Time+Tide’s June 2024 feature profiles five watchmakers across three sibling stories: Rexhep and Xhevdet Rexhepi, Bart and Tim Grönefeld, and Stephen and John McGonigle. The cases differ: some siblings worked together under one brand, while others pursued distinct projects. “Success” here is an editorial description of their independent watchmaking, designs, milestones and recognition—not a claim that their businesses achieved comparable revenue or production.
What connects these three sibling stories?
Each pairing grew out of watchmaking experience and eventually contributed to independent work under the makers’ own names or brands. But the paths are not identical. Akrivia and Grönefeld are shared brand stories; the McGonigles began together, after which John pursued a separate project, Oileán. The useful comparison is therefore about careers, collaboration and watchmaking milestones—not a contest over which family or brand was more successful.
| Sibling pairing | Independent path | Milestones highlighted |
|---|---|---|
| Rexhep and Xhevdet Rexhepi | Rexhep founded Akrivia; the brothers worked together there, and Xhevdet later announced a design of his own. | Akrivia’s 2012 founding; Xhevdet’s railway-clock-inspired design with a reported 58-second seconds-hand cycle. |
| Bart and Tim Grönefeld | The brothers returned to Oldenzaal and established a workshop together. | Workshop established in 1998; the GTM-06, Parallax Tourbillon and 1941 Remontoire Constant Force. |
| Stephen and John McGonigle | The brothers launched the McGonigle brand; John later pursued Oileán separately. | Brand launch in 2006; McGonigle Tourbillon debut in 2007; Oileán’s H-B1. |
Rexhep and Xhevdet Rexhepi: from shared experience to separate design work
Rexhep Rexhepi’s route to independent watchmaking began in Kosovo and continued through training and work in Geneva, including an apprenticeship and employment at Patek Philippe. He later worked at BNB Concept and F.P. Journe before founding Akrivia in 2012. The brothers briefly worked together at Patek Philippe, then reunited at Akrivia: Xhevdet joined the brand in 2015.
In 2022, Xhevdet announced a design of his own. Time+Tide describes it as a platinum-cased watch inspired by Swiss railway clocks. According to that account, its seconds hand completes a lap in 58 seconds, pauses at the top of the minute, and then the minute hand jumps. That unusual sequence is a reported design detail, not a claim of independent hands-on verification.
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A separate Time+Tide workshop profile, published in 2019, offers historical context on Akrivia’s approach to growth and retailer relationships. It also records that the Chronomètre Contemporain won the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) best-watch prize. These are dated milestones, not evidence of current stock, order availability or operating arrangements. Read the 2019 Akrivia workshop profile.
Bart and Tim Grönefeld: a shared workshop and complication-focused watches
Bart and Tim grew up around their family’s watchmaking and clock work in Oldenzaal, the Dutch town where they later established their own workshop. Bart trained as a watchmaker and specialized in complications at Renaud et Papi; Tim joined him there, specializing in tourbillon and regulator assembly. They returned home and set up their workshop in 1998.
Their first watch, the GTM-06, took four years to develop and combined a tourbillon with a minute repeater. Later work named in the 2024 feature includes the Parallax Tourbillon and the 1941 Remontoire Constant Force. The feature reports that the Parallax Tourbillon received a GPHG award and that the 1941 Remontoire Constant Force won the GPHG Men’s Prize in 2016. It gives the 1941 case size as 39.5 mm.
Finishing is another part of the vocabulary surrounding high-end movements. Anglage means filing and polishing a component’s edges at an angle; a technical explainer sets out the craft and its role in movement finishing. Time+Tide’s anglage explainer.
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Stephen McGonigle built experience in restoration and high complications. John followed a different route through the WOSTEP program and servicing work, then gained experience at Audemars Piguet and specialized in chiming watches and complications at Christophe Claret. The brothers launched the McGonigle brand in 2006 and debuted with the McGonigle Tourbillon in 2007.
Their later Tuscar used the brothers’ first movement, the McG01, which the feature says was completed with help from Alberto Papi. John subsequently left the McGonigle brand to pursue Oileán. Its H-B1 is described as a triple-calendar chronograph based on a vintage Valjoux 88, with components remade for longevity. A 2024 introduction provides release context for the Oileán Ogma; an earlier report that 20 pieces had been spoken for is not current inventory information. Read Time+Tide’s 2024 Oileán Ogma introduction.
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What “success” means in this comparison
The June 2024 feature uses “success stories” as a qualitative frame. It points to independent workshops, distinctive designs and movements, named models and awards, as well as its author’s characterization of demand. It does not provide comparable revenue, production-volume, market-share or customer figures for these makers. The evidence supports a comparison of creative and professional milestones, not a ranking of commercial performance.
That distinction also keeps the groupings clear: five watchmakers do not mean five separate brands. The feature names Akrivia, Grönefeld, McGonigle and Oileán; it describes Xhevdet’s own design but does not identify a separate brand for it. Current collections, production, retailer relationships, order books and availability can change, so the historical milestones here should not be read as a current buying or stock guide.
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