July, 2006

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Part One: The Bell

The sound of a bell has a special place in life. At one time it is both soothing for the inner soul and gathering our attention. Surely we have all experienced the power of a bell, true and clean and peaceful. So it is that Credor (a branch of the SEIKO watch company) brings us their Spring Drive Sonnerie. The name Credor comes from two French words, “cret” meaning top and “d’or” meaning gold. I suppose “Crest of Gold” would be a good translation. By the way, for simplicity purposes I will refer to the Credor Spring-Drive Sonnerie as Credor Sonnerie in this article.

Let me begin by explaining what is a Sonnerie. The Sonnerie has a somewhat mythical status in the world of watches; it gathers our attention without the owner's intervention, unlike a typical repeating watch that requires the owner to actuate a button to experience the chimes. From the beginning, Sonneries have occupied the highest position amongst striking watches, and rightfully so as they are the most complicated of all striking mechanisms.

A large temple bell, struck from the left by a timber suspended by ropes...

... and an Orin bell, usually placed on the table and struck by a small mallet (bottom of frame).

Japan's love affair with the bell spans many centuries. From the temple bell to the Orin bell to the wind bell hanging from a tree, all are all highly regarded in life. Naturally, and I mean literally and figuratively, a bell is at the heart of the Credor Sonnerie.  

In the pictures above we see a Credor Sonnerie bell on the left and a typical minute repeater gong on the right. The Sonnerie bell is a true bell while the repeater gong is comprised of two circular wires attached to a foot via two screws. The sounds are quite different. The bell has a rather long, sustained note, while the gong is a bit more staccato.  

Please click here to visit the Credor Sonnerie website, where you can experience the sound for yourself. Note: for more accurate sound reproduction, you may wish to let the file download once completely and then play it again - you won't be disappointed.

Let me expand on the idea and origins of the Credor Sonnerie. The SEIKO watch company has a long history of horology dating from 1881. And so it was that in 1881, Kintaro Hattori started a humble clock repair and sales enterprise in the Ginza area of Tokyo. By the late 1900s, the operation had grown to include clock manufacturing and watch manufacturing. The seed was sown and has been nurtured by three generations of the Hattori family since, and will certainly be for many generations to come. By the way, the word SEIKO means precision.

Micro Arts Studio

In the year 2000 the Micro Arts Studio was established by SEIKO-Epson. The main mission of the Micro Arts Studio is to preserve the heritage of watchmaking for the coming generations, and for the public. What is it that sets the Micro Arts Studio apart? Well, first of all it is comprised of a small group of people, only 8 at the moment, that have been hand selected for their particular skills as related to the group. But maybe its the passion that the Micro Arts Studio brings to their work that is most important.

Yours truly with the Micro Arts Artisans: Back row, left to right; Hirose Nobuyuki, Shiohara Kenji, Ron DeCorte, Maejima Masaaki, Yoshifusa Nakazawa. Front row, left to right: Oguchi Tetsuo, Moteki Masatoshi, Nakata Katsumi, Takahashi Osamu.

It was in early 1999 that Mr. Masatoshi of the Micro Arts Artisans was in Switzerland making a presentation.  While on the train he experienced the sound of a sonnerie pocket watch worn by a gentleman nearby. Immediately upon returning to Japan the challenge of a Sonnerie was offered, and accepted, by the Micro Arts Studio. Challenge might be too light a word since very few watch companies have ever undertaken such a test. The Micro Arts Studio has certainly passed the test.

For me as a watchmaker, I've experienced countless striking watches (quarter repeaters, five minute repeaters, minute repeaters, and sonnerie), inside and out. The Credor Sonnerie is one of the finest I've ever heard. Believe me that statement was not easy to make, but I stand by my words.