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
Please email with enquiries.
By appointment only.
Stainless steel and Argentium silver cases hand made in our Tonsley Innovation District workshop and AdelaideUniversity (UniSA) Micro Engineering Workshop. Watch dials hand made in our workshop in Grand Feu enamel, silver, gold, Lapis lazuli. Custom made hands. Manual wind, automatic and chronograph models made to order. In-house bespoke manual wind manufacture calibre starting at $50,000 in stainless steel.
Dial blanks hand cut, here in Adelaide, South Australia.
South Australian opal localy cut and polished. Malachite and mother of pearl cut and polished in our workshop for our custom watch manufacture. Matching hands manufactured in-house.
We have a rare mix of capabilities at R. McMahon Watchmakers and McMahon Micro Machining. Machinery like the Henri Hauser precision milling machine constructed to manufacture parts in the 1940’s for companies like Patek Philippe and Rolex. To modern CNC machines for precision miniature parts. We have the capability to manufacture our own watch cases and precision watch movement parts. In most cases the same machines used by the top factories and independent watchmakers in Europe. Along with hand made enamel watch dials made personally by Richard McMahon, it is indeed a rare facility with this combination of machinery and skills. We offer small volume prototype machine design and manufacture in-house for the medical, aerospace and defence industries. For watches we manufacture in house wheels, pinions, main plates, bridges, regulators, balance wheels, pallets, escape wheels, barrels and other movement parts to manufacture custom movements in house in Australia.
Precision manual machining is still used by Richard McMahon for rapid prototyping for testing for medical and defence if a one off piece is needed for testing. Sometimes manual machining can be faster than setting up and running CNC. We have both systems, we just weigh up speed, cost and accuracy required for the best outcome for our clients. We are on of the few micro machining workshops offering both precision systems in the one company. Very rare in Adelaide, South Australia.
Dials manufactured in Silver, gold or copper. Hand made Grand Feu enamel dials made personally by Master Watchmaker Richard McMahon in custom colours in our workshop at the Tonsley Innovation District, South Australia. Richard McMahon is one of only 3 independent master watchmakers globally able to manufacture in-house movements, hand made enamel dials, cases and hands. And then with complications on offer makes his workshop incredibly rare globally. True custom made rare one off master watchmaking.
Two tone matte blue and white enamel dial on sterling silver. hand made by Richard McMahon. We manufacture in custom colours, gloss or matte.
Dial flange with holes drilled to be tapped for hand made hour markers. Richard McMahon personally machining these parts, on site.
Custom manufactured pocket watch, at the mid-point of manufacture. In-house Grand Feu enamel dial made by Richard McMahon. Bespoke maritime style hand made stainless steel case for client. (pre-engraving). Suspended hour indicator battons. An example of in-house manufacture.
Hand made Grand Feu enamel dial, case and hands by Richard McMahon in his Tonsley workshop, Souh Australia. Richard McMahon personally manufactures each enamel dial. For yhis custom military/industrial style one off custom commission Richard McMahon elected to manufacture the case on manual lathes snd milling equipment, from 316L stainless as specified by the client. For some manufacturing it is more efficient to use traditional machines rather than a CAD drawing, machine set up and CNC run time. For more complicated cases with flat, complex features and threaded case backs Richard McMahon will create a CAD drawing, export a file to a selected 3, 5 or even 8 acis milling machine. Having that choice and personal control gives R McMahon Watchmakers the creative edge to complete very complex modern and traditional designs. By the way the client was delighted with the finished watch, it was a very special and personal gift to himself.
In house prototype being tested before new balance wheel and regulator manufacture, movement finish in grey, blue, yellow or rose gold and rhodium. It is a rare thing movements being manufactured in the Southern Hemisphere. We at R. McMahon Watchmakers a rare manufacturing workshop building our own movements, not just importing parts and labelling as Australian Made.
We manufacture our own enamel dials in-house at our Tonsley workshop in South Australia. These are test colours fir colour matching. We matched an enamel dial here to a clients Porsche colour paint. We got a near perfect match in gloss enamrl with a depth of colour matching his 911 SC classic. (Stunning car by the way). Richard McMahon may test fire 2 or 3 Stirling silver plates to get the colour correct and chart temperatures and kiln time. This takes many years of practice and experimentation. Each one is an individual work of art. We believe only 2 workshops glibaly have a master watchmaker able to manufacture a movement, case, hands, enamel dial and other essential parts that are fabricated within the same studios by the same master watchmaker. With over 35 years experience manufacturing all watch parts for restoration work as an expert and slowly iver the last 20 years building these individual disciplines within one watch has been a many thousands of hours journey, but worth every second because Richard McMahon loves beautiful watches.
Sterling silver matte finish enamel dials hand made by personally Richard McMahon in our Tonsley workshop. Series 1 manual wind shown here. First series pre-sold, complete and delivered. Hand made watch case. With screw on back, sapphire crystal glass.
Hand made enamel watch dials made in-house by Richard McMahon.
Custom Watch Manufacture - We work with you to design and manufacture you dream watch. From antique and vintage inspired design to something modern and completely unique. Custom design and manufacture starting at $55,000.
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.
Cases hand made in our workshop based in Tonsley South Australia and Mawson Lakes South Australia. Stainless steel, titanium, silver, gold and aluminium on manual lathes and mills.. Wilemin-Macodel 8 axis CNC machine milling and DMG Mori 3 axil and multi axil FAUNC Robodrill alongside manual hand finishing in Richard McMahon’s micro machining workshop McMahon Micro partnering with ANFF and the Future Industries Institute Adelaide University as an Industry Representative. These cases are some of our prototyping cone in-house on manual machines at our Tonsley workshop and test cases for our new mechanical alarm and calendar complication model.
Custom built pocket watches starting at $50,000. Wrist manual wind chronograph with in house manufactured case and enamel dial starting at $50,000.
Note, Tonsley Watches are no longer available. All have been allocated and pre-sold. We still offer our one off custom watches.
R. McMahon custom.
Our first series introductory prices have all been allocated, and delivered ahead of schedule.
Changes and alterations will be charged accordingly.
Precision large manual mill used by Richard McMahon for case and tooling manufacture. Sometimes big machines are needed to make small precision watch parts. Our machinery is distributed between our micro machining centre McMahon Micro with the ANFF Adelaide University in Mawson Lakes and our prototyping and testing facility at the Tonsley Innovation District.
Modern high precision equipment, the same machines used in Switzerland and Germany to manufacture watch parts, right here in Adelaide South Australia. The most up to date and complete watch manufacturing facility in the Southern Hemisphere.
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.
CNC milling machine used to manufacture complex cases in Adelaide, South Australia. Richard McMahon still needs to spend many hours hand finishing and fine tuning the individual components once they come off the machine. Richard McMahon can complete the CAD drawings, and high quality parts come off the machine, but its the final 10% that is the difficult part. Polishing, graining, pusher tubes, and pressure testing cannot be done on a machine to the levels expected by Master Watchmakers like Richard McMahon. The watchmaker is the most important part of the process.
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.