The Most Amazing Watch Talk I've Ever Experienced – Watchmaker Stephen McDonnell On Obsessing Over Details

Delivered to a packed house as part of DWW's Creative Hub 2023 presentations, it was a talk from the mind of the watchmaker Stephen McDonnell, who has been behind many extraordinary movements and horological innovations. His recent work includes designing and prototyping the movement for many MB&F models, including the caliber created for the Legacy Machine Sequential Evo, which won the coveted Aiguille d'Or Grand Prize at the 2022 outing of the GPHG. 

While it's genuinely tempting to give you a summary of the chat, I'd love for you to have as close to the same experience that I had. I knew it would be a good presentation, but I had no way of knowing it would offer such a specific view into the thought process behind watchmaking genius and the toll that such obsession can take on a person's life. 

I implore all of you reading this to find an hour and listen to Mr. McDonnell's talk – it's got a bit of everything – humor, pain, incredible watchmaking, and, of course, sewage pumping stations. 

For more presentations from Dubai Watch Week 2023, visit their Youtube channel here.