"Chiming watches were developed to remedy this problem. By including a striking mechanism - a set of miniature gongs and some sort of acoustic membrane - these timepieces audibly indicate the time, allowing one to ascertain the hour in total darkness, or if one can't see at all."
"By 1892, Audemars Piguet in conjunction with Louis Brandt & Frère (which would later become Omega) succeeded in miniaturizing a repeating mechanism into wristwatch form, ushering in the era of the modern chiming watch; the mechanism is generally activated via a slide built into the case flank."
"However, other brands as of late have been opening the door to striking watches through the clever use of modules that fit atop commonly available, off-the-shelf Swiss movements. These, of course, aren't as complicated or as sophisticated as those developed in-house (and completely from the ground up) by brands such as Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, but they allow collectors to own chiming watches for under $10,000."
Chiming watches originated in the late 18th century to address the inability to read timepieces in darkness before electric lighting. These mechanisms use miniature gongs and acoustic membranes to audibly indicate the hour. Abraham-Louis Breguet pioneered improvements in striking mechanisms during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. By 1892, Audemars Piguet and Louis Brandt & Frère successfully miniaturized repeating mechanisms for wristwatches, launching the modern chiming watch era with activation via case-mounted slides. Today, chiming watches from established Swiss manufacturers command premium prices, typically ranging from mid-five figures to seven figures for complex models. Recently, alternative brands have democratized access to striking watches through modular designs that attach to standard Swiss movements, enabling collectors to purchase chiming watches for under $10,000.
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