There's a moment in haute horlogerie where technical mastery transcends engineering and enters the realm of pure emotion. It's the instant when a grande sonnerie watch doesn't merely chime the time—it sings it. For eight years, Blancpain has been chasing that moment in their manufacture in Le Brassus, and the result is the Grande Double Sonnerie, a wristwatch that rewrites the entire rulebook for what a grande sonnerie can be.
Founded in 1735, Blancpain has always operated in rarefied air. Their legendary 1735 Grande Complication of 1991 set benchmarks that stood for decades. But CEO Marc A. Hayek wanted something more—something that would make you smile as it sounds the time, that would trigger genuine emotion. His vision wasn't simply to create another grande sonnerie, widely regarded as the queen of watchmaking complications. He wanted to give it two voices.
This eight-year project encompassed 1,200 technical drawings and 21 patents filed during development, of which 13 were incorporated into the final construction. Of the timepiece's total 1,116 components, 1,053 belong to the Caliber 15GSQ movement—all of which are entirely designed, produced, decorated, and assembled in-house.
The Captivating Chimes: Two Distinct Melodies
The new Grande Double Sonnerie achieves what no other wristwatch has accomplished: it offers the wearer a choice between two distinct four-note melodies. The first is the iconic Westminster chime—that hauntingly familiar sequence from Big Ben using the notes E, G, F, and B. The second is the "Blancpain melody," an original composition created by Eric Singer, the legendary drummer from KISS and passionate watch collector. Working with keyboardist Derek Sherinian, Singer composed ten variations using those same four notes at precisely the same tempo before Hayek selected the final melody—warmer, more lyrical, more intimate than Westminster, yet mechanically perfect.
Things to Know About the Watch
Housed within the 47 mm diameter, 14.5 mm-thick case in either 18K white gold ref. 15GSQ 1513 55B or 18K rose gold ref. 15GSQ 3613 55B beats the fully integrated Caliber 15GSQ—a movement comprising 1,053 individual components that required 21 patents during development, with 13 incorporated into the final construction. This is no modular exercise; this is a ground-up reinvention. The movement features 26 bridges crafted from 18K gold, each lavished with 135 hand-finished interior angles—the kind of obsessive finishing that separates true manufactures from the merely excellent.
The Mechanism
At the heart of the chiming mechanism are four 18K red gold gongs, each laser-tuned to within microscopic tolerances to achieve exact musical frequencies. Blancpain discovered that gold delivers superior acoustic performance compared to traditional steel alloys, producing richer, more resonant tones. Sound is further amplified through a gold acoustic membrane integrated into the bezel. Steel hammers strike these gongs in sequences controlled by two superimposed quarter racks—one for each melody—with a column wheel system allowing the wearer to switch between them via a pusher at 8 o'clock.
Here's where Blancpain's engineering genius truly shines: the Grande Double Sonnerie doesn't just chime the hours at the top of each hour. It chimes the hours followed by all four complete quarters, just like an actual grandfather clock. A slider at 9 o'clock selects between Grande Sonnerie mode, chiming automatically on the hour and quarters; Petite Sonnerie mode, chiming hours and quarters without repeating the hours; or Silent mode. There's also a minute repeater activated by a pusher at 10 o'clock, sounding the time on demand without traditional slide mechanism arming.
The melody selection is displayed on the dial as either "W" for Westminster or "B" for Blancpain. To ensure perfect tempo consistency, Blancpain developed a patented silent magnetic regulator in which movable metal masses rotate within a magnetic field, providing smooth deceleration without the audible whirring of traditional fly governors. The striking rhythm is as precise as a professional musical instrument, with microscopic adjustments to the sonnerie mechanism's teeth pattern maintaining absolute regularity.
Beyond the chiming mechanism, the Grande Double Sonnerie incorporates a flying tourbillon beating at 4Hz with a silicon balance spring, visible through a dial-side aperture. There's also a retrograde perpetual calendar with day, month, leap year indicators, and a sweeping serpentine hand for the retrograde date display. The perpetual calendar is fully integrated rather than modular, adjustable via correctors positioned under the lugs. Blancpain engineered a safety mechanism preventing crown adjustment while the watch chimes, protecting the delicate movement from damage.
Two separate mainspring barrels power this mechanical symphony: one for timekeeping, providing a 96-hour power reserve, and another for the chiming mechanism, delivering 12 hours of grande sonnerie. Separate dial-mounted power reserve indicators keep you informed of both reserves.
The Dial: A Visual Spectacle
The openworked dial in 5N gold with sunray black rhodium treatment reveals the movement's spectacular architecture—polished levers, intricate gear trains, and those four hammers poised above their golden gongs. Leaf-shaped hands in blackened gold display the time. At the same time, the subdials present perpetual calendar information with remarkable clarity, including a retrograde date indicator that occupies the half of the dial on the left. The sapphire case back offers an equally mesmerizing view of exhibition finishing, including anglage, perlage, mirror polishing, and circular graining—all executed to standards rivaling independent watchmakers.
The production story is equally remarkable. Only two watchmakers at Blancpain—Romain and Yoann—are qualified to assemble the Grande Double Sonnerie from start to finish, with each watch taking a full year to complete and just two examples produced annually. Engraver Élisabeth spent six months training under Meilleure Ouvrière de France Marie-Laure to master specialized hand-engraving. Karine adorns the main plate with over 3,400 circular graining patterns in three sizes, the smallest measuring just 0.7 mm. The finishing department created 271 new tools expressly for this watch.
The Special Box
The Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie arrives on alligator leather with an 18K gold folding buckle, housed in a special "resonance" presentation box crafted from wood sourced from the Risoud forest in the Vallée de Joux. The box features an integrated soundboard that amplifies the watch's chiming, allowing you to appreciate the full acoustic beauty even when the watch is off your wrist.
Summary & Price
This isn't just the most complicated watch Blancpain has ever created—it's a declaration of intent. It's a starting point for renewed focus on haute horlogerie complications, a reminder that while Blancpain may be best known for the Fifty Fathoms, its capabilities extend to the absolute pinnacle of technical watchmaking.
As Marc A. Hayek stated:
"This watch does not mark the end of a project; it marks the beginning of a new era for Blancpain."
When you press that pusher and hear the first notes ring out—whether the familiar Westminster melody or Eric Singer's lyrical Blancpain composition—you're experiencing something unprecedented. Four tiny hammers striking gold. A movement containing eight years of obsession, 1,053 components, and nearly three centuries of watchmaking heritage. All of it singing on your wrist.
Production is limited to two pieces per year, with personalization options available.
Sticker Price CHF 1.7 Million—approx USD 2.1 Million. For more info on Blancpain, click here.
