What are minute repeater watches?

Congratulations: You've just used the earliest example of what will eventually become known, about halfway through the next century, as the minute repeater According to Patek Philippe, the earliest minute repeaters were in fact used to "Discreetly check the time during tedious levees and royal councils without offending the monarch." The repeater also proved useful, before the age of luminous iPhone screens and electric lights, to those who wanted to check the time after dark Jean-Claude Biver, who currently heads up Tag Heuer, compared the craftsmanship that goes into a tourbillon and minute repeater by telling the Financial Times, "It is the difference between climbing the Matterhorn and climbing Mount Everest" Patek Philippe writes on its website that a watchmaker will spend 200 to 300 hours assembling a minute repeater alone.

The minute repeater isn't like a grandfather clock that chimes at regular intervals The minute repeater serves as a reminder that watches, even if they are sold by large, household-name brands, can still be the work of a singular individual The minute repeater is now treasured among collectors, and watches at the absolute tip of the iceberg come with their own customized sounds.

Like most things that have to do with expensive wristwatches, the minute repeater is now completely unnecessary - but it's hard to think of a more gorgeous way to find out the time during a painfully dreary meeting. . Source