The Striking Complication

In the world of watchmaking, some complications are fairly common and easy to encounter in everyday life - like the day or date display. But there are also exceptional functions, and the striking complication firmly belongs in that second category: an autonomous acoustic feature that is both refined and endlessly surprising.

The Sonnerie Complication: What Is It?

In watchmaking, the sonnerie is, much like the alarm function, an auditory complication - also referred to as an "acoustic complication." It comes in three main families:

• The Grande Sonnerie: it combines on-demand repeating with automatic striking of the hours, quarters, and sometimes half-hours. In practice, it strikes both the hours and the quarters at every quarter-hour, much like a domestic clock. It is considered one of the most impressive watch complications in the world.
• The Petite Sonnerie: it provides on-demand repeating and automatically strikes the quarters - and sometimes the half-hours - but not the hours (the hours are only repeated at the top of each hour).
• The Passing Strike: it triggers automatically at every hour and can, depending on the model, also indicate the half-hours and quarters.

The distinction between these types of strikes is crucial, as they don't all sound the same! And since it's often impossible to tell them apart just by looking at the dial or case, you need to listen carefully and pay close attention to identify which type of striking mechanism you're dealing with.

Various striking watches (Source: The Peak Magazine)

It is also important not to confuse the sonnerie with the minute repeater. The latter must be activated manually, typically via a slide (sliding pusher) on the left side of the case. Sonneries, by contrast, strike automatically - no action required on your part. That's the fundamental difference between these two horological systems: watches equipped with a sonnerie (grande, petite, or passing strike) have no on/off button to trigger the strike at will.

And as we'll see, the sonnerie wasn't developed overnight. It is the result of centuries of horological refinement, gradually miniaturized until it could fit inside the slim case of a wristwatch.

History of the Sonnerie Complication

To discover the earliest timekeeping creations featuring a striking mechanism, you have to travel back several centuries… We find ourselves in the 15th century, long before wristwatches existed. And yet, domestic clocks capable of striking the hours as they passed were already a reality.

Bulky as they were, these models were considered revolutionary for their time. Just imagine: these clocks would strike on their own at every hour, letting you sense the passing of time by ear alone. They already had that touch of magic that continues to captivate us today.

A century later, in the 17th century, certain clockmakers in England and Germany achieved a remarkable feat: miniaturizing the striking system of domestic clocks to fit inside a pocket watch. This is how the first portable timepieces with a sonnerie complication came to be.

These portable models were, however, extraordinarily costly to produce, and therefore reserved for an elite capable of affording such marvels. Among them, Edward East, clockmaker to King Charles II, created a series of watches featuring a passing strike with quarter-hour repeating - as early as the first half of the 17th century. Remarkable, isn't it?

Portrait of Edward East, 1602-1696 (Source: Worn & Wound)

Regarded as the earliest known pieces of this type, his creations are today housed in various collections. If you're planning a trip to England, you can admire some of these marvels at the British Museum.

Also in England, clockmaker and mechanic Samuel Knibb produced, during the same period, portable pieces with a distinctly contemporary design for the era. These models impress with their technical and aesthetic qualities.

Table clock by Samuel Knibb, circa 1665 (Credit: The Clockmaker's Charity)

The clock shown above is remarkable. Its gilded brass dial is compact (23 cm per side), and its solid oak case with ebony veneer houses a hand-wound mechanical movement offering an 8-day power reserve. Beyond striking the hours, this clock also announces the half-hours - a true jewelry of precision!

In France, the first striking clocks appeared somewhat later, toward the end of the 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIV. The king's clockmaker, Isaac Thuret, crafted exquisitely ornate mantel clocks that showcased the finest French horological craftsmanship of the era.

Table clock by Isaac Thuret, circa 1680 (Source: Gazette Drouot)

Crafted in metal or wood, Isaac Thuret's creations were also designed to be remarkably compact. To give you a sense of scale, some of his pieces - capable of striking the hours and half-hours - measured just 24 cm wide and barely 16 cm tall. By today's standards, Thuret's portable clocks may seem quite bulky, but it's worth remembering they were made roughly 350 years ago, at a time when people lit their homes by candlelight… and when champagne didn't yet exist!

