Repeater (horology)

A repeater is a complication in a mechanical watch or clock that chimes the hours and often minutes at the press of a button.

They originated before widespread artificial illumination, to allow the time to be determined in the dark,[1] and were also used by the visually impaired.

The repeating clock was invented by the English cleric and inventor, the Reverend Edward Barlow in 1676.

The best kind of repeating clocks were expensive to make; a separate train of wheels had to be added to the striking mechanism, and to activate it one pulled a cord whereupon it would strike the hours and quarters, or even the hours and five-minute divisions (five minutes repeating).

Due to cheap imports from France, Germany and America English clockmaking went into decline and with the advent of gas lighting repeating clocks became an unnecessary luxury.

Both Edward Barlow and Daniel Quare claimed the invention of the repeating watch, just before 1700.

So repeating watches were expensive luxuries and status symbols; as such they survived the introduction of artificial illumination and a few are still made today.

These had two hammers for hours and quarters, striking blocks within the case which made a dull sounding thud which could be felt in the hand.

Generally, repeating watches strike the hours and quarters, although the best London made eighteenth century repeating mechanisms (motions) were made using the Stockten system, named after the original inventor Matthew Stockten (known also as Stockton, Stockdon or Stogden) who worked for the famous makers Daniel Quare and George Graham.

Breguet, the minute repeating mechanism became much more common but still to be found only in the best watches as it was expensive to make.

Tiny hammers actuated by the repeater mechanism strike them to make the chiming sounds.

The owner of a repeater watch can ask a watchmaker to change the pace, making it faster or slower.

According to the book "Etablissage et Repassage des Montres à Répétition" by John Huguenin (page 39 of the original edition), "a minute repeater with an average speed takes about twenty seconds to strike 12 hours, three quarters and fourteen minutes".

In addition they can strike the quarters and hours on demand, by activating a repeating mechanism at the push of a button, or the pull of a string.

[8] Used by the visually impaired and to tell the time quietly in meetings and concerts, 'dumb' repeater watches did not chime audibly, but instead produced vibrations.

Instead of a gong, the hammer struck the hours on a solid metal block attached to the case, producing a dull 'thud' that could be felt in the hand.