manufacture. Process engineering advice.

Strictly by appointment only.

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

Bookings between 10 am and 4 pm Monday to Friday.

For booking information please click for an email link here, it is the best way to contact us. info@rmcmahon.com.au

Alternatively book an appointment by text on 0404117186

Interstate clients see our postage page for details.

We do NOT offer watch valuations or advice on watch authentication.

Please note our minimum service charges on our pricing page.

We do not do part repairs or minor repair. Please see our Omega and Rolex service estimate page on the website.

We specialise in VINTAGE OMEGA and Rolex service, repair and restoration.

Antique pocket watch restoration service (Minimum Pocket Watch service charge is $1,500).

Custom watch manufacture to order.

Please email to book appointment times - richard@rmcmahon.com.au

Advanced Manufacturing, Education & Industry Leadership

Richard McMahon MAICD brings together master watchmaking, precision micro-machining, and advanced device manufacturing in a way that is uncommon globally and exceptionally rare in Australia. With more than 35 years of international professional experience, his work spans traditional horology alongside medical technology, defence, and aerospace manufacturing — expertise now applied through his Adelaide-based workshops.

Richard is the founder of both R. McMahon Watchmakers and McMahon Micro Machining, operating at the intersection of heritage craftsmanship and modern, high-technology manufacturing. This dual practice allows traditional horological knowledge to be applied using contemporary engineering methods, while industrial manufacturing disciplines inform the precision and repeatability required in high-end watch restoration and manufacture.

Industry Representation & Public Education

In addition to his workshop practice, Richard McMahon plays an active role in industry representation and technical education within South Australia. He works closely with the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, contributing expertise through the Future Industries Institute across micro-machining, CAD design, prototyping, and advanced manufacturing processes.

In 2025, Richard was invited to present as an expert speaker at the Microengineering Winter School, hosted by the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) at UniSA. His contribution placed practical manufacturing experience alongside leading specialists from organisations including NASA, the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), and the Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP), reflecting the relevance of his work across both industry and research environments.

Micro-Machining for Medical, Defence & Space Applications

Through McMahon Micro Machining, Richard has spent decades designing and manufacturing electro-mechanical medical devices, precision components, and prototypes for medical, defence, and aerospace applications, both in Australia and internationally.

His work includes the development of device prototypes, process engineering, and the manufacture of high-precision components in stainless steel, titanium, and specialist alloys, as well as small-scale testing and validation prior to full-scale production. The workshop is recognised within South Australia’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem, including participation in defence, medical technology, and space industry networks.

The Watchmaking–Medical Manufacturing Connection

Few people outside advanced manufacturing appreciate how closely traditional watchmaking and modern medical device development are related. Both disciplines rely on the same micro-machining equipment, identical CAD design and prototyping workflows, similar materials such as stainless steel and titanium, and extreme tolerance control with demanding surface-finish requirements.

The primary distinction lies in regulatory frameworks, testing protocols, and certification prior to production. Richard McMahon’s experience across both fields allows techniques, tooling strategies, and process discipline to transfer directly between high-end watch manufacture and regulated medical or defence device development — strengthening outcomes in both domains.

European-Level Machinery, Applied Experience

Richard McMahon operates with a combination of traditional watchmaking machinery representing more than 160 years of horological development, alongside modern European factory-level CNC systems. These include multi-axis micro-machining centres, advanced CNC platforms, and high-resolution surface measurement and inspection equipment capable of validating components to exceptionally fine tolerances.

This technical capability enables the manufacture and restoration of watch movement components and cases to standards that few Australian workshops can achieve. However, as Richard emphasises, equipment alone is not the differentiator. What truly matters is the depth of professional experience applying these tools — both within the global master watchmaking tradition and in highly regulated industrial environments where precision, traceability, and repeatability are essential.

Building the Next Generation of Australian Manufacturing

Beyond his own workshops, Richard McMahon actively consults and mentors across the Tonsley Innovation District, university machining facilities, and advanced CAD and prototyping centres. His focus is on developing practical micro-machining capability, transferring hard-won knowledge from horology and industry into education, and supporting Australia’s long-term capacity in advanced manufacturing.

Australian-Made, World-Class

By combining master watchmaking, precision micro-machining, medical and defence prototyping, and technical education, Richard McMahon represents a rare concentration of skills within a single Adelaide-based practice.

Supporting Australian-manufactured products helps retain advanced skills locally, develop the next generation of micro-machinists, and establish Australian watchmaking and precision manufacturing on the world stage. R. McMahon Watchmakers and McMahon Micro Machining stand as proof that world-class manufacturing can be designed, built, and delivered from Adelaide, South Australia.

Our Tonsley Innovation District prototyping workshop and micro machining parts manufacturing centre Just one of our three micro machining and device prototyping centres in South Australia. Process engineering advice for prototype testing and development. A combination of manual and CNC precision mills and lathes used for making main plates, bridges, wheels, pinions, escapements and balance wheel assemblies. We build movements, watch cases, dials and hands in our workshops and micro machining centres, not simply importing and branding as Australian like most others. Richard McMahon is a true Master Watchmaker designing in partnership with our clients, manufacturing to international standards.

