The auditory experience of time is a pursuit that predates the visual display of hours and minutes, harking back to an era when village bells governed the rhythm of daily life. In the sphere of high-end mechanical watchmaking, reinterpreting this acoustic heritage requires a mastery that few manufactures possess. Blancpain has not only returned to this prestigious arena but has fundamentally altered the expectations of what a striking watch can achieve with the release of the Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie. This is not merely an iteration of past successes; it is a ground-up reimagining of the "king of complications," driven by the specific and ambitious vision of President and CEO Marc A. Hayek. His directive was to create a mechanism that does not simply sound the time, but performs it with a level of musicality and versatility previously unseen in a wristwatch format.
The project, which spanned eight years of intensive research and development, represents a significant leap forward from the brand's previous high-water marks, such as the 1735 Grande Complication. While the 1735 was a marvel of its era—combining a minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph, perpetual calendar, and tourbillon—the Grande Double Sonnerie shifts the focus toward the purity and complexity of sound. Hayek’s passion, which mirrors the intensity he brought to reviving the Fifty Fathoms for diving, was to build a Grande Sonnerie that creates a genuine emotional response. The goal was to move beyond the standard two-note chime found in most repeaters and introduce a four-note system capable of playing actual melodies, a technical feat that required the development of entirely new mechanical architectures.
Courtesy of Blancpain
At the heart of this acoustic marvel is the collaboration with Eric Singer, the renowned drummer for the hard rock band KISS and a dedicated horological collector. The choice to partner with a rock musician rather than a classical composer might seem unorthodox to traditionalists, but it aligns perfectly with the watch’s disruptive nature. Singer, working alongside keyboardist Derek Sherinian, was tasked with composing a unique melody using only four notes: E, G, F, and B. This limitation, as Singer noted, was immense, transforming the composition process into a complex puzzle. The resulting "Blancpain" melody stands in contrast to the second option available in the watch, the legendary Westminster chimes, famously associated with Big Ben. The wearer can toggle between these two distinct auditory profiles via a column-wheel-controlled pusher, a feature that underscores the tactile and mechanical sophistication of the timepiece.
Visually, the watch is a labyrinth of mechanical density, immediately apparent to anyone inspecting the open-worked dial. The absence of a traditional dial surface allows the eye to travel deep into the movement, where the racking and snails of the chiming mechanism are exposed. The sheer number of components is staggering, with the movement alone comprising 1,053 individual parts. This density is visually managed through the use of 18-carat gold for the bridges and mainplate, a material choice that imparts a warm, lustrous glow to the mechanism. The contrast between the gold components, the ruby bearings, and the polished steel of the gongs creates a rich tapestry of color and texture that signals the value and complexity of the engine within.
The tourbillon at the six o'clock position serves as a kinetic anchor for the visual layout. This is not a standard tourbillon but a flying tourbillon, a construction Blancpain pioneered for wristwatches in 1989. By removing the upper bridge, the cage appears to float, offering an unobstructed view of the balance wheel and escapement. In this modern iteration, the mechanism has been updated with a silicon balance spring and operates at a frequency of 4 Hz, ensuring that the chronometric performance matches the acoustic excellence. The light plays across the mirror-polished surfaces of the tourbillon cage, catching the eye with every rotation and serving as a reminder of the brand’s long-standing expertise in regulating organs.
Courtesy of Blancpain
Turning the watch over reveals a view that is perhaps even more technically imposing than the front. Through the sapphire caseback, the complexity of the 15GSQ caliber is laid bare. The viewer is treated to a dense network of wheels, springs, and levers, all finished to the highest standards of haute horlogerie. The gold bridges feature generous anglage, with 135 inward angles that can only be executed by hand. This level of finishing is a dying art, requiring the use of gentian wood stems—gathered from the local Vallée de Joux—and diamond pastes to achieve a perfect polish. The architecture here is not just functional; it is sculptural, with every millimeter of the 18-carat gold components decorated, even on surfaces that remain hidden during the final assembly.
