Grande sonnerie

Grande sonnerie (French, meaning 'grand strike') is a complication in a mechanical watch or clock which combines a quarter striking mechanism with a repeater. On the quarter-hour, it strikes the number of hours audibly on a gong, and then the number of quarter-hours since the hour on a second gong. In addition it can strike the hours on demand, at the push of a button. [cite web
title=Grande Sonnerie
work=Glossary
publisher=Foundation de la Haute Horlogerie
url=http://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/encyclopaedia/glossary/grande-sonnerie.html
accessdate=2008-04-20] [cite web
title=Striking watches
work=Encyclopaedia
publisher=Foundation de la Haute Horlogerie
url=http://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/encyclopaedia/complication-watches/sounding-watches/striking-watches.html
accessdate=2008-04-20] The term is sometimes used erroneously for a mere quarter striking mechanism. [cite journal
last=Maillard
first=Pierre
title=François-Paul Journe, sovereign timekeeping
date=April 13, 2006
journal=Europa Star
url=http://www.europastar.com/europastar/magazine/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002343824
accessdate=2008-04-20 ]

It is more complex than the "petite sonnerie", which merely strikes the hours on the hour and the quarter hours on the quarter, with no repeater function. [cite web
title=Petite Sonnerie
work=Glossary
publisher=Foundation de la Haute Horlogerie
url=http://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/encyclopaedia/glossary/petite-sonnerie.html
accessdate=2008-04-20]

Footnotes