In a world of assembly lines and financial investments, Blancpain anchors itself in the realm of passion. In the high-walled sanctuaries of Swiss watchmaking, there is a recurring temptation to turn horology into a game of statistics – a race to see who can cram the most complications into a single case or shave another tenth of a millimetre off a movement. But for Marc A. Hayek, President and CEO of Blancpain, the “arms race” of technical records is a hollow pursuit if it lacks a pulse.

Under Hayek’s stewardship, Blancpain has carved out a philosophy that prioritizes the visceral over the mathematical. The brand’s latest masterpiece, the Grande Double Sonnerie Ref. 15GSQ, serves as more than just a flagship complication; it is a manifest of the values Hayek has instilled in the manufacture: a rejection of industrial shortcuts, a focus on internal mastery, and a belief that a watch must, above all, trigger an emotional response.

The Rejection of the “Complication Race”

The modern history of the “Grand Complication” is often defined by the number of functions listed on a spec sheet. Hayek, however, is vocal about his disdain for this approach. To him, the quality of a single, perfectly executed complication far outweighs an arsenal of functions.

“I didn’t want to just add complications for the sake of a race. We’ve seen that for years,” Hayek explains, referring to the super complications of the recent past, and by extension one prominent example that debuted for an anniversary last year too. “I have seven, I have 12… and what is the sense? I didn’t want to join the race of having 28 (or whatever number) different complications because then you get a watch that is (not really a wristwatch).”

His philosophy is evident in the construction of the Grande Double Sonnerie Ref. 15GSQ. While many competitors might aim for 20 or 30 complications, Hayek focused on the Grande Sonnerie, which he calls the “queen” of watchmaking complications. He might have selected the majestic terminology because the grand sonnerie is more complicated than any other complication. By focusing on the purity of sound and the complexity of two selectable melodies, Hayek believes Blancpain achieves a higher level of difficulty than those who simply stack known modules.

“Adding functionalities that have never been done before is actually more complicated.” 

To be clear, the grand and petite sonnerie is the most complex kind of mechanical timepiece anyone could make. This is merely a fact, and it has been confirmed by multiple watchmakers, from Philippe Dufour to Anthony de Haas, and all the relevant watchmakers at Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet – famous makers of sonneries – will no doubt also agree. 

“The Grande Double Sonnerie is the most complicated watch to produce, even if it isn’t the watch with the “most” complications,” Hayek asserts. Of course, it helps Hayek’s case here that no watchmaker has ever created a double grand sonnerie, although many have reportedly tried. On that note, 2025 happened to be Blancpain’s 290^th anniversary, and although Ref. 15GSQ was not an anniversary watch, per se as noted below, it had a lot to live up to.

From External Modules to Internal Mastery

The shadow of the 1735 Grand Complication looms large over Blancpain’s history. Released in 1991, it was a landmark of its era. Yet, for Hayek, the 1735 represented a different time in the industry – one where external collaboration was the norm. The development of the 1735 was led by Dominique Loiseau, meaning it was not a 100% internal creation. 

Hayek’s vision for the modern manufacture is one of total autonomy. Ref. 15GSQ is the result of an eight-year, 100% in-house project. This move towards internal mastery is not about ego; it is about the “fun part” of being at the base of every idea. 

“This new piece is our first 100% internal creation. Today, most of the time, Grande Sonnerie complications in particular are done in partnership with independent watchmakers. I’m happy about that because some of my friends are independents – like [Robert] Greubel, for example – and I appreciate exchanging ideas with them. Some of our team members even worked at independent brands before Blancpain. But there is a specific joy in being at the base of everything – starting with the creation and the idea within your own team. It wasn’t just one person; it was the whole team.”

This internal focus allowed Hayek to ignore the artificial constraints of anniversaries. While the watch happened to launch during the brand’s 290th year, Hayek admits it was a coincidence. He refused to set a hard deadline that would force concessions. Instead, he is looking toward the 300th anniversary for the next major leap, emphasizing that true innovation cannot be rushed by a calendar.