The acoustic performance of the Grande Double Sonnerie is driven by four distinct hammers striking four gongs, a significant escalation in complexity compared to standard repeaters. To ensure the sound is transmitted effectively from the interior of the case to the outside air, Blancpain’s engineers developed a gold acoustic membrane integrated into the bezel. This patented innovation acts similarly to the soundboard of a musical instrument, amplifying the volume and clarifying the resonance. Furthermore, the tempo of the chime is governed by a silent magnetic regulator. Unlike traditional friction governors that can produce a background whirring noise, this system is completely silent, allowing the crystal-clear notes of the chimes to ring out without mechanical interference, ensuring the pitch and intervals are maintained to a tolerance of a tenth of a second.
A Grande Sonnerie is defined by its ability to strike the time in passing, without interaction from the wearer. On the hour, this timepiece sounds the full hour count followed by the full melody of the four quarters, a rare feat known as a "grand strike" that offers an extended auditory performance. It also functions as a Petite Sonnerie, striking only the hours as they pass, and can be silenced completely. Additionally, the watch serves as a minute repeater, allowing the user to activate the chime on demand. Unlike many historical examples that require a slide to arm the mechanism, this repeater is powered by the barrels, meaning the user need not provide the energy for the chime manually. This seamless integration of various striking modes represents the pinnacle of chiming complications.
Integrated into this complex soundscape is a retrograde perpetual calendar. In a move that defies standard industry practices, Blancpain chose not to use a modular calendar system, which would sit on top of the movement and obscure the view of the chiming works. Instead, the calendar mechanism is fully integrated into the mainplate. The date is displayed via a retrograde hand on the left side of the dial, while the day, month, and leap year indications are housed in sub-dials on the right. This integration required the development of new solutions for the correctors. Rather than the traditional recessed buttons requiring a stylus, the watch features Blancpain’s patented under-lug correctors, which have been redesigned to fit within the movement architecture, allowing for fingertip adjustments while maintaining the water resistance and aesthetic purity of the case flanks.
Courtesy of Blancpain
The physical dimensions of the watch are substantial, as necessitated by the sheer volume of mechanics inside. The case measures 47mm in diameter and 14.5mm in thickness, with a lug-to-lug distance of 54.6mm. Despite these measurements, the watch is designed to be worn, not merely kept in a safe. The case is available in either red or white gold, offering a substantial presence on the wrist. The design of the lugs and the integration of the strap ensure that it sits comfortably, balancing the weight of the gold movement. The strap itself is crafted from alligator leather and secured with a gold folding clasp, providing a secure mount for this heavy and precious instrument.
The creation of each Grande Double Sonnerie is an intimate process entrusted to a microscopic team of watchmakers. Specifically, two master watchmakers, Romain and Yoann, are responsible for the assembly of these pieces. Having spent over a decade at Blancpain, primarily focusing on minute repeaters, they were required to expand their skills significantly to tackle the 1,116 components of this new caliber. The assembly process is not an assembly line but a solitary, focused endeavor where a single watchmaker builds the watch from start to finish over the course of nearly 12 months. Upon completion, the watchmaker engraves their signature on the back of the movement, a personal stamp of approval and a testament to the human hands behind the mechanical excellence.
Safety was a paramount concern during the development of the movement. Complex striking watches are notoriously fragile, often prone to damage if the owner attempts to adjust the time while the watch is chiming. To mitigate this, Blancpain’s engineers incorporated five distinct safety systems into the movement. These mechanisms prevent the mishandling of the watch, ensuring that the intricate levers and racks are not stripped or jammed by incorrect user inputs. This focus on durability and usability reinforces the idea that this is a watch meant to be enjoyed and operated, rather than handled with anxiety.
The presentation of the watch extends the acoustic theme to its physical packaging. The box provided with the Grande Double Sonnerie is crafted from wood sourced from the Risoud forest in the Vallée de Joux. This forest is legendary among luthiers for producing resonance spruce, a wood prized for its ability to transmit sound and used in the construction of the world's finest string instruments. By using this specific timber, the box acts as a natural amplifier when the watch is placed within it, connecting the timepiece geographically and culturally to the region of its birth. It is a thoughtful detail that bridges the gap between horology and luthierie, two disciplines reliant on the properties of vibration and resonance.
