Minute repeaters

[LazyTimegrapher]

I was browsing watches online and came across the phenomenally expensive complication of the minute repeater. What is the point of this complication? Is it basically similar to a tourbillon in that it doesn’t really do anything other than make the watch expensive, which is its own benefit for some watch buyers?

I tend to pick watches and complications based on functionality, so I’m a fan of a clear dial with easily readable time and good lume. I also really like date complications since I never remember the date. The other one I love is the worldtime feature and jumping hour hand, which works great when traveling. I also find dive bezels useful for timing stuff. Not a fan of chronographs as too complicated and busy. Also not much of a fan of calendar watches, as it’s not hard to remember the day of the week, the month, or the year.

I can’t tell if minute repeaters have some functional value I’m not aware of or if my focus on functionality in watch complications is unusual for the general high end (e.g. Patek) watch buyer.

[kieselguhr]

We’re mid way through 2024. What is the point of an analog mechanical watch in general? At least a blind man can tell the time with a minute repeater vs a 3 hander with “a clear dial and good lume”

[Maleg]

That’s a very long rant to say that you have not adequately informed yourself of the functionality of a minute repeater.

It converts the visual display to tones. You don’t need to look at the watch to know the time.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Maleg

That’s a very long rant to say that you have not adequately informed yourself of the functionality of a minute repeater.

It converts the visual display to tones. You don’t need to look at the watch to know the time.

When I was growing up we had a church in town that did that. Unfortunately waiting for it to count up to the right number of rings/bells, you could have just asked someone the time.

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by Blansky

When I was growing up we had a church in town that did that. Unfortunately waiting for it to count up to the right number of rings/bells, you could have just asked someone the time.

What would be the fun in that?

I have a minute repeater that I inherited from my grandfather. Sitting on the porch, watching the sun settle over the horizon, with the chimes of the watch singing their tune is one of my favorite pastimes…. I’m officially an old man.

[LazyTimegrapher]

Lol. Appreciate the feedback.

I guess my tone came across in a way I wasn’t intending.

I was just giving background on the types of watches I like, not trying to trash watches that aren’t for me. It’s not that I think chronographs or calendar watches are dumb. They just aren’t for me. That’s what I meant by I’m not a fan of various complications.

I just don’t really understand how minute repeaters are used. Is it like the chime on a Casio watch that you can set? Does it go off every single minute? I read that they were made for the blind, which is an interesting use case.

I guess I was just trying to see if anyone on here likes them, and if you do, what do you like about them? I also wonder that for perpetual calendars and tourbillions too. Is it just the skill required to make such a complex mechanism?

I guess I deserve the ribbing for the tone of my question.

I still am actually curious what people admire or appreciate about these watch complications though, if anyone’s willing to forgive the unintended tone of the question.

Funny critiques are also appreciated. Thanks!

[LazyTimegrapher]

So I just watched a YouTube video about them. Previously I was just looking at Patek’s website and reading forums about them. The video explained and showed that when you push the case it sort of sings the time audibly. I didn’t realize that’s what they did. I thought they just made a sound at certain time intervals and couldn’t figure out why that would be desirable.

Definitely interesting that it’s technically possible to achieve that mechanically.

Anyway, still interested in what people like about these watches or if there are particularly interesting uses for them.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Maleg

What would be the fun in that?

I have a minute repeater that I inherited from my grandfather. Sitting on the porch, watching the sun settle over the horizon, with the chimes of the watch singing their tune is one of my favorite pastimes…. I’m officially an old man.

They are truly amazing watches.

When I buy watches though I usually ask myself what it would cost if I had to repair it, and some of the big complications would scare me away.

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by Blansky

They are truly amazing watches.

When I buy watches though I usually ask myself what it would cost if I had to repair it, and some of the big complications would scare me away.

When you get a little older you will recognize that you probably won’t live long enough to need a service. Then you will find watch nirvana.

[SearChart]

I've played with quite a few of them from various brands and in different metals (sound changes).

While it is a useless complication in this day and age, it wasn't useless pre electricity. A mechanical watch is obsolete nowadays period.

I must say it is one of the most amazing complications out there, there's a market for it, so why not?

[joli160]

Originally Posted by LazyTimegrapher

Anyway, still interested in what people like about these watches or if there are particularly interesting uses for them.

The admiration for fine mechanics and for the history or ingenuity of the design.
It is one of the reasons why I like the SkyD so much. If you think about what it does and how a SkyD works it’s just amazing.
Engineering at its finest.
No funny pushers but all functions controlled via its bezel in a very handsome package.
What’s not to like.

Minute repeaters or PC’s are way out of my league but I would love to own one for the same reasons.

A three hander like a Submariner with big plots of lume everywhere is a whole different experience. I own them but these bore me rather quickly whilst the DD and SkyD don’t. To each their own.