“We are actually working on a very special piece for the 300th anniversary, because for me, that is the “round” anniversary. We’ve already started on that one!” said Hayek, although he refused to disclose more details. “It’s a watch and it will be complicated! We are at the beginning, and it’s very complex and new. We still need some surprises, otherwise, you wouldn’t come back to visit me in 10 years!” This is fair enough given that 2035 is quite some years away, but hold fast to this statement and remember that the future watch will have been in development for more than 10 years. In a way, this is representative of Blancpain’s watchmaking raison d’être – a steadfast belief in the way of the old school.

The Single Watchmaker: A Non-Industrial Soul

Perhaps the most telling of Blancpain’s values is the refusal to industrialize the assembly of its high complications. In a world of assembly lines, each Grande Double Sonnerie is built from start to finish by a single watchmaker – specifically, two senior watchmakers named Romain and Yoann. 

This is not just for marketing “exclusivity.” It is a technical necessity born from the extreme level of hand-adaptation required. Because the movement is so complex and the bridges are crafted from gold – a material far more delicate than brass or German silver – the watchmaker must make constant, microscopic adjustments that a colleague could not easily pick up midway. 

Hayek values this personal responsibility: “(The responsible watchmaker’s) colleague doesn’t know which adaptations he did. It is so “non-industrial” that you cannot just hand it over to someone else. And, of course, it gives the watchmaker total responsibility. You can’t blame the person who worked on it before you!”

Emotion as the Final Metric

Hayek’s personal interests, from diving to jazz, often bleed into his creative direction. His passion for mechanics is not dry; it is exuberant. He likens the appreciation of a Sonnerie to the tasting of a fine wine: it is about clarity, resonance, and persistence, not just volume. 

This emotional driver led to the collaboration with Eric Singer of KISS. While a traditionalist might find a rock-and-roll melody in a Grand Complication jarring, Hayek saw it as an opportunity for “fun” and “emotion.” He wanted a watch that “would make you smile as it sounds the time,” and he proposed a fun collaboration with Singer: compose a Blancpain tune for Ref.15GSQ.

“When the Blancpain team shared with me the technical specifications of the watch, I didn’t understand a single word of what was in there,” Singer jokes. “What really turned out to be a challenge was realizing there were only four notes available… Turning that constraint into music was the real puzzle.”

Collaborating with keyboardist Derek Sherinian, Singer transformed the four notes (E, G, F, and B) into the unique musical signature now labelled simply as “Blancpain” on the movement’s selector. The transition between these two melodies is managed by a column wheel mechanism, ensuring a smooth, tactile feel for the owner.

The focus on the user’s happiness extends to wearability. Hayek is adamant that Blancpain’s complications should not be “safe queens.” Despite its 1,116 components, the Grande Double Sonnerie is designed to be worn comfortably, featuring under-lug correctors (for the perpetual calendar, which is actually its own sort of highlight but is included here because the manufacture had the space – and Hayek likes a date function best of all), and a sapphire-protected architecture that invites the owner to use the watch in daily life.

Exclusivity Without Shortcuts

To Hayek, the value of a Blancpain isn’t in its rarity for rarity’s sake. It is rare because the human hands required to build it are a finite resource. “It’s not rare because we keep it rare,” he says. “If you want to produce more than one or two per year, you cannot just quickly add more people… It needs years to bring them to this level.” 

By rejecting the “exclusivity” marketed by other industries as a financial investment, Hayek anchors Blancpain in the realm of passion. “If you buy a watch, it should be the emotion you have to fall in love with.” 

As Blancpain nears its third century, Hayek remains the pilot, steering the brand away from the cold metrics of the era and towards a future where a watch is defined by the moment it gives its wearer – a moment of happiness. In the case of Ref. 15GSQ, this is literally triggered by the strike of a hammer against a gong.

Editor’s note: This story was written using quotes from a group interview between the Thai press and Hayek at the manufacture last year

Words Ashok Soman Interview Ruckdee Chotjinda

This story was first seen as part of the WOW #84 Vision 2026 issue.

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