That feature (complication in mechanical watch parlance) is older than digital watches. Some of the fanciest mechanical watches in the world will play a chime o

That feature (complication in mechanical watch parlance) is older than digital watches. Some of the fanciest mechanical watches in the world will play a chime on the hour/quarter/minute. It’s called a repeater complication. They were useful for the visually impaired or when the time was needed before artificial lighting was readily available.