When Blancpain’s CEO had the vision to build a new grande sonnerie, part of the goal was to stand out from the rest, rather than simply maintaining the status quo and being seen as just another timepiece in the watchmaker's lineup.
The result? The Grande Double Sonnerie, reference 15GSQ, a grand complication that aims to make a bold statement. After eight years of development and more than 1,200 technical drawings, Blancpain delivered its most complex timepiece to date. It has 1,053 components in the movement out of a total of 1,116, all designed, produced, and assembled in-house.
At the core of the Grande Double Sonnerie is a world premiere for a wristwatch. It has four notes, E, G, F, and B, instead of the traditional two-note chime, each with its own hammer.
These notes are arranged into melodies that announce the time, and the owner can choose between two distinct chimes. One is the classic Westminster sequence, and the other is an original composition titled Blancpain, by KISS drummer Eric Singer in collaboration with Derek Sherinian.
A pusher on the case allows the wearer to switch between the two at will, while a column wheel mechanism ensures a smooth, precise feel. Speaking of the case, the watch has a 47 mm diameter, 14.5 mm thickness, and 54.6 mm lug-to-lug length.
The sound architecture demanded extreme acoustic engineering. For a minute repeater, there is some flexibility in tone and tempo, but a grande sonnerie with melodies requires pitch-perfect notes and remarkable precision.
Blancpain’s watchmakers finely tune each gong to ensure its frequency is precise, much like tuning an instrument. A silent magnetic regulator governs the tempo of the striking to ensure regular spacing of the notes.
A gold acoustic membrane is integrated into the bezel to enrich the sound. It functions as a resonating surface that carries the chimes clearly beyond the case. True to the grande sonnerie function, the watch chimes at all four quarters and on the hour.
The Grande Double Sonnerie combines its two melody grande sonnerie and petite sonnerie with a minute repeater, a flying tourbillon, and a retrograde perpetual calendar (day and month subdials and a retrograde day of the month display, replacing hour markers on that side). The flying tourbillon has long been a Blancpain signature, first introduced by the house on a wristwatch in 1989.
The Grande Double Sonnerie operates at 4 hertz and features a silicon balance spring, which offers resistance to magnetism and improved chronometric performance. The tourbillon cage receives extensive hand finishing, including mirror-polished surfaces that create a striking play of light and draw the eye to the mechanism’s motion (not that you’ll miss the tourbillon without that).
The watch’s perpetual calendar departs from the conventional approach of adding a module on a separate plate. To preserve the open architecture, the calendar has been fully integrated into the movement itself.
The retrograde date arc is on the left side of the dial, while the day, month, and leap year indications appear on two subdials to the right. Blancpain’s patented under lug correctors, usually placed in the case flanks, are built directly into the movement to accommodate the acoustic membrane while still allowing fingertip adjustments without tools. This approach maintains both technical elegance and ease of use.
Finishing and wearability complete the portrait of this timepiece. The mainplate and 26 bridges are made from 18-carat gold and decorated by hand in Blancpain’s Le Brassus workshop, where artisans apply anglage, perlage, straight graining, mirror polishing, and other traditional techniques.
The Grande Double Sonnerie is therefore presented not merely as a technical showcase but as a wearable masterpiece that unites high complication, musical innovation, and artisanal craft.