Genuine Australian Watch Manufacture

Not assembly. Not branding. Real watchmaking.

Richard McMahon and R. McMahon Watchmakers operate fundamentally differently from many watch brands that describe themselves as “Australian” while importing complete cases, dials, hands, and movements, assembling them locally, and applying branding. There is a clear and meaningful distinction between assembling imported components and genuinely manufacturing a watch.

At R. McMahon Watchmakers, wristwatches and pocket watches are hand-made to order. Each timepiece is designed, manufactured, finished, and assembled by Master Watchmaker Richard McMahon in South Australia, using a combination of traditional horological methods and advanced micro-engineering techniques.

Made in Adelaide, Not Imported

All watches produced by R. McMahon Watchmakers are manufactured in South Australia. This work is carried out within our dedicated workshop at the Tonsley Innovation District, as well as specialist micro-engineering facilities at the University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes.

Rather than importing complete watches or pre-manufactured component sets for local assembly, the workshop undertakes genuine manufacture. Enamel dials are hand-made in-house, cases are machined and finished locally, watch hands are designed and produced internally, and mechanical movements are either manufactured in-house or, where specified, extensively modified and finished from high-grade Swiss bases.

For top-tier in-house movements, approximately 90 percent of components are manufactured internally, a level of local content that is exceptionally rare internationally and virtually unprecedented in Australia.

A Proven Manufacturing Track Record

This approach is not a future ambition or a marketing concept. It is established, verifiable work already completed and delivered.

All twelve limited-edition Tonsley Series watches were fully manufactured, sold, and shipped from the Adelaide workshop, with the final piece now delivered. In addition, a fully custom pocket watch was completed and delivered in 2025, and two further custom wristwatches are currently at final build stage for clients.

Every watch produced is an individual commission, built from original work rather than imported kits or pre-assembled components.

Why Genuine Manufacture Matters

True watch manufacture requires far more than assembly. It demands design capability, advanced micro-machining infrastructure, deep materials knowledge, finishing expertise, careful regulation, and long-term testing — all supported by decades of applied experience.

Simply assembling imported components does not develop local skills, create sustainable employment, or contribute to long-term manufacturing capability. R. McMahon Watchmakers exists to build watches in Australia, not to market imported products as local.

The focus remains firmly on genuine Australian manufacture, the development of future watchmaking and micro-machining skills, and the support of advanced manufacturing employment within South Australia.

Transparency Over Claims

There is an important difference between marketing language and verifiable manufacture. Clients are encouraged to review the manufacturing process descriptions, workshop documentation, and photography presented throughout this website. These materials clearly demonstrate how and where each watch is made, providing transparency that goes beyond claims alone.

The Real Thing

R. McMahon Watchmakers represents authentic Australian watch manufacture: cases, dials, hands, and movements made locally; watches built by a single master watchmaker; and finished pieces delivered from Adelaide, South Australia.

For those seeking a genuinely Australian-manufactured timepiece — not an assembled product marketed as local — R. McMahon Watchmakers offers the real thing.

Further details on manufacturing processes and custom commissions are available throughout this website.

International master watchmaker Richard McMahon with over 35 years professional experience as a qualified and certified watch manufacturer and restorer. Trusted official restorer for JLC, Cartier, Breitling and Rolex agencies in the UK. Now based in the Tonsley Innovation District South Australia.

Expert Rolex service and restoration. The best equipped vintage Rolex and Vintage OMEGA service workshop in Adelaide. Proudly independent qualified watch restoration experts.

Micro machining experts, combining technical commonality between watchmaking and medical device design prototyping, building and designing locally, here in Adelaide, South Australia.

Tonsley Innovation District prototype engineering centre and Mawson Lakes Adelaide University design studio and micro machining facility McMahon Micro Machining.

Our Workshop – European-Level Vintage Rolex & Vintage Omega Restoration in Australia

Richard McMahon offers a level of European professional vintage watch restoration experience that is exceptionally rare in Australia. For collectors of vintage Rolex and vintage Omega, this represents a unique opportunity to access restoration standards developed at the highest international level—without sending watches offshore.

From Australia to Bond Street, London and back home again.

Richard McMahon began his horological career in Adelaide in 1989, completing his watchmaking apprenticeship in 1994. That same year, he was accepted as an Executive Member of the Horological Guild of Australasia (No. 5120).

After further professional development in Sydney at Clocks of Distinction, Richard relocated to London in 2000, where his career entered a rare and highly specialised phase.

Working on Bond Street, Richard became:

• A certified official contractor for Cartier, manufacturing by hand and with micro machining techniques discontinued parts.

• The preferred vintage Rolex restorer for referrals from Rolex St James’s Square. Certified restorer.

• An official contract restoration workshop for Jaeger-LeCoultre complications and Breitling chronographs at Somlo Antiques, Piccadilly

At the time, Richard specialised in restoring Rolex models no longer serviced by Rolex, including:

• Submariner references 6200, 6204, 5508, 5513

• GMT-Master 6542

• Bubbleback Oyster Rolex

• Rolex Prince models

Simultaneously, Somlo Antiques operated as the leading authorised vintage Omega restoration centre in the UK, with rare Omega watches sent from Australia and Asia specifically for Richard’s expertise.

