Patent ID: 8599651

Claim:
A timepiece comprising at least a main striking mechanism controlled by a main strike control mechanism releasing strikes, either at times programmed by a movement, or on demand, and a mechanism releasing a secondary striking mechanism for controlling the operation, at a specific release time, of at least one secondary strike control mechanism, said specific time resulting from programming or reception of a signal, and said release mechanism including a coupling mechanism which allows the exclusive operation, at a given time, either of a single said secondary strike control mechanism by coupling at least a part of said main striking mechanism to play a secondary strike, or only the main strike control mechanism by coupling said main strike control mechanism to play a main strike, and which at said specific time, prevents a main striking mechanism from playing by uncoupling said main strike control mechanism, wherein said secondary strike release mechanism includes a mode selecting means for selecting, in said timepiece, either a secondary strike mode, or a main strike mode, said mode selecting means winding, when said secondary strike mode is selected, said coupling mechanism to uncouple said main striking mechanism and to couple said secondary striking mechanism controlled by said secondary strike control mechanism, to actuate the secondary strike via a striking mechanism unit comprised in said main striking mechanism, said coupling mechanism uncoupling, when said main striking mode is selected, said secondary striking mechanism using the main striking mechanism, so that, either the secondary strike is not played, or the secondary strike is played by a mechanism other than the main striking mechanism.