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 quarter hours audibly on a gong, and then the number of hours since the hour on a second gong. For instance, at 6:15 it would strike once on a high pitched gong, then strike six times on a deeper pitched gong, at 6:30, it would strike twice on the high pitched gong, then six times on the deeper pitched gong, etc. You will always know the time at any or every fifteen minutes by just listening to the striking. These types of striking clocks are mostly found as Carriage Clocks, or 3 weight Vienna regulators. In addition it can strike the hours on demand, at the push of a button. The term is sometimes used erroneously for a mere quarter striking mechanism.