The Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie is a big statement of intent (now with video!)
Russell SheldrakeI’m not alone in saying that this is the last watch I expected to come from Blancpain this year. But the Grande Double Sonnerie is a masterclass in complicated chiming watches, and debuts a world first: the ability to select two different melodies chimed through four different notes. If you look at the run that Blancpain has been on lately, it’s fair to say it’s been mixed: Blancpain have had some strong releases over the last 12 months, such as the 38mm Fifty Fathoms and the Tech BOC IV, but has also been catching a bit of flak in online comment sections.
This new release, however, demonstrates that Blancpain is keen not to be defined solely by its legendary dive watch. In fact, Blancpain aims to establish itself as one of the top complicated watchmakers in the industry today. Having been lucky enough to handle this new piece, I can tell you there is a lot to unpack here.
The movement
This isn’t where we normally start with our Hands On reviews, but it felt like the only place for the Grande Double Sonnerie, as this movement is extremely visible from both the front and back of the watch (and is really the main event here). Let’s quickly break down all the functionalities of this movement, the calibre 15GSQ, as a lot is going on.
We have the aforementioned grande double sonnerie with four notes, two selectable melodies, and grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, and minute repeater functionality. There is also a perpetual calendar with a retrograde date and a flying tourbillon to complete the ensemble. There are 1.053 individual components inside the 15GSQ, with Blancpain developing 21 patents for it (but only needing to use 13 for the final model). All of this took eight long years to fully develop into the watch you can see here.
But despite all of that complexity, it is the chiming function that is the real star of the show – hence the name of this watch – and that is for good reason. The real X-factor here is the way in which the two melodies are achieved. The first is the Westminster chime, which will be recognisable to many as a melody used in some of the most complex sonneries made today. Next is a custom melody that was created by watch collector and world-famous rock star Eric Singer, drummer for Kiss. And as mentioned above, these melodies can be switched between with just the press of a pusher.
What makes these melodies so complicated to execute is the ability to get the timing of them perfect. As humans, it is said that we can detect differences in timing down to one tenth of a second, and so the racks that are used to activate the hammers need to be micron-perfect in order to achieve the exact melody. This means that when the watch is being constructed, the watchmaker is having to build the chiming function, test it, and if it’s ever so slightly out, shave a micron or two off the teeth of that rack and then reassemble it to check it again. That is real fine-tuning.
To ensure everything runs smoothly, there is a magnetic regulator that spins silently inside the movement, meaning the only noise you hear when you activate the chime is the melody Marc Hayek and Eric Singer wanted you to hear.
Not only is the timing of the melody important, but hitting the perfect note is just as important and requires just as fine an adjustment. The target for the four notes is E, G, F, and B, and to achieve these exactly, some real science is used to measure the exact frequency at which these gongs vibrate. Each of these gongs is cut into a square cross-section to ensure that the vibrations are precise, and it also stops them from vibrating into each other and causing resonance between them, as you have four stacked in a very tight space. To tune them, you have to alter the shape and length, but if you go too far, it is irreversible, and that gong has to be scrapped, or more likely recycled for its gold content.
While this will likely be on the longer side of our normal articles, I still feel like I am being brief here when describing the complexity and intricacy of this movement. But I would not do it justice if I just spoke about the chiming function, considering there is an entire perpetual calendar and flying toubrillon integrated into this movement! And that is the keyword here: integrated. The perpetual calendar has been built into this movement to ensure the thickness doesn’t get too out of control, but also, Marc Hayek and his team of watch developers are not ones to take the easy route. This integration has also led to some of the most bewildering and mesmerising movement architectures you will ever see.
The flying tourbillon sits inside all of this madness, quietly spinning away, and ensuring that energy is delivered smoothly and efficiently from one of the two barrels inside this movement. This is because only one barrel is used to power the timing and calendar functions, while the other is used for the chiming functions. By utilising this construction, you do not need a slide on the side of the case. This also means the watch is capable of an incredible manually-wound 96 hours of power reserve and 12 hours while in grande sonnerie mode – numbers not to be sniffed at with this level of complication.
One final element that I want to touch on in this movement that has been carried over, albeit in a more complex form, from a watch I spoke about recently, the Villeret Complete Calendar Moonphase, is the safety mechanisms built into the case. Blancpain has always wanted its watches to be worn, and so feeling like you can adjust your watch yourself is a crucial element of that. Add on top of this the high level of traditional finishing that each component has gone through, and you have the recipe for a watch that you will want to wear and will feel safe doing so.
The case
When it comes to optimising the sound of the Grande Double Sonnerie, Blancpain didn’t just stop at the movement. They needed to consider the case in its construction and material. Many in the industry will be used to the concept of titanium being one of the most optimal materials for chiming watches due to its low density, which allows sound to pass through it more efficiently. The team at Blancpain were actually more concerned with making each note sound as true and rich as possible. And so, after experimenting with every material imaginable, they settled on gold being the most resonant and harmonious with what they were looking to achieve.
