Why have one grande sonnerie when you can have two? That, apparently, is the utterly unasked question that Blancpain have decided to answer with their incredible new Grande Double Sonnerie, a creation eight years in the making that can be yours for a cool CHF 1,700,000.
First off, what is a Grande Sonnerie? If you haven’t read our article on the new Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike (which amusingly is their most complicated watch ever too), put simply it’s one of the most complicated watch mechanisms ever built. Unlike a minute repeater, which chimes out the time on demand, the grande sonnerie automatically chimes hours and quarters in passing. Sometimes it does this using two gongs; sometimes it does so using a full melody a la Big Ben, dubbed a Westminster Chime.
So, what then is a grande double sonnerie? Does it chime everything twice? No, it’s slightly more subtle than that. Instead, it can play the Westminster chime… OR a different melody, it’s your choice. It’s the high watchmaking equivalent of a single with an A-side and B-side, albeit a lot quicker than your old vinyl to switch between the two. If the A-side is the Westminster, the same group of notes (E, G, F, B, if you were wondering) has been reorganised by KISS drummer Eric Singer.
If you’re wondering why the Catman himself is involved, you’re not along. In his own words, “when the Blancpain team shared with me the technical specifications of the watch, I didn’t understand a single word of what was in there.” But the reason is simple: he’s a friend of Blancpain CEO Marc A. Hayek, who just by association might be a damn sight more fun than I expected. The melody was dubbed ‘Blancpain’, it’s a very pretty tune though sadly I can’t convey exactly how it sounds through text, you’ll just have to take my word for it.
All you need to do to switch between the two is press a single button to change the track. It’s simple, refined and nearly impossibly hard to build – to the point where I’m not going to get stuck deep in the weeds there. But while you’re there, why not throw the kitchen sink of high complications on top? The Grande Double Sonnerie also includes a petite sonnerie, minute repeater, flying tourbillon and retrograde perpetual calendar. It’s perhaps no surprise that all that makes this the most complicated Blancpain ever built.
All that watchmaking necessitates a big watch, though perhaps not quite as large as you’re expecting. At 47mm across, it’s a beast but one that you can actually wear. I mean, I can’t, but I have wrists like soggy paper straws. You could probably wear it. Getting hold of one might be another matter entirely.
Only two Grande Double Sonneries will be produced each year. It’s not a limited edition but with numbers like that, it’s rarer than 99% of those. But that does have the slight benefit of each watch being a custom piece. That means you can change how it looks – up to a point. The case has to be red or white gold and the movement necessitates a certain layout but otherwise have at it. Go wild with engraving and guilloche, precious stones, whatever takes your fancy. Hell, go black-and-white with a rendition of Singer’s famous make-up. You don’t wear a watch like this to be subtle.
All of this goes a good way to explaining why the Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie will set you back CHF 1,700,000 – just under £1,610,000. It’s not an unexpected price tag, honestly. A world first at this level was never going to be accessible, and while it makes KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s signature guitar seem cheap (it’s going to auction soon for a cool $100,000), you can guarantee build slots will be full for the next few years.
Price and Specs:
More details at Blancpain.
