What is a minute repeater

What if you could request the gongs of a grandfather at any time of day to check what hour had last passed? That’s what a repeater does on a wristwatch: it “repeats” the chimes representing the current time. A minute repeater sounds the time down to the current minute.

A grandfather or a church bell chimes on each hour. One gong for 1 o’clock, nine gongs for 9 o’clock). It’s a useful way to know the time without looking at the clock face. A wristwatch that chimes only the hours would be called an “hour repeater”, but they can be more granular, representing the time to a quarter of an hour or even to the minute using a series of low and high tones.

Ready to see an example? “Fman Matahari” has this video on YouTube that shows the minute repeater mechanism in a Patek Philippe watch:

Telling the time with a minute repeater

When the minute repeater is activated (with a button or leaver on the watch case), the time is chimed starting with the hours (low tones), then the quarters (alternating tones) and finally the minutes (high tones). 

To give a more detailed explanation:

1. The Hours: The first set of chimes indicates the hour. For instance, if it’s 3:48, the repeater will sound three low tones to denote three o’clock.
2. The Quarters: Next, the repeater chimes the quarter-hours past the hour with alternating high and low tones. In our example, it will sound three pairs of tones for the three completed quarters (45 minutes).
3. The Minutes: Finally, the watch strikes high-pitched chimes for the minutes past the last quarter. At 3:48, it will chime three high tones for the three additional minutes past 45.

By counting up the chimes correctly, the time can be ascertained without looking at the watch face.

What’s the point of a minute repeater?

The minute repeater was invented in the 17th century, long before electricity lit up our homes or digital screens became ubiquitous. People relied on chiming clocks in the dark of night or dimly lit rooms, especially since candlelight or gas lamps were often insufficient for reading a clock face.

Today, the minute repeater isn’t included in a wristwatch for practicality, but for craftsmanship. It is a demonstration of “haute horology” (high-end watchmaking). Crafting a minute repeater involves designing and assembling tiny, complex mechanisms that transform time into sound, all within the limited space of a watch case. 

Minute repeaters are rare, found only in the most prestigious watches. Here are some watches that include minute repeaters:

So, do I want a watch with a minute repeater or not?

Will you use a minute repeater on a daily basis to tell the time? We doubt it. But should you want one anyway? We think so!

Some of the most mechanically interesting watches have minute repeaters. For a new hobbyist or a seasoned collector, a minute repeater signifies an appreciation for history, engineering, and exclusivity. These small masterpieces are cherished across generations, and with good reason.

If you own a minute repeater watch, you will stand out as a watch collector of impeccable taste — to us at Luxe Watches at least, and others in the know.

A minute repeater ranks at the top of the list of watch complications that we like to showing off. Really! — come into our store in Epping if you want to see and hear a minute repeater in action. We will enjoy it just as much as you will!

See it in-store today!

Which luxury watches have minute repeaters

It’s an exclusive club. To put it in perspective, you would think the most widely recognised luxury watch manufacturer in the world, Rolex, would produce a watch with minute repeater, right? Wrong. This complication is too artisanal for Rolex! 

You’ll need to look at names like Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breguet, A. Lange & Söhne, and Richard Mille to find what you’re looking for. It won’t be cheap! Any watch featuring this finest of complications will cost tens of thousands as a minimum.

How does a minute repeater work?

Let’s go step by step. Imagine that you are wearing the 

1. The process starts when the repeater lever is pressed or slided, winding a tiny mainspring dedicated to powering the mechanism.
2. The repeater is synchronised with the watch’s timekeeping mechanism. It “reads” the current time and uses a series of cams and racks to determine the appropriate chime pattern.
3. The gongs are activated, usually two of differing pitches, struck by hammers within the watch.

How old are repeaters?

The first clocks with repeaters arrived around the 17th century. They were table clocks are looked like this:

In the 18th century, clocks that could repeat down to the minute were introduced.

In the market for a luxury watch?

Although none of the watches in our current collection include a minute repeater, we offer an array of luxury timepieces featuring other remarkable complications. From chronographs to perpetual calendars, dual time zones, and moon phases, our watches showcase the artistry and engineering that define fine horology.

If you’re intrigued by the mechanics and history behind complications like the minute repeater, you’ll love exploring the intricate features available in our collection.

Take a closer look at the watches in our store.