A repeater is a complex watch complication that, upon activation by an engineer through the pushing of a lever or button on the case of the watch, audibly declares the time. The various kinds of repeaters include the minute repeaters-a repeater that announces the hours, quarters, and minutes-and tourbillon repeater, which include some extra mechanical feature. The repeater mechanism is a complication of a series of gongs and hammers inside the movement that produce different tones corresponding to the current time.
This complication, far from being a mere functional necessity, since it served to tell the time by ear, above all in the dark, shows the refined skills and technical know-how of the watchmaker. Repeaters are prized for their beauty, complication, and singular sound experience.