Specialist in Complicated Vintage Movements

Richard McMahon is a vintage watch specialist in complicated mechanical movements, with particular expertise in:

• Chronographs

• Repeating watches

• Alarm and complex calendar mechanisms

Critically, Richard manufactures obsolete components by hand, including balance staffs, winding stems, wheels, pinions, and escapement parts that have not been available from manufacturers for decades. This capability is fundamental to correct vintage restoration and is increasingly rare worldwide.

Bringing European Expertise Back to Australia

In 2015, Richard returned to his hometown of Adelaide, South Australia, establishing a dedicated vintage watch restoration centre at the Tonsley Innovation District. Since then, R. McMahon Watchmakers has expanded significantly and now operates with some of the most advanced watchmaking and micro-engineering equipment in Australia, combining traditional Swiss methods with modern precision manufacturing.

Richard has also worked as a consultant and prototype developer for Swiss watch companies, assisting with complicated movement development and process engineering for high-end luxury brands.

A Restoration Centre — Not a Repair Shop

R. McMahon Watchmakers is not a general watch repair shop. We operate as a specialist vintage restoration centre, focused exclusively on work that most Australian workshops cannot undertake.

We specialise in:

• Vintage Omega service (pre-1971 only)
  (We do not service Co-Axial or quartz Omega models.)

• Vintage Rolex restoration (pre-2015 full-size models)

All work is performed in-house, with a two-year warranty provided on completed restorations.

We also maintain one of the largest stocks of genuine vintage Omega parts in Australia, enabling historically correct restorations without compromise.

Advanced Micro-Machining & Manufacturing Capability

Richard McMahon’s restoration capability is underpinned by over 35 years of micro-machining experience, beginning with traditional Swiss and German precision lathes and mills, and expanding into:

• Laser scanning and laser welding

• Advanced CNC micro-machining

• CAD design (Inventor and Fusion)

• Photolithography and circuit manufacture

Richard has completed manufacturing and prototyping projects for the medical, defence, aerospace, and precision engineering industries, and works in collaboration with:

• The Future Industries Institute, University of Adelaide

• The Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF)

Access to clean-room facilities at Tonsley and Mawson Lakes further supports advanced assembly and testing work rarely available in traditional watchmaking workshops.

Education, Mentoring & Industry Contribution

Richard McMahon has spent decades training and mentoring watchmakers, machinists, and micro-technicians, establishing engineering and prototyping centres in Australia and Europe. He is an industry member and technical consultant across medical, defence, and advanced manufacturing sectors, contributing directly to the revitalisation of Australian manufacturing capability.

Rare Experience. Limited Availability.

Richard McMahon’s decades as a certified European restoration specialist for Rolex, Omega, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Breitling places him among a very small group of watchmakers worldwide with this breadth of qualified and certified watchmaking experience.

Today, this expertise is available exclusively in Adelaide, South Australia, offering collectors restoration services that most workshops in Australia are unable to provide.

Due to workload and the complexity of work undertaken, we now accept only:

• Vintage Omega watches manufactured prior to 1971

• Vintage Rolex full-size models manufactured prior to 2015

Strictly by appointment only. Please email with your name, watch brand and service required and your location on info@rmcmahon.com.au

What clients are saying. Just some of many customer reviews. We specialise in looking after serious watch collectors especially vintage Rolex and Omega enthusiasts.

Service Information

Vintage Rolex & Vintage Omega Restoration – Adelaide, Australia

R. McMahon Watchmakers is a specialist vintage watch restoration centre, not a general repair workshop. We prioritise vintage Rolex and vintage Omega restoration and service, delivered by one of Australia’s most experienced independent restoration experts.

Restoration Priorities

We currently prioritise:

• Vintage Omega – pre-1971 mechanical movements (lever escapements only)
  (We do not service Co-Axial or quartz Omega models.)

• Rolex – vintage and modern full-size models up to 2015

These brands represent our primary specialisation and the majority of our restoration work.

Service Timeframes

• Standard vintage service: approximately 10 working days, subject to parts availability

• Complicated watches (chronographs, minute repeaters, perpetual calendars):
  Minimum 2 months, depending on complexity and component manufacture

Final timelines are confirmed after inspection and quotation.

Parts Availability & Component Manufacture

We maintain a comprehensive stock of genuine vintage Rolex and Omega parts, one of the largest holdings in Australia. Where original parts are no longer available, we manufacture components in-house, including:

• Balance staffs

• Winding stems

• Wheels, pinions, and escapement components

• Vintage Rolex and Cartier discontinued parts

This capability reflects Richard McMahon’s former role as a trusted certified restoration expert in London, where he was authorised to manufacture parts for watches no longer supported by factory service centres.