Courtesy of Blancpain
The power reserve of the watch is equally impressive given the energy consumption of the striking mechanism. The movement features two separate barrels: one dedicated to the timekeeping capabilities and the other to the chiming functions. The timekeeping train holds a power reserve of 96 hours, ensuring that the watch continues to keep accurate time even if left unworn for several days. The striking mechanism has its own reserve of 12 hours when in Grande Sonnerie mode, a sufficient duration for a day’s wear before needing winding. Indicators on the dial allow the owner to monitor the state of wind for both barrels, adding another layer of interaction with the machine.
Technical prowess is also evident in the sheer number of patents involved in the creation of this timepiece. During the eight-year development cycle, 21 patents were developed, with 13 of them being directly integrated into the final movement construction. These range from the acoustic membrane and the silent governor to the specific architecture of the integrated calendar. This density of intellectual property speaks to the fact that Blancpain did not take shortcuts or rely on existing libraries of components. Every problem encountered in the quest for a four-note melody and a legible, integrated calendar was met with a novel mechanical solution.
The aesthetic of the watch is unapologetically technical. The leaf-shaped hands in blackened gold provide a sharp contrast against the components below, ensuring legibility despite the busy background. The sub-dials for the calendar are rendered in 5N gold with a circular satin finish, providing calm islands of information amidst the sea of gears. The retrograde date scale is printed on a sapphire ring, allowing the eye to see through the numbers to the mechanism beneath. It is a design language that celebrates the machine rather than hiding it, inviting the wearer to constantly explore the topography of the dial.
In terms of customization, Blancpain offers a high degree of personalization for prospective owners. The watch can be custom-made according to the specific wishes of the client, ensuring that each piece remains unique. This extends to the materials and potentially even the chiming configurations, as implied by the "Ultimate Personalization" ethos of the brand. This bespoke approach is appropriate for a timepiece of this stature, where the relationship between the manufacture and the collector is closer to a partnership than a simple transaction. The rarity of the watch is guaranteed not just by price, but by the sheer difficulty of production.
Courtesy of Blancpain
The historical context of this release cannot be overstated. Blancpain has a long tradition of complete vertical integration, manufacturing 100% of its movements in-house. From the design and production of the components to the final assembly and decoration, every step is controlled within the manufacture. This capability allows them to produce their own cases in steel, ceramic, gold, platinum, and titanium. The Grande Double Sonnerie is the culmination of this capability, representing the entire spectrum of the brand's expertise—from the chemistry of the alloys used in the gongs to the geometry of the silicon balance spring.
With a production limit of only two timepieces per year, the Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie is an object of extreme exclusivity. It is not a watch that will be encountered in the wild; it is a destination piece for the most serious of collectors. The price is set at CHF 1.7 million, including taxes, a figure that reflects the year of labor required for assembly, the precious materials utilized, and the immense R&D costs amortized over a tiny production run. Availability is naturally scarce, and the acquisition of such a piece is likely a process involving direct consultation with the brand. It stands as a singular achievement in modern watchmaking, translating the abstract concept of time into a precise, melodic reality.
Case: Red or white gold construction measuring 47.00mm in diameter, 14.50mm in thickness, and 54.60mm lug-to-lug. Features a sapphire crystal and sapphire case back with water resistance rated at 1 bar (10m). Includes a patented acoustic membrane integrated into the bezel for sound transmission.
Movement: Manual winding Caliber 15GSQ operating at 4 Hz with 67 jewels and 1,053 components. Features a flying tourbillon, retrograde perpetual calendar, grande sonnerie with two selectable melodies (Westminster and Blancpain), petite sonnerie, and minute repeater. Provides a 96-hour power reserve for the movement and 12 hours for the striking mechanism.
Dial: Open design with 5N gold main material and sunray black rhodium finish. Leaf-shaped hands in blackened gold display hours and minutes, while baton-style hands appear on 5N gold subdials. Features polished black gold indexes.
Strap: Alligator leather strap available in the customer's choice of color. Secured by a folding clasp in gold.
Price: CHF 1.7 million (taxes included)
Reference Number: 15GSQ 1513 55B / 15GSQ 3613 55B
Notes: Production is limited to two timepieces per year. One of the two selectable melodies was composed by Eric Singer of KISS. The presentation box is crafted from resonance spruce sourced from the Risoud forest.