However, they have gone a step further here and added a gold membrane into the bezel of the watch, which only has one job, and that is to aid the transmission of sound into the air. This one thin strip of gold, which encircles the entire watch, ensures that when it is on your wrist, you can pick up every single note.
Another feature that has been carried over from the Villeret Complete Calendar Moonphase is the under-lug correctors for the perpetual calendar. These are somewhat of a signature of Blancpain now, and their inclusion here means the caseband is kept clear for the various pushers needed to run the sonnerie. However, these under-lug correctors are not quite the same as they are on previous models. Normally, these inconspicuous correctors are built directly into the case; however, because of the gold membrane, they are integrated directly into the movement. This ensures the perpetual calendar can still be adjusted with the flick of a finger, without compromising the sound from the sonnerie.
Finally, we get on to what I’m sure many of you have been waiting to hear about from the beginning, and that is the dimensions of this thing. We’ve spoken about the many components and complications that have gone into this case, so it must be massive, right? I won’t lie, it’s not a tiny case, measuring 47mm across and 14.5mm thick. However, I can think of a lot of watches that only contain a chronograph and a date function that boast similar measurements. In relative terms, this watch is well proportioned, even if most of us would struggle to wear something like this on a daily basis. But this is not a daily beater; this is a statement watch.
The dial
As you can see, this watch has a completely open dial with some skeletonisation going on throughout the movement. This makes for a rather busy dial, but you do get a great view of the incredible movement architecture and finishing. There are scales and sub-dials here to read the time and calendar functions. Applied Roman numerals make up the right half of the dial perimeter, while the right is taken by the retrograde date function, giving you a bit of contrast in both colour and numeral density.
You have your day, month, and leap year indicators found in the two sub-dials on the right, while in between them is the bell icon that tells you if the safety mechanism is currently activated, and underneath you have a small W or B that signals if the Westminster or Blancpain melody is currently selected.
From this dial, you also get an incredible view of the flying tourbillon that has its bridge and cage built in the classic Blancpain style. This sits directly below that magnetic regulator we spoke about earlier, and then you get to the four hammers. All finished in black polish, and stretching from 12 to 31 on the date scale, they are quite a sight to behold when we are used to only seeing 2 hammers at most. Even on other Westminster chime watches, you will get hammers hidden behind others, so you can’t see all of them in full.
Something that the team at Blancpain were keen to point out to us was that this model is entirely customisable. They will strongly advise you not to go for platinum as your case material, but beyond that, you can do what you like with it. Therefore, the dial of the example we photographed may look very different to one you see out in the wild… However, considering they can only make two a year at max capacity, that is an unlikely scenario.
The strap
Of course, a watch like this can only come on one kind of strap, being an alligator leather in a colour of your choice. Although I’m sure if you wanted to stretch to something more exotic, like ostrich, that wouldn’t be an issue either… The clasp will always be a gold folding one, which gives you a bit of extra security when it’s on your wrist.
The verdict
There is something incredibly compelling about a brand with as much history and heritage as Blancpain making such a bold statement in one watch. The Grande Double Sonnerie forces Blancpain back into the haute horlogerie conversation in a brilliant way. If this watch were produced by an independent brand, words such as audacity and brilliance would be thrown around like they were going out of fashion. The fact that this has come from an old brand within one of the largest groups in the industry, however, shows to me that the strategic play here was very deliberate in how this watch positions Blancpain.
The last time we saw anything similar to this coming from the same company was back in 1991 when the 1735 was launched. This grand complication was the most complex serially produced watch at the time, housing a perpetual calendar, grand sonnerie, and split seconds chronograph, acting as the culmination of a series known as the six masterpieces. This precedent makes this new release even more powerful to me. Could we see the revolutionary double sonnerie make its watch into other watches in the Blancpain catalogue? I certainly hope so.
Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie pricing and availability
The new Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie is not a limited edition, but the brand can produce a maximum of two a year. Price: upon request (starting at CHF 1.7 million)
| Brand | Blancpain |
| Model | Grande Double Sonnerie |
| Reference Number | 15GSQ 1513 55B / 15GSQ 3613 55B |
| Case Dimensions | 47mm (D) x 14.5mm (T) x 54.6mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Buyer’s choice of precious metal |
| Water Resistance | 10 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and rear |
| Dial | Open |
| Lug Width | 23mm |
| Strap | Alligator leather, folder clasp in matching gold |
| Movement | Calibre 15GSQ, in-house, manual-winding |
| Power Reserve | 96 hours, 12 hours in Grande Sonnerie mode |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, minute repeater, retrograde perpetual calendar |
| Availability | Two pieces made a year |
| Price | POA |