[Calatrava r]

The one I heard from VC was very faint and hard to hear. I wonder how loud these are generally. In a noisy room they may not be of much use.

[LazyTimegrapher]

To be honest, once I realized what they actually do (ie audibly tell you the time when you press a button) I started wondering how that’s actually achieved and made me realize why people think they’re cool.

My main question was: how the heck does the watch know what time it is? Normal watches tell you the time when you look at the dial, but the movement doesn’t know what time it is. There’s just a main spring, gear train, and escapement controlling the release of energy from the mainspring (forgive the gross simplification). But the movement of a 3 hander doesn’t “know” what time it is. The hands could be in any position and the movement will just make sure the different gears drive the hands at the right rate.

The idea that somehow minute repeaters “know” the time enough to sing it out to you is pretty amazing. When I posted this thread I just thought they beeped every minute like a Casio might, which seemed kind of pointless and annoying to listen to. I guess I just assumed minute repeater meant it made a chime sound every minute.

This makes me wonder if perpetual calendars function like minute repeaters and actually “know” what time it is or whether they just have a bunch of gears that spin at different rates. Does anyone know the answer to this? If so are annual calendars the same or different in how they work as perpetual calendars?

I also have noticed that perpetual calendars often come with chronographs, which to me seems unfortunate because even without the chrono the dial is pretty busy and hard to read as it is. Adding a chrono seems to only make a hard to read watch even harder to read.

Does anyone know why chronos and calendars go together? Do calendars use the chrono mechanism or part of it in how they work? Is it kind of just that you already have a chrono to make a calendar so why not include the chrono function “for free”?

Sorry for all the questions. Appreciate any insights you all may have.

[LazyTimegrapher]

Originally Posted by joli160

The admiration for fine mechanics and for the history or ingenuity of the design.

A three hander like a Submariner with big plots of lume everywhere is a whole different experience. I own them but these bore me rather quickly whilst the DD and SkyD don’t. To each their own.

Fair points. That sounds like an awesome collection. My Rolex collection only includes a DJ41 blue Roman on oyster. I’m hoping to add a DD someday. Possibly a 36 since I don’t know if I can pull off the 40. That size with the fluted bezel seems like a lot for me at this point in my mid 30s.

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by LazyTimegrapher

To be honest, once I realized what they actually do (ie audibly tell you the time when you press a button) I started wondering how that’s actually achieved and made me realize why people think they’re cool.

My main question was: how the heck does the watch know what time it is? Normal watches tell you the time when you look at the dial, but the movement doesn’t know what time it is. There’s just a main spring, gear train, and escapement controlling the release of energy from the mainspring (forgive the gross simplification). But the movement of a 3 hander doesn’t “know” what time it is. The hands could be in any position and the movement will just make sure the different gears drive the hands at the right rate.

The idea that somehow minute repeaters “know” the time enough to sing it out to you is pretty amazing. When I posted this thread I just thought they beeped every minute like a Casio might, which seemed kind of pointless and annoying to listen to. I guess I just assumed minute repeater meant it made a chime sound every minute.

This makes me wonder if perpetual calendars function like minute repeaters and actually “know” what time it is or whether they just have a bunch of gears that spin at different rates. Does anyone know the answer to this? If so are annual calendars the same or different in how they work as perpetual calendars?

I also have noticed that perpetual calendars often come with chronographs, which to me seems unfortunate because even without the chrono the dial is pretty busy and hard to read as it is. Adding a chrono seems to only make a hard to read watch even harder to read.

Does anyone know why chronos and calendars go together? Do calendars use the chrono mechanism or part of it in how they work? Is it kind of just that you already have a chrono to make a calendar so why not include the chrono function “for free”?

Sorry for all the questions. Appreciate any insights you all may have.

A minor hijack… H Moser & Cie seems right up you alley.

[Toxicant]

When that complication was invented you needed to light a candle to know what time it was, now it's just awesome.

[LazyTimegrapher]

Originally Posted by Maleg

A minor hijack… H Moser & Cie seems right up you alley.

I hadn’t ever looked at their watches before, but you’re right. The fact that this is a perpetual calendar is crazy to me…

The simplest perpetual calendar I had seen before this Moser was the Patek 5236P, which was my favorite perpetual calendar due to its readability and simplicity. The moser is even simpler though which is impressive indeed.

Thanks for the recommendation!

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by LazyTimegrapher

I hadn’t ever looked at their watches before, but you’re right. The fact that this is a perpetual calendar is crazy to me…

The simplest perpetual calendar I had seen before this Moser was the Patek 5236P, which was my favorite perpetual calendar due to its readability and simplicity. The moser is even simpler though which is impressive indeed.

Thanks for the recommendation!

Happy to help.

I have an Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept. I’ve always loved the purity of their clean dials.

[FrançoisCzapek]

So does anyone here actually wear a minute repeater at least once a week? How does it work, the sound is disabled most of the time?