Patent ID: 8873347

Claim:
A timepiece, comprising: at least one movement; at least one main striking mechanism controlled by a main strike control mechanism, arranged to release strikes, either at times programmed by said movement, or on demand, and wherein a sequence of each strike is determined by an information gathered by feeler spindles on snails or time references driven by said movement; a secondary strike release mechanism to operate at least one secondary strike control mechanism at a specific time and including a coupling mechanism arranged to allow an exclusive operation, at a given time, of either a single one of said secondary strike control mechanism, or only the main strike control mechanism; and a mode selecting mechanism to exclusively select, either a secondary strike mode by winding said coupling mechanism to uncouple the main striking mechanism and couple a secondary striking mechanism, or a main strike mode by activating said main strike control mechanism and letting down said coupling mechanism to uncouple said secondary striking mechanism using said main striking mechanism to play a secondary strike by a mechanism other than said main striking mechanism, and wherein said coupling mechanism actuates a control rod linkage of an isolating mechanism arranged to isolate various different release mechanisms for different strikes using the main striking mechanism to play said strikes, said isolating mechanism includes at least a first isolator which, in a first winding position, takes a stop position preventing said feeler spindles from gathering information from said snails, and, in a second let down position, allows said feeler spindles to pass to come into contact with said snails.