Additional Brands (Limited Availability)

We may accept restoration work for:

• Vintage Breitling

• Cartier

• Patek Philippe

• Vacheron Constantin

• Selected vintage Tudor

Acceptance depends on age, model, and workload. Please contact us before booking to confirm suitability. Omega and Rolex work always takes priority.

We do not service:

• Quartz watches

• Fashion or mass-market watches

• Fake or heavily modified (diamond set) watches

Specialist Expertise

Our workshop regularly restores:

• Rolex Submariner, Sea-Dweller, GMT-Master, Explorer, Datejust

• Omega Speedmaster Professional and Omega Seamaster

Richard McMahon is a specialist in:

• Chronographs

• Perpetual calendars

• Quarter and minute repeaters

• Tourbillons

All parts are either original or hand-made / CNC micro-machined in-house where required.

Case & Bracelet Refinishing

• Rolex-trained case polisher and case refinisher

• Flat polishing and lapping of cases and bracelets

• Period-correct finishing for vintage watches

Warranty

• Omega and Rolex restorations: 24-month warranty

• All other brands: 12-month warranty, unless otherwise stated in the quotation

Pricing & Quotations

• Minimum movement service charge: $950

• Complicated or antique watches: higher minimums apply
  (Antique pocket watches – minimum charge $1,500)

We provide:

• Fixed quotes

• No-charge assessments

• Individual pricing per watch (no fixed price list)

A 50% deposit may be required to proceed with certain restoration work.

Please refer to our Service Price Guide and Information page for further details.

Credentials & Authority

• Four-year watchmaking apprenticeship completed in 1994

• Co-author of Australian Federal Government watch servicing industry standards

• Certified by Cartier UK (2001) – Bond Street, London

• Official restoration expert for JLC and Breitling (UK)

• Preferred Rolex vintage restoration referral via Rolex St James’s Square, London

• Former professional advisor on vintage watches to Christie’s and Sotheby’s

R. McMahon Watchmakers is independent and has no association with Rolex Australia or Omega / Swatch Group.

Industry & Education

Richard McMahon was appointed Industry Representative to:

• University of Adelaide – Future Industries Institute

He is a speaker at the ANFF Microengineering Winter School and actively mentors the next generation of engineers and micro-machinists, with access to:

• Advanced CNC and micro-machining

• Clean-room assembly facilities

• Complex machinery and electronics manufacturing infrastructure

Important Notes

• We no longer restore customer watch dials (Exceptions apply to existing clients).

• We only manufacture custom enamel and precious-metal dials for our own watch manufacture

• By appointment only

• Please confirm brand and model before visiting by email

Please contact us for VINTAGE OMEGA and Rolex restoration information on. info@rmcmahon.com.au

One of our 3 prototyping workshop areas and workshops. Watch movement parts manufacture. Hand made enamel dials. Watch wheels, pinions, hands and case manufacture. Prototype medical instrument manufacture and small volume manufacture in medical grade stainless steel and titanium. In-house electroplating and small component anodising. We manufacture as much as we can in-house to make as high a percentage of our machines and watches as possible in the Tonsley Innovation District, South Australia and our Micro Engineering workshop McMahon Micro at UniSA, Mawson Lakes. We are adding new machinery and capabilities regularly. We undertake medical, aerospace and defence small part and machine manufacture, prototyping and testing. All used by Richard McMahon to manufacture precision components for aerospace, watches and defence.

Our Antique, Vintage and Modern Machinery

Why the Right Machines Matter in Watch Restoration and Manufacture

High-level watch restoration and manufacture cannot be achieved with modern equipment alone. Nor can it be achieved using only traditional tools. What matters is having the correct machines from the correct eras, and—most importantly—the experience to use them properly.

At R. McMahon Watchmakers, Richard McMahon operates a rare combination of antique, vintage, and modern industry-leading machinery, spanning more than 170 years of manufacturing history. This combination is essential for both authentic antique restoration and modern in-house watch manufacture, and is now uncommon even in Switzerland.

Machines That Match the Era of the Watch

Many antique and early vintage watches were manufactured on machines that no longer exist in modern factories. Tolerances, tooling geometry, cutting methods, and surface finishes were fundamentally different.

Richard McMahon owns and operates:

Antique watchmaking machines dating back to the mid-1800s, still used today for the manufacture of obsolete components for antique pocket watches

Traditional Swiss and German watchmaking lathes and milling machines, identical in principle to those used in historic European watch factories

Modern CNC and micro-machining systems, used by contemporary Swiss manufacturers for precision movement and case manufacture

This capability allows Richard to restore antique pocket watches using the same manufacturing methods originally used to create them, rather than forcing old designs through modern processes that were never intended for them.

A Rare Global Capability

It is increasingly rare—globally—to find a workshop where:

Antique machinery is still operational and correctly applied

Traditional Swiss-era machines are maintained and used daily

Modern factory-level CNC equipment is integrated into the same workflow

Richard McMahon not only owns this equipment; he has the 35 years of professional experience required to use it correctly. Without that experience, the machines alone are meaningless.