In the 18th century, another French clockmaker, Antoine Thiout, also made his mark with remarkable pieces. Author of the Traité d'Horlogerie Mécanique et Pratique, his timepieces are distinguished by a unique aesthetic blending horological mastery with decorative art.

"Obelisk" clock by Antoine Thiout, circa 1760 (Source: Jacques Nève)

But what about pocket watches? As early as the 17th century, certain pocket watches were already fitted with a passing-strike complication, developed in Germany, England, and the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, very little information about them has survived.

What is certain is that all the passing-strike clocks we've seen paved the way for even more technically impressive horological pieces. It was out of this tradition that the first petite and grande sonnerie watches were born - inspired by church bell towers and capable of striking the quarter-hours in addition to the hours.

The first pocket watches equipped with a sonnerie demanded an extreme feat of miniaturization - adapting a sound system originally designed for massive clocks into a case that was often flat and sometimes just a few millimeters thick. This process began with domestic clocks, then portable clocks, before moving on to spherical portable watches and finally to pocket watches as we know them.

These first iterations appeared between the late 18th century and the early 19th century. Often unsigned, they bear no brand name as we know it today - yet their quality is exceptional. Crafted in solid 18K yellow gold (750/1000), with finely chiseled cases and refined details, they sit at the crossroads of watchmaking and goldsmithing.

Anonymous striking pocket watch, late 18th / early 19th century (Source: Antiques de Laval)

In the 19th century, similar models can also be found, but with a case in solid silver. Beyond the grande sonnerie, certain pieces signed by prestigious names also feature an alarm function - extremely handy for waking up in the morning!

Striking and alarm pocket watch signed Breguet, circa 19th century (Source: MacauTimepiece Museum)

Their dials are often in white enamel, a milky, lustrous material highly prized at the time. From the early 20th century onward, striking pocket watches grew even more complex, sometimes incorporating a calendar or a moon phase complication. In short, their range of functions kept expanding.

Anonymous pocket watch with striking, calendar, and moon phase, circa 1910 (Source: Tajan)

At that point, every watch equipped with a sonnerie complication was still a pocket watch. Wristwatches were beginning to gain popularity, but they remained far too small to house a striking function of this kind.

For watchmakers, shrinking the components down to size is a colossal challenge. It would take until the late 20th century for the first wristwatches equipped with a striking complication - whether petite or grande sonnerie - to finally appear.

Long thought to be impossible, this feat was finally achieved by Philippe Dufour in 1992 - a historic milestone in watchmaking. That year, he unveiled a 41 mm wristwatch, crafted entirely by hand and equipped with a grande sonnerie, a petite sonnerie, and a minute repeater.

Philippe Dufour Grande Sonnerie, 1992 (Source: SJX Watches)

Its enamel dial, Roman numeral indices, Breguet hands, and small seconds at 6 o'clock subtly evoke the aesthetic of antique pocket watches. It is worth noting that Philippe Dufour had previously crafted five grande and petite sonnerie pocket watches for Audemars Piguet - a manufacture that, that very same year, unveiled a technically similar timepiece.

Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Grande Sonnerie, circa 1992 (Source: Sotheby's)

It took three years of research and development to bring this model to life. The watchmakers at Audemars Piguet began the project in 1989, and it wasn't until 1992 that the Jules Audemars Grande Sonnerie was presented in Basel. Produced in just 50 examples, this watch hides its secrets well. Behind its deceptively simple dial and classic 38.5 mm case in 18K rose gold (750/1000) lies caliber 2868, a 51-jewel mechanical movement integrating both a grande and a petite sonnerie.

In the early 21st century, in 2006, it was Seiko that surprised the world with a wristwatch featuring a passing strike. Part of its Credor collection, this piece takes a distinctly different direction from what the Japanese brand typically offers.

Seiko Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie GBLQ998, 2006 (Source: MasterHorloger)

While the Credor line is often defined by its restraint and elegance, the GBLQ998 reference takes a boldly futuristic turn. Powered by the hybrid Spring Drive movement, it features a fully skeletonized dial whose metallic grey tone blends seamlessly with the caliber.

