Blancpain’s Grande Double Sonnerie Redefines Horological Sound with a Patented Four-Note System
The Grande Double Sonnerie is eight years of ingenuity distilled into a single wearable masterpiece, wherein time, finally, is expressed in music.
Nov 28, 2025
Blancpain's new Grande Double Sonnerie stands as a testament to precision and artistry. It is a landmark in haute horlogerie as it is the world’s first wristwatch to combine two selectable melodies in a four-note system. With this. Blancpain proves that time is more than hours and minutes.
The wearer can choose between the classic Westminster chime and an original melody composed by rock legend Eric Singer. Four notes, namely - E, G, F, B, strike with four dedicated hammers and gongs, creating a musical experience rather than a simple chime. Singer describes the process as a "puzzle of four notes."
What began as an adventure became a bold testament to the limits of the craftsmanship house. Marc A. Hayek, president and CEO of Blancpain, sought to push the limits of mechanical watchmaking. The goal was not merely a Grand Sonnerie that marks hours and quarters, but also a musical wristwatch that expresses time in sound. The result is a 47mm case available in rose or white gold, housing a Grande Sonnerie, Petite Sonnerie, minute repeater, retrograde perpetual calendar, and a flying tourbillon to craft the most complicated watch in Blancpain’s history.
It took eight years to bring this creation to life. 1,200 technical drawings guided the project, 1,053 components were installed, and 21 patents were filed, with 13 incorporated into the final version. Every element was conceived, produced, decorated, and assembled entirely in-house. The fully integrated 15GSQ movement ticks at 4 Hz, with a 96-hour power reserve for timekeeping and 12 hours for the chiming mechanism. Dual mainspring barrels power movement and strike.
While most sonnerie watches use two notes, the Grande Double Sonnerie uses four, each precisely tuned with laser measurements. A patented acoustic membrane amplifies the sound with clarity, resonance, and depth rather than volume.
Singer, alongside keyboardist Derek Sherinian, created a melody adapted to the mechanism. Switching between the two melodies is achieved via a column-wheel pusher, with perfect timing and consistent tempo maintained by a magnetic regulator. Beyond music, the watch integrates technical marvels. A retrograde perpetual calendar with underlug correctors, dual rear power reserve indicators, and a 4Hz flying tourbillon integrate seamlessly with the chiming mechanism. Assembly is meticulous, requiring expert watchmakers. Only two watches are produced annually, with options for case material, finishing, and even a custom melody.
At CHF 1,700,000 (INR 18 crore approx), this is Blancpain’s ultimate expression of craftsmanship. Yet, for Hayek, the value lies in artistry and precision. He explains how, like tasting fine wine, the sound of a prestige is all about clarity, resonance, and depth. To him, a Grande Sonnerie should make the wearer smile.