Breguet Tradition Black Skeleton Dial 18kt White Gold Black Leather Men's Watch 7027BBG99V6

WORLDTEMPUS - 21 February 2013
If anyone counted the number of complicated men's watches by specialty unveiled at the 2013 SIHH, he or she would discover that, again, the tourbillon, alone or accompanied by other complications, was king among the majority of the 16 exhibiting brands, closely followed by the ever-popular chronograph. Nevertheless, and although Abraham-Louis Breguet's invention continues to fascinate, it may well be that it is becoming a victim of its own success. The increasing dominance of new and powerful emerging markets along with the buying power of their discerning high-net-worth individuals are increasingly demanding other and more exclusive complications: the minute repeater seems to be the next logical step.
Five of the 16 exhibiting brands - A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Piaget, Parmigiani and Roger Dubuis - seem to agree. A. Lange & Söhne and Piaget presented their first ever wristwatches with the rare capability of announcing the time sonorously by the striking of hammers on metal gongs. Lange and Audemars Piguet even went further into complexity by introducing grand complications, a designation traditionally attributed to timepieces including a tourbillon, a perpetual calendar and a rattrapante chronograph. Particularly the historical maker from Glashutte was on a quest to prove that it is capable of honoring its outstanding history and decided to add additional features to a complication that was generally accepted as the highlight of the 2013 SIHH. All in all, due to their overall importance and mechanical relevance, these six timepieces - along with whatever surprises Baselworld will reveal in April - may well confirm 2013 as the year of the minute repeater.

A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Grand Complication
The piece that everyone was talking about, but that very few saw in the metal, was even more impressive than the giant model that served as a talking piece at the entrance to Lange's booth at the SIHH. Out of the seven functions included in this rare timepiece inspired by the outstanding Reference 42500 pocket watch from 1902, three were acoustic time indications. The minute repeater function on this particular piece is accompanied by a grand sonnerie, a petite sonnerie and a large or small strike with an additional slide button for silence or strike mode. Another very rare feature that is practically unheard-of on this particular kind of extremely complicated wristwatch is the foudroyante display, which divides every second counted by the mono pusher chronograph into 5 parts. On the 1815 Grande Complication, the foudroyante second hand shares a space with the magnificent moon phase indication in what remains one of the most striking visual aspects of this historically significant piece.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication
Following the Grande Complication introduced among the 40th anniversary collection of the Royal Oak during the 2012 SIAR in Mexico, the maker from Le Brassus decided that the 2013 SIHH was the right place to present the Offshore version of this technological marvel. Housed inside a massive 44 mm pink gold or titanium case, Caliber 2885 requires the full extent of its 648 parts to coordinate the inner workings of perpetual calendar, rattrapante chronograph and minute repeater. This is a set of complications for which Audemars Piguet is well known for and to prove it the brand had a probably unique and rare collection of 12 pocket watches and 4 wristwatches from 1882 to 2012 on display.

Audemars Piguet Tradition Tourbillon Minute Repeater Chronograph
Like it or not, the Tradition line is, along with the Jules Audemars collection, the ambassador of classicism within Audemars Piguet's offerings. This year, a case inspired by a 1920s cushion-shaped pocket watch belonging to its private museum protects the 504-part Caliber 2874 boosting a tourbillon, a chronograph and, of course, a minute repeater striking on two gongs. The result is the Tradition Tourbillon Minute Repeater Chronograph, produced in two ten-piece limited editions: one in pink and white gold and the other in titanium and white gold.
Parmigiani Toric Quaestor Labyrinthe
Pamigiani Fleurier explained that under the subtle shades of jade green, the Toric Quaestor Labyrinthe contains a minute repeater that uses several special design features to produce an exceptionally pure melody. Additional fixing points within the integrated movement assure greater stability, and a small piece located just below the chime that links the pawl of the chime to the case ensures that it is perfectly secured, allowing the sound to reverberate without any interference from the vibrations. On the other hand, the unusual presence of a flywheel ensures a constant supply of energy to the spring and allows the minute repeater to operate without any mechanical humming. Finally, the generously sized platinum case is designed to provide acoustics that allow the sound waves to oscillate at the best frequencies.

Piaget Emperador Coussin XL Minute Repeater
In a certain way, Calibre 1290P is the next natural evolutionary step from the innovative design of 2011's ultra-thin tourbillon Caliber 1270P used in the Emperador Coussin XL. The first in-house minute repeater in the history of Piaget also sets a double record for slenderness in its category: 4.8 mm for its caliber, and 9.4 mm for its case, despite its 407 parts. Pushing the limits of ultra-thin horology led to certain construction choices, such as the decision to display the hammers on the bridge side or to reverse the repeater slide device, which is pushed downward rather than upward. According to Piaget, the technical feats stemming from a double record for the thinness of its movement and case in no way overshadow the essential quality of the watch: its fabulous acoustics.

Roger Dubuis Hommage Minute Repeater
Finally, Roger Dubuis released a beautiful minute repeater that was somewhat overshadowed by the unveiling of the brand's spectacular Quatuor multi-balance timepiece. Part of the Hommage collection intended to reflect the admiration of the brand for founder Roger Dubuis, the model combines sublimely elegant mechanisms. Caliber RD808, an automatic mechanical movement with a double micro rotor in platinum, incorporates a minute repeater with a centrifugal sound diffuser. Produced in a limited series of eight pieces, the 45 mm pink gold case combines with an openworked dial that reveals the movement and the beauty of its flying tourbillon positioned at 5:30.