Swiss and German Case Manufacturing Capability

Our workshop includes specialist Swiss and German machinery dedicated to watch case manufacture, enabling us to:

Cut, shape, and machine case threads

Manufacture water-resistant cases

Control tolerances critical to sealing, crown fit, and long-term durability

Where possible, this work is completed entirely in-house, rather than outsourced. This level of control is essential for both custom watch manufacture and correct vintage restoration, where original specifications must be respected.

The Role of Our Tonsley Workshop

Our facility at the Tonsley Innovation District, South Australia, serves as:

A centre for hand-made enamel dial manufacture

A hub for watch case manufacturing

A location for design, prototyping, and testing

Our customer service and restoration centre for vintage Rolex and vintage Omega

This makes R. McMahon Watchmakers South Australia’s only complete watch manufacture and complete restoration centre, combining traditional horology with advanced engineering.

Beyond Watchmaking

The same machinery and processes used for watch manufacture are also applied through McMahon Micro Machining for:

Medical device prototyping

Defence and aerospace components

Micro-engineering and process engineering consultancy

This crossover reinforces manufacturing discipline, quality control, and precision—benefiting both industrial clients and watch collectors.

Why This Matters

True restoration and manufacture depend on:

Machines appropriate to the era of the watch

Modern equipment where precision demands it

Deep experience applying both

Richard McMahon’s workshop brings together antique, vintage, and modern machinery, used daily at a professional level. This allows work to be carried out that most workshops—both in Australia and internationally—are no longer equipped to undertake.

The result is authentic restoration, genuine manufacture, and watches that respect their origins while meeting modern standards—designed, made, and restored in Adelaide, South Australia.

Machinery & Technical Capability

European Factory-Level Watchmaking in Australia

What does it take to manufacture an in-house mechanical watch movement, rather than simply service one?

It requires Swiss-level micro-machining infrastructure, factory-grade inspection equipment, clean-room processes, and—critically—decades of experience to use this machinery to its full capability. R. McMahon Watchmakers operates a European factory-level watch manufacturing and restoration workshop, unmatched in scope in South Australia and rare nationally.

This is not a standard service centre. Our workshop is purpose-built for true watch manufacture, component fabrication, and advanced vintage restoration, operating to micron and nano-scale tolerances.

Experience That Matches the Machinery

Richard McMahon brings over 35 years of hands-on experience in watchmaking, restoration, micro-machining, and advanced manufacturing. This experience is fundamental—equipment alone does not produce precision. Accurate results depend on the operator’s understanding of materials science, tolerances, thermal behaviour, finishing processes, and long-term mechanical reliability.

Our Adelaide workshop is equipped to a standard comparable with leading Swiss and international watch manufacturers, enabling restoration and manufacturing work that most Australian workshops are not equipped or qualified to undertake.

Professional Watchmaking & Restoration Equipment

Our workshop infrastructure includes:

• German Siro-Tech laser welding system
  Precision case repair and micro-component manufacture

• ONEOf Accuracy 2 Swiss timing machine
  GPS-calibrated daily; the most accurate timing system operating in Adelaide

• Multiple professional watch cleaning systems

  • Programmable ultrasonic cleaning for modern Rolex movements

  • Automatic Elma cleaning system designed for vintage mechanical movements

  • Certified for Omega service procedures

• Electronic programmable water-pressure testing equipment
  Controlled testing designed to protect vintage cases and seals (Omega-certified)

• In-house Grand Feu enamel workshop
  Every enamel dial personally manufactured by Richard McMahon

• Five precision lathes and milling systems
  Wheel cutting, pinion manufacture, escapement components, balance wheels, and bespoke tooling

• Dedicated case restoration infrastructure

  • Three professional polishing machines

  • Three ultrasonic cleaning baths

  • Rolex-trained case restoration and finishing

• Magnetism detection and de-magnetising systems
  Diagnostic-grade testing essential for precision regulation

• Flat lapping and diamond polishing equipment
  First-class case manufacture and restoration (Omega-certified)

• Olympus OLS 5100 surface scanner
  Micro-measurement, surface finish analysis, and quality control

CNC Micro-Machining & Movement Manufacture

Through McMahon Micro Machining, Richard McMahon operates advanced CNC micro-machining capability rarely applied to watchmaking in Australia:

• Willemin‑Macodel 8-axis micro-machining centre
  Manufacture of movement main plates, bridges, and ultra-precision components

• DMG Mori CNC machining systems
  Case manufacture and structural components

• FANUC Robodrill platforms
  High-accuracy secondary machining operations

All components are fully inspected, hand-finished, plated where required, and assembled using traditional watchmaking methods. Jewels are hand-fitted and adjusted, not automated. This is true master watchmaking, not assembly-line servicing.

Photolithography, Nano-Scale Manufacturing & Clean-Room Work

R. McMahon Watchmakers employs in-house photolithography, achieving nano-scale tolerances for the smallest watch components. This technology—shared with semiconductor manufacturing—is extremely rare in watchmaking worldwide, and unique in Australia.