A few years later, in 2020, Patek Philippe unveiled a striking timepiece: reference 6301P. With its 37 mm case and an ultra-slim 7.5 mm thickness, this watch delivers a dual acoustic complication combining grande and petite sonnerie.

Patek Philippe ref. 6301P, circa 2020 (Source: La Cote des Montres)

Its dial also features an original dual indicator: at 3 o'clock, the power reserve for the striking mechanism, and at 9 o'clock, the power reserve for the movement. A world first!

Finally, for those wondering about the price of such a piece new, the Patek Philippe 6301P was still in the catalog in late 2025, at 1 442 000 €.

Digression aside, let's return to our historical timeline! As we mentioned at the start of this guide, striking watches draw their inspiration from church bell towers. It would therefore be incomplete to discuss the sonnerie complication without mentioning the MeisterSinger Bell Hora Edition Notre-Dame, created in collaboration with Ocarat.

Meistersinger Bell Hora Edition Notre-Dame x Ocarat (Source: Mr Montre)

Released in 2024 to celebrate the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, this limited edition of 70 pieces features a finely worked dial and a passing strike, delivering a discreet and pleasant "ding" at every hour.

From the earliest domestic clocks of the 15th century to today's wristwatches, by way of the portable inventions of the past, the history of the sonnerie complication is rich and fascinating. And if there's one takeaway, it's this: wristwatches equipped with a striking complication - whether a passing strike, petite sonnerie, or grande sonnerie - are an extremely recent achievement.

Now that you know the history of striking watches, how about discovering how they actually work?

How Does the Sonnerie Complication Work?

Whether it's a passing strike, a petite sonnerie, or a grande sonnerie, the principle behind a striking watch rests on a mechanical system of rare sophistication. Its role is to convert the energy stored in the watch into a rhythmic sequence of sounds, allowing you to "read" the time by ear - no need to glance at the dial. But you already know that!

Now, let's get into the slightly more technical details to see how it all comes together…

First, it's important to understand that unlike a minute repeater - which is activated on demand - the sonnerie operates autonomously. It automatically strikes the hours, quarters, and sometimes half-hours depending on the mechanism type. To keep this function running as long as the watch is ticking, watchmakers designed a dedicated power supply system.

The striking mechanism's mainspring doesn't need to be wound independently - and that's no oversight on the watchmaker's part! If it did, the strike would cut out whenever the wearer forgot to wind that specific spring. To prevent this, watchmakers devised an ingenious solution: a dedicated barrel for the striking mechanism, fitted with a permanently pre-tensioned spring. This spring recharges automatically via the watch's main movement, ensuring it always has enough energy in reserve to sound the strike on cue.

Components of an Audemars Piguet pocket watch with Grande Sonnerie by Philippe Dufour (Source: SJX Watches)

When the mechanism is triggered - either at regular intervals for a passing strike, or on a set cycle for the petite and grande sonneries - the energy from the spring is transmitted to a gear train that drives several key components. Among them are a rack and a snail cam. These two parts work together to determine the number of blows to be struck, based on the indicated time. The rack "reads" the position of the snail cam, whose stepped profiles correspond to the hours and quarters, and relays that information to the hammers.

These hammers - typically two or three in number - then strike fine metallic gongs coiled inside the case. The tone produced depends on the length and material of the gong, and it is precisely from this harmony that each watch's distinct sonic signature is born. To keep the striking rhythm steady, a kind of speed governor controls the release of energy and prevents the strike from running away.

In a petite sonnerie, the watch automatically strikes the hours and quarters without repeating the hours at each quarter. The grande sonnerie, on the other hand, systematically repeats the hours at every quarter-hour, providing a complete auditory readout - but requiring far greater energy management and mechanical precision.

Ultimately, every strike is the result of a perfect orchestration between gears, levers, hammers, and gongs - a living mechanism that translates the measure of time into music, with a regularity and poetry that are quintessentially horological.

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