The striking mechanism (1) for a watch or a music box includes a gong (11) fixed to a gong-carrier (12) and an activation member (2) for activating the gong in a striking mode. The striking mechanism includes a first magnetic element (13) arranged on the gong (11) and second magnetic elements (4) arranged on the periphery of the activation member (2), which is a magnetic wheel. In a striking mode, the magnetic wheel is set in rotation at a determined velocity so that the second magnetic elements (4), in the form of moving micro-magnets, move in succession and repeatedly into proximity with and opposite the first magnetic element (13), which is a fixed micro-magnet of opposite magnetic polarity. The rotation of the magnetic wheel sets the gong vibrating via a periodic variation in the magnetic repulsion or attraction force between the moving micro-magnets and the fixed micro-magnet of the gong.