Richard McMahon is trained in:

• Photolithographic patterning

• Nano-scale additive manufacture (advanced 3D printing)

• Experimental materials development for novel in-house escapements and movement components

This work is supported through clean-room access in collaboration with:

• Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF)

• Adelaide University – Future Industries Institute

Richard personally operates within ISO Class 5 and Class 6 clean rooms, applying processes normally reserved for medical, aerospace, and microelectronics manufacturing.

Cross-Industry Precision Manufacturing

Beyond horology, Richard McMahon has decades of experience consulting and manufacturing for:

• Medical device development

• Aerospace and defence precision systems

• Complex mechanical and electro-mechanical assemblies

• Process engineering consultant for complex micro machines

He has assisted engineers and scientists at:

• Flinders University

• The New Venture Institute, Tonsley Innovation District

• Numerous government science and defence facilities (DEFENCE SA and SASIC official listings)

This depth of experience directly informs our watchmaking standards—designing for longevity, serviceability, and mechanical integrity at the highest level.

The Difference

R. McMahon Watchmakers is not comparable to a basic service centre or an average Australian watch workshop.

This is a European factory-level watchmaking and restoration facility, operated by a master watchmaker with the experience to fully exploit its capability.

That combination—infrastructure, materials science, and over 35 years of applied expertise—is what allows us to restore and manufacture watches others simply cannot.

Trusted by Rolex UK | Adelaide, South Australia

R. McMahon Watchmakers provides expert vintage Rolex service and restoration in Adelaide, South Australia, supported by over 35 years of professional experience and direct recognition by Rolex UK.

Richard McMahon is a qualified vintage Rolex restoration expert, trusted with work officially referred by Rolex UKduring his time in Europe. This level of recognition is exceptionally rare and reflects a depth of expertise not available through most workshops, including many factory service centres.

Trusted European Credentials

While working in London, Richard McMahon operated as a senior certified vintage restoration specialist, receiving official referrals for complex and historically important watches from:

Rolex – St James’s Square, London

Cartier – Bond Street, London (certified 2001)

Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC)

Breitling

Richard McMahon remains the only watchmaker in Adelaide to have been officially referred vintage restoration work by Rolex, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Breitling.

Rolex Restoration Expertise

We specialise in the restoration and service of vintage and modern Rolex watches, with particular expertise in:

Rolex Submariner

Rolex Daytona

Rolex Explorer

Rolex GMT-Master

Rolex Prince and early Oyster models

Our work focuses on historically correct, sympathetic restoration, including the manufacture of discontinued components where original parts are no longer available. This capability was a core reason Richard McMahon was trusted with watches Rolex no longer serviced in-house during his time in the UK.

Experience Trusted by Serious Collectors

R. McMahon Watchmakers is trusted by serious international collectors. Highly collectable Rolex Submariner, GMT, and Prince models are routinely personally delivered to our Adelaide workshop, including watches belonging to long-standing clients first worked with in the United Kingdom and the United States.

This trust has been built over decades of consistent, high-level work on important private collections.

Independent, Specialist, and Proven

We are an independent restoration specialist and have no association with Rolex Australia service centres. This independence allows us to:

Undertake restorations beyond standard factory service scope

Manufacture obsolete parts in-house

Apply conservation-focused techniques appropriate to vintage watches

Our reputation is supported by numerous five-star reviews and client testimonials specifically referencing our Rolex restoration services.

Rolex Service in Adelaide

For collectors seeking expert vintage Rolex restoration in Australia, R. McMahon Watchmakers offers a level of experience and qualification not otherwise available in Adelaide.

All work is carried out by Richard McMahon, Master Watchmaker, in-house, by appointment only.

European Experience, Australian Manufacture

Before establishing R. McMahon Watchmakers as a public-facing manufacturing workshop, Richard McMahon built extensive professional experience in Europe as a watch manufacture consultant, prototype developer, and expert vintage Rolex and Omega restoration specialist.

During this period, Richard worked closely with independent European watch manufacturers, advising on:

• Mechanical movement development

• Component design and manufacture

• Process engineering and fine-tuning of complicated mechanisms

• Prototype development and validation

As a trained micro-machinist and prototype developer, Richard contributed technical expertise that helped refine and bring to market high-quality mechanical watches now in circulation internationally. Due to contractual obligations and non-disclosure agreements, specific companies and calibres cannot be named. However, it is estimated that several thousand watches currently in use incorporate development work Richard McMahon contributed to as a consultant.

This experience is not common, even among factory-trained watchmakers, and extends beyond restoration into true movement engineering and manufacturing support.

Returning These Skills to Australia

In 2015, Richard McMahon returned to Adelaide, South Australia, and founded R. McMahon Watchmakers with a long-term objective:
to apply European-level watch manufacturing expertise to the design and manufacture of Australian-made timepieces, supported by in-house component production.

