The way you stop the power from releasing too quickly is by using a governor called a regulator. When you press the slide, you arm the barrel causing the spring to contract and when you release it, the power of it uncoiling sets the repeater into motion. How does the repeater function get its power? Well each repeater has a second spring barrel. When you press the slide and activate the repeater, mechanical feelers read the time off these cams and cause the hammers to trip a certain number of times against the appropriate gongs. What translates time to music are a set of cams fixed to the center pinion, which turn all the time with the hands. You see, IWC had always been a brand that created smart, functionally innovative, industrialized but high quality timepieces. The IWC minute repeater had its genesis in another legendary timepiece from 1990, the brand’s first grand complication. Strap it on and it is the perfect model of discrete elegance the only tell tale sign of its incredible complexity the slide on the side of the case that unleashes its sonic abilities.īut what’s important to know is that from a historical perspective the IWC Portuguese minute repeater is one the most important watches ever made. Since its introduction back in 1995 the IWC Portuguese minute repeater has established a reputation as one of the world’s most handsome, most innovative and incredibly enough most affordable minute repeaters. And on the pre-owned market it will run you under 50 grand. There is however one exception to this and it happens to also be one of the most functionally innovative and damnably good-looking watches in the world, The IWC Minute Repeater. Sounds cool right? The only draw back as that the average minute repeater is going to set you back the better part of a quarter million dollars. Dong (for the hour) Ding Dong, Ding Dong for two quarters or 30 mins, and finally ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding for eight minutes. Quarters are played with a high low combination of both gongs and the minutes - specifically the up to fourteen minutes before the next quarter - are played on the high gong. The two gongs are tuned differently the first playing a lower note and the other a higher.
![minute repeater watch minute repeater watch](https://www.thewatchpages.com/app/uploads/2020/02/h-moser-cie-endeavour-concept-minute-repeater-tourbillon-1903-0200.jpg)
So how do they work? By pressing the slide on the side of the case you cause two tiny hammers to strike the time on two equally tiny gongs that circle the perimeter of the movement. It’s a lot less effort to reach over and activate your repeater rather than go through the pedestrian rigmarole of stumbling in the dark to light a candle to check our watch right? Imagine your laying under your goose down duvet and you want to know what time it is so that you can eject that fetching ambidextrous scullery maid next to you before your wife returns from the opera.
![minute repeater watch minute repeater watch](https://i1.wp.com/www.ablogtowatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Vacheron-Constantin-Traditionnelle-Minute-Repeater-Tourbillon-aBlogtoWatch-6500t-000p-9949-v-tr-4.jpg)
Again like the most complications it was created to meet the demands of the aristocracy hundreds of years ago. Touch a button and suddenly your apparently simple watch ignites in sonic pyrotechnics chiming the time in a sequence of hours, quarters (of the hour) and minutes. Minute Repeaters Are Watches That Play The Time On Demand What’s a minute repeater? Only the single most complicated watch ever created. No you sir, are a man destined to own a minute repeater. Maybe a tourbillon but the problem is too many of them are just plain showy with their arriviste spinning cages on – gasp – the front of the dial.
![minute repeater watch minute repeater watch](https://www.gemnation.com/images/watches/Lumi/A.0201.BO_ZM.jpg)
Too busy, too many buttons altogether to pragmatic for your gentlemanly tastes. What watch do you have on your wrist? Not a chronograph. The signet ring on your pinky bears a heraldic crest that goes back 400 years to when your forebears were engaging in the practice of Prima Nocta, or as they called in your ancestral homeland in France, Droit du Seigneur. You are as Mick Jaeger described “A man of wealth and taste.” You are a pinstriped, double breasted waist coated, collar pinned, unlined seven fold tied, and benchmade goodyear lasted panjandrum of learned refinement. You always smell like angels have anointed your scalp with frankincense and your touseled leonine mane actually looks better after a spirited drive in a convertible or when you lift your polo helmet after the last chukka. And they in return along with small dogs and babies, hell pretty much everyone, swoon at your mere appearance. You hold the door open for any lady in the vicinity. Say you’re the epitome of gentlemanly elegance.