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What's the big deal? And how does it work? ”
- In the noted horology book "Britten's Old Clocks and Watches", G.H. Baillie defines a Grand Sonnerie movement as follows:
- "A form of quarter-striking in which the hour last struck is also repeated at each hour."
- It works like this, striking the quarter-hour on one gong and the hour on a second, slightly lower-toned gong:
- At 3:15 the clock strikes once on the higher chime to indicate the quarter hour, followed by three strikes on the lower chime to indicate the hour.
- At 3:30 the clock stikes two times on the higher chime (half-hour), followed by three chimes on the lower gong (hour) ...etc.
- This way, if you are within hearing distance of the clock, day or night, you can tell exactly what time it is at each quarter hour.
Petite Sonnerie
- A "petite sonnerie" movement generally strikes once on each quarter (once on the quarter, twice on the half, three times on the three-quarter and four on the hour) and then strikes the hour. Some variations may strike only once on each quarter. They, technically, are called a "quarter-striker", not a petite sonnerie.
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