Since that time, Richard has been engaged in a continuous program of development, quietly building the infrastructure, tooling, and processes required for genuine in-house manufacture. Over the past ten years:

• More than 20 custom watches have been delivered or exported

• In the past 12 months, watches have been designed, manufactured, and shipped to collectors

• Two entirely Adelaide-manufactured mechanical movements have been under development and are now being introduced into new custom commissions

Manufacturing Capability in South Australia

Movement components are manufactured in-house by Richard McMahon. Watch cases are currently produced using equipment within:

• The R. McMahon workshop at the Tonsley Innovation District

• The Mawson Lakes micro-machining facilities

• The micro-fabrication facilities at University of South Australia and University of Adelaide, in collaboration with the Future Industries Institute and the Australian National Fabrication Facility

Richard McMahon serves as an Industry Representative within these advanced manufacturing environments, providing access to infrastructure typically unavailable to independent watchmakers.

Collaborative Custom Commissions

An exclusive group of clients has been invited to collaborate directly with Richard McMahon on custom watch projects. Each commission is individually specified, with clients contributing to:

• Dial design in hand-made enamel or precious metal

• Watch hand design

• Case size, proportions, and geometry

• Selection of complications, where appropriate

Current offerings include in-house chronographs, tourbillons, and quarter repeater mechanisms, all developed and manufactured within Australia.

While this level of work represents a significant investment, the outcome is a one-of-a-kind mechanical timepiece, designed and manufactured in Adelaide, with no identical example in existence.

A Rare Combination of Skills

Globally, it is rare to find a single workshop where movement, case, hands, and enamel dial are all designed and manufactured by one master watchmaker. Rarer still is the combination of:

• European movement consultancy experience

• Certified high-level vintage Rolex and Omega restoration expertise

• Advanced micro-machining and prototype development capability

• Clean-room manufacturing access

• A proven delivery record

Richard McMahon brings this combination together in one Australian workshop, applying international standards to both custom watch manufacture and vintage restoration work that is not available through most workshops, including many official factory service centres.

Continuing the Journey

R. McMahon Watchmakers continues to focus on:

• Developing Australian-made mechanical movements

• Delivering custom commissions to a small number of collectors

• Preserving and advancing high-level watchmaking and manufacturing capability in South Australia

Contact us to discuss a custom, personalised Australian-manufactured watch, designed and built in Adelaide by Richard McMahon, Master Watchmaker.

Please message for appointment times - info@rmcmahon.com.au

0404117186

0403586850 text for appointment

(Please text your question instead of leaving a voice message)

By appointment only.

Custom Watch Manufacture

In-House Mechanical Movements – Australia

Since 2015, R. McMahon Watchmakers has been designing, manufacturing, and delivering custom mechanical wristwatches from its workshop in Adelaide, South Australia. This work reflects a level of capability comparable with established European independent watchmakers and is supported by a proven record of completed and delivered commissions.

While the public visibility of in-house movement manufacture has expanded since 2015, the underlying expertise is not new. The work undertaken today represents the continuation of decades of applied professional experience rather than an experimental or exploratory phase.

Prior European Movement Design Experience

Before establishing full public in-house manufacture in Australia, Richard McMahon was involved in the design, manufacture, and development of mechanical movements for European watch companies under strict non-disclosure agreements. This work included movement architecture development, manufacture of critical components, process engineering for complicated mechanisms, and prototyping and validation support within established European manufacturing environments.

Due to contractual confidentiality, specific brands and projects cannot be named. However, this experience was gained to professional European standards and within serious production contexts. As a result, Richard McMahon’s current in-house movement work is an extension of long-standing professional practice rather than a first attempt undertaken independently.

Transition to Public In-House Manufacture

From 2015 onward, R. McMahon Watchmakers progressively brought full movement design and manufacture into its Australian workshop. This transition involved significant investment in European factory-level machinery and inspection capability, the development of proprietary movement designs through iterative prototyping and testing, and the delivery of completed watches to clients under agreed timelines.

This shift allowed methodologies previously applied under non-disclosure to be carried out openly, end-to-end, and at greater scale within Australia.

Development Path and Current Focus

Early projects combined hand-made cases and dials with extensively modified high-grade Swiss movements, enabling bespoke commissions while proprietary movement development progressed in parallel. This staged approach allowed design principles, tooling strategies, and testing protocols to mature without compromising delivery reliability.

The primary focus today is full in-house movement manufacture. A manual-wind prototype movement is currently undergoing extended testing, representing an early development phase prior to the manufacture of proprietary regulator systems, revised drive wheel geometry, and fully in-house main plates and bridges. This structured progression reflects accepted best practice within serious mechanical watch manufacture.

Proven Delivery – The Tonsley Series

The completed and fully delivered Tonsley Series confirmed the workshop’s capability to design movements from first principles, manufacture complex components internally, assemble, regulate, test, and deliver finished watches to clients. The project was completed ahead of schedule, providing a tangible manufacturing record that underpins all current and future commissions.

In-House Component Manufacture

R. McMahon Watchmakers maintains an established capability in the manufacture of complex mechanical watch components. This includes the production of wheels, pinions, arbors, bridges, chronograph levers and cams, calendar components, jumper springs, and cam systems. More advanced work extends to the manufacture and assembly of tourbillon carriages, lever pallets, cages, balance wheels, and escapement components produced to proprietary specifications in South Australia.

