Have you ever heard the term Sonnerie Au Passage?
Sonnerie Au Passage is a French term used to describe a complication in the watchmaking world. In Turkish, it translates to "ringing during passage." Its pronunciation is Soneri o pasaj.
Mechanical watches that play sounds are a favorite among mechanical watch enthusiasts. While they may be out of reach, the Minute Repeater complication is a prime example. However, while the Sonnerie Au Passage is a high-end complication, it's also accessible and can be found in more affordable watches than the Minute Repeater.
The Sonnerie Au Passage is an additional function added to a movement. The main purpose of this complication is to emit a chime every hour. You might not be surprised to see this in watches like the G-Shock, as it's a digital structure. However, if we consider a structure composed of tiny components, the chime can be interpreted as a beautiful example of microengineering.
Watches with the Sonnerie Au Passage complication usually have a button. This button is used to activate or deactivate this feature. The chime is a small, single-note sound that is not very loud. Christopher Ward, a popular micro-brand in recent times, has used this feature in its Bel Canto model watch. GPH extension(Grand Prix D' Horlogerie de Geneve) award was given to this complication, bringing it back to light. Besides CW, you can also find watches with this complication in the MeisterSinger brand. You can watch how it works via the link below. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ejYODlcsGJY
I'll end this article with a beautiful quote from Mike France, co-founder and CEO of Christopher Ward:
Humankind has yet to produce a more precise and well-designed piece of micro-engineering than a wristwatch.
