Here we are with the simplest and most accessible form of mechanical watches that make sound, “Sonnerie Au Passage”, that is, models that chime every hour.
Sonnerie au passage, or chime while moving, is a term used for watches that inform the user by emitting a chime when passing the 12 o'clock position. Of course, we are not talking about a musical feast like the big square clocks. A simple sound with one note and one beat.
Movements featuring grand and petite sonneries represent complications at the pinnacle of haute horlogerie. Their complex structures, production difficulties, and astronomical price tags prevent such watches from being accessible. Grand and Petite Sonnerie models can announce the time without any intervention from the user. Grand models can announce the time information on every full hour, and both the hour and quarter information on every quarter hour. Petite models, on the other hand, only announce the hours at the beginning of the hour and the quarters at the rest of the time, without announcing the time information in each quarter. Models with sonnerie au passage feature, on the other hand, wink at high watchmaking by basically making sounds and doing this job entirely with mechanical add-ons, and thanks to their simple structures, they can be presented to watch lovers with relatively affordable price tags.
The system, which can be activated or deactivated by the user by pressing the button on one side of the case or the top, has a relatively simple engineering infrastructure. A snail-shaped cam connected to the minute hand begins to tension a spring-pressed ram with the rotation of the minute hand. As the minute hand passes exactly at 12 o'clock, this tension is suddenly released and the mallet rapidly hits the bell, which acts as a spiral wire. A single-note sound also conveys hourly information to the user.
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Watches with sonnerie au passage feature still attract great attention today. The L.U.C Strike One model has a 40mm diameter white gold case and an L.U.C 96.32-L automatic caliber with 65 hours of power reserve. The list price of the watch, which is limited to 25 pieces, is set at 66,600 USD.
The Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto model with the same complications, which is launched with a much more affordable price tag, has a Grade 5 titanium case measuring 41mm x 13mm. The most affordable version of the Sonnerie au passage complication, with the FS01 module added to the automatic caliber with 38 hours of power reserve, is on sale with a price tag of 3530 GBP.
The MeisterSinger Bel Hora model, which uses the sonnerie au passage module also developed by Christopher Ward, is one of the representatives with the accessible label. The Red Dot Design Award-winning model features a 43mm diameter stainless steel case and an architecture based on the Sellita SW200 automatic caliber.
Alexandre Hazemann, and Victor Monnin, take note of these names. These two watchmaking school students met F.P. with the AH.02 model. Not only did they win the Journe 2023 award, but they also introduced one of the most beautiful models with sonnerie au passage in history to the watch world.