As with all serious watch manufacturers internationally, certain elements such as jewels and hairsprings are sourced and then modified, adjusted, and regulated to meet the specific technical requirements of each movement. This approach reflects accepted global practice and still requires extensive research, testing, and fine adjustment.

Complications Under Development

Richard McMahon is currently completing prototyping work on a rare alarm and repeating mechanism. This includes the manufacture of hand-formed gongs and sounding bells, hand-polished hammers, and fully engineered gearing and activation systems. When combined with a hand-fired enamel dial produced by Richard McMahon, this configuration represents an exceptionally rare capability globally and, to current knowledge, is unprecedented in the Southern Hemisphere.

Manufacturing Philosophy

No watch manufacturer operates at complete internal content. The objective at R. McMahon Watchmakers is to approach that level as closely as practical, constrained only by the same physical and economic limitations faced by the largest international manufacturers.

Each movement requires substantial research, development, and testing. This work is not component assembly; it is genuine mechanical development carried out to professional standards.

Client Privacy and Discretion

Many collectors value discretion. The workshop routinely operates under non-disclosure agreements, reflecting both custom watchmaking commissions and decades of industrial micro-machining work. Completed watches may remain unpublished at the client’s request, and confidentiality is respected as standard practice.

Commissioning a Custom Watch

Owning an R. McMahon timepiece means owning a unique mechanical wristwatch manufactured in Australia, with no identical example elsewhere. Indicative pricing, timeframes, documentation, and workshop access are available as outlined elsewhere on this website.

Willemin-Macodel precion 8 axil mill for making main plates, movements, bridges, wheels and pinions and escapement parts. We manufacture balance wheels and escapement parts, hand finish and spend many hours assembling, testing precision and surface finish on the OLS 5100 to ensure accuracy. Micro machining centre for the same level of manufacturing as the Swiss, German and Japanese manufacturers, simply because we use the same machines. We actually manufacture in Australia, not importing cases and dials from Germany or Asia as other companies do. Workshop tours organised of our Mawson Lakes and Tonsley facilities for clients proceeding with custom manufacture. See the real deal in Australian watch manufacture. Master watch maker Richard McMahon. Our combination of in house movement, case, hands and enamel dial manufacture is VERY rare anywhere in the world.

The Robodrill is a great machine for manufacturing complex profiles and shapes for case manufacture, once the general case shape is complete, Richard McMahon will either polish or satin finish the case, complete strap attachment holes and either thread for a screw back or other custom case back fittings. We manufacture is solid or exhibition backs with a sapphire crystal, depending on requirements. Watch movement main plate blanks manufactured on this machine and transferred to the precision Wilemin-Macodel multi axis machine for jewel holes and pockets for wheel and lever fitting. Every machine is important and each precision process checked for quality on the Olympus OLS 5100 scanning and QA machine before proceeding to the next step. This is done here in the he machine centre, Richard McMahon does not import cases, he makes them.

Commissioning a Watch by Master Watchmaker Richard McMahon.

Custom in-house Watch Manufacture by Master Watchmaker Richard McMahon. Exclusive and rare hand made movements, cases, enamel dials and hands. Timepiece, complications like GMT, chronograph, alarm and toubillon built by hand in our Tonsley and Mawson Lakes micro machining workshops.

We produce only a handful of custom watches each year.

• Typical delivery: A total combination of 12 wrist and pocket watches produced annually.

• Lead time: 6 - 12 months depending on complexity of the movement manufacture.

• Starting price: Manual wind in-house movement manufactured by Richard McMahon, with hand-made enamel dial and stainless steel case also personally made by Richard $50,000. AUD. Alarm or chronograph starting at $85,000. AUD. We are just announcing our in-house GMT with enamel dial by master watchmaker Richard McMahon. Starting at $55,000 we are taking orders now for June 2026 delivery.

• As mentioned on the page by 1 January we are phasing out base level custom with Swiss heavily modified precision movements made by R McMahon (over 80% in-house manufacture), last orders by December 31st. From January we will only offer tier 1 with in house manufacture, and tier 2 with 85% in-house with Swiss made escape wheel and pallets. The prices for full custom will obviously differ as few master watchmakers globally either have the equipment or have the skills to do so, we have both.

• Other complications on offer can be discussed, like toubillon and repeaters. We have manufactured Toubillon and repeater in-house for clients. We are just commencing our first in-house perpetual calendar hand-made watch, please enquire by email to get on the first manufacture wait list, only 3 will ever be made by Richard McMahon, one is already allocated and pre-sold. We are happy to discuss builds, any pricing, delivery and deposit terms are strictly discussed and confirmed by email.

Deposits on proceeding after a basic draft design is between 30% and 50% depending on complexity and materials chosen by the client.

Each commission is private, no sharing of designs or custom manufacture at the clients request. We are used to a process of not publishing private commissions as we have for decades with our custom work for well known international watch companies and jewellers. Our work is inside many watches without our brand or logo. We know, that is all that matters.

“To wear an R. McMahon watch is to own a piece of Australian horological history-a timepiece conceived, built, and hand finished by a single master watchmaker-Richard McMahon.”