Purpose is to provide the wearer with time-telling capabilities without the need to visually check the watch. It is particularly useful in the night when light was limited, allowing the wearer to discretely know the exact time by listening to the distinct chimes produced by the watch. This idea possibly follows practice by the ancient Chinese in China, where the night guard will sound the gong with each hour and quarter

Over time, minute repeaters became symbols of craftsmanship and luxury in watchmaking, often requiring intricate mechanisms with multiple gongs and hammers to produce the desired sounds. Today, minute repeaters remain highly sought after by watch collectors for their technical sophistication and historical significance in the world of horology.

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三问表于 17 世纪问世，由怀表演变而来。

三问报时表是一款高端机械复杂功能腕表，启动后可报出小时数、刻钟数和分钟数.

目的是为佩戴者提供计时功能，而无需目视检查手表。它在光线有限的夜晚特别有用，让佩戴者通过聆听手表发出的独特铃声来离散地知道准确的时间。这个想法可能遵循中国古代人的做法，夜班守卫会在每个小时和每刻钟敲锣

随着时间的推移，三问表成为制表工艺和奢华的象征，通常需要带有多个音簧和音锤的复杂机械装置才能发出所需的声音。如今，三问报时装置因其先进的技术和在钟表界的历史意义，仍然深受手表收藏家的追捧。