WATCHMAKING & CULTURE
A KISS drummer, two melodies and a mechanism built to perform. Blancpain’s Grande Double Sonnerie brings music to the wrist, making the choice of soundtrack part of the pleasure of owning a complicated watch.
Two melodies. One pusher.
The wearer can switch between Westminster chimes and a composition by Eric Singer, developed with keyboardist Derek Sherinian. Four hammers produce the notes. Blancpain describes the two selectable melodies as a wristwatch first.
It is an unusually direct way to enjoy an elaborate mechanism. Press, listen, choose. You can appreciate the idea without first learning how every component works. For a collector, that immediate connection is part of the attraction.
The KISS connection
Singer brings a collector’s perspective to the collaboration. Blancpain’s profile of the musician describes a substantial collection of its watches and a friendship with Marc A. Hayek built around a shared enthusiasm for music and watchmaking.
That background gives the project a personal dimension. Singer’s contribution becomes something the owner can return to each time the watch chimes. It is a collaboration experienced through sound, with a musician helping shape the character of the watch itself.
A performance on the wrist
The grande sonnerie sounds the passing hours and quarters automatically; the minute repeater sounds the time on demand. A gold acoustic membrane helps carry the chime beyond the movement.
In the red-gold version pictured here, the openworked face gives the mechanics their own visual presence. The dark hour track frames an intricate arrangement of bridges and displays. There is plenty to examine before the first note sounds.
Inside the Grande Double Sonnerie
| Movement | Manual-winding calibre 15GSQ; 1,053 components |
|---|---|
| Complications | Grande and petite sonnerie, minute repeater, flying tourbillon, retrograde perpetual calendar |
| Case | Red or white gold; 47 mm × 14.5 mm |
| Power reserves | 96 hours for timekeeping; 12 hours in grande sonnerie mode |
| Production | Two watches per year |
Why it holds our attention
For Superwatchman, the appeal is the relationship between engineering and enjoyment. A favourite melody can make a watch feel personal in a way that specifications alone cannot explain. The mechanical ambition earns attention; the desire to hear it play again is what could make that attention last.
Hear both melodies on Blancpain’s official page.
Based on Blancpain’s original announcement, dated 24 November 2025, technical press dossier and Eric Singer profile. Images courtesy of Blancpain.
