Introducing New Speake Marin Minute Repeater Carillon

Established in 2002, Speake Marin is a Geneva-based independent brand that has recently introduced its first in-house Minute Repeater Carillon timepiece, “The Minute Repeater Carillon”, this watch represents a harmonious blend of the brand’s innovation and precision. For those who are not familiar with what the Carillon is, it packs three hammers rather than the traditional two.

As for the specifications, the 'Piccadilly' case, with dimensions of 42 mm in diameter and 16 mm in thickness, comprises three primary components. Its bezel is fashioned from platinum, while the side case is crafted from Grade 5 gray PVD titanium. The caseback is made out of platinum with sapphire crystal glass. Notably, the case construction is intriguing, as the choice of materials directly impacts the tone of the minute repeater chime.

The open worked dial features heart shaped blued hands, and a 60-second flying tourbillon positioned at 6 o'clock, that serves to harmonize the design of the dial movement. Upon activation by the sliders, the animation of the 12-hour markers collapsing during chiming is noteworthy. This action has no bearing on the timekeeping of the watch, as the energy is delivered by a separate spring. Thanks to this independent movement architecture, the watch can chime the time up to 3 times per minute.

The timepiece is driven by the in-house caliber SMAHH-02, a manual winding movement developed and assembled at the brand's workshop, Le Cercle des Horlogers, located near La Chaux-de-Fonds. The caliber operates at 21,600 vph (3Hz) and offers 72 hours of power reserve. Crafting this caliber involves a month's worth of effort to assemble, decorate, and precisely set its 536 components. Setting the timekeeping of the watch is a crucial aspect, but there's more to it. In a minute repeater, adjusting the chiming rhythm is equally important. At Speake Marin, the rhythm is set at 18 seconds for 12:59, achieving an ideal resonance for the complication in a dynamic manner.

This component regulates the rhythm of the minute repeater by adjusting the extension of the arms, ranging from tight for low resistance (resulting in faster chiming) to high extension for higher resistance (leading to slower chiming). The three hammers are linked to a block to transmit the vibrations produced by them into chimes. The Minute Repeater Carillon complication indicates the time using three hammers: one for the hours, all three simultaneously for the quarters, and one for the minutes.

The watch comes with a choice of a leather strap, available with either a folding or pin buckle according to personal preference. Priced at CHF 360,000 which is equivalent to AED 1,500,000.

For more information please visit Speake Marin’s official website.