Chime time

A minute repeater watch strikes every hour, quarter and minute when activated by a slide on the case band. It's equipped with a chime that produces tones to indicate the time. Different sounds signal each hour, quarter hour and minute.

You can spot a minute repeater watch by the slim pusher or trigger on the left side of the case, usually located between the nine and 11 o'clock positions.

The first patent for a repeater timepiece was granted to English watchmaker Daniel Quare in 1687. Earlier models were less sophisticated, offering quarter-hour or five-minute repeaters in pocket watches. In 1783, Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the gong spring - a strip of metal coiled round the movement - which contributed to the development of the minute repeater with improved sound quality and a more compact case.

In 1988, Blancpain launched the smallest minute repeater at the time, with a slim movement of only 3.3mm. Few brands make minute repeater watches for women, because the mechanisms are usually housed in bulkier cases. In 1998, Audemars Piguet made headlines when it launched the ladies' minute repeater Carillon after 10 years of research and development: It was the first movement of its kind (with three gongs and three hammers) in a woman's watch.

The complicated mechanism and intricate workings of minute repeaters mean that only a handful of watchmakers are capable of making them. Since minute repeaters are no longer a necessity but a showcase of technical know-how, those who make them vie for the best sound quality and the smallest cases, says Noel Wong Ying-fei, deputy director of Sotheby's watches department. It's difficult to achieve the precise positioning of the hammer and the gong. and it takes many hours to make a minute repeater, which contributes to their hefty price and explains the limited quantities. Sky-high prices also mean that minute repeaters remain exclusive to a few collectors. The discreet appearance of most minute repeater watches means that only those in the know can appreciate their beauty.

'In Hong Kong, people go for readily recognisable complications and brands that are good for showing off,' says a watch expert who prefers not to be named. Catering for this preference, brands such as Breguet and Girard-Perregaux have combined their minute repeaters with other complications such as the perpetual calendar and tourbillon. Prices can start anywhere from $500,000 to several million.

Before splurging on a minute repeater watch, compare sounds of different models and brands to find one you like. After the minute repeater function is activated, wait for at least 15 seconds before striking the slide again. Continuous striking of the minute repeater may wear out the delicate mechanism.

Avoid adjusting the time in an anti-clockwise direction, because this may interfere with the repeating mechanism. As with all complicated watches, minute repeaters are delicate timepieces not meant for sports.

Shopping list

IWC

Shop G29, G/F Prince's Building, Central; tel: 2525 5323.

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Shop 321, Level 3, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, tel: 2918 4388.

Named after its founder, Antoine LeCoultre, its minute repeater is the first of its kind equipped with a 15-day power reserve. Its sound quality is hailed as second to none by watch experts.

Vacheron Constantin

Shop OT287, Level 2, Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui; tel: 2735 8481.

The skeleton minute repeater from the Les Cabinotiers collection boosts the slimmest movement - barely 3.3mm thick - of its kind in the world.