The present invention relates to the field of watchmaking and more particularly to so-called mystery watches.
So-called mystery watches are “transparent” watches in which the movement is either concealed in the frame of the watchcase or held between several transparent sapphires, often overlaid with a non-reflecting and/or metallized coating, so as to give it the appearance of floating in the case middle. The absence of visible movement and the floating hands impart to these watches a magical aspect.
Clocks or pendulum clocks in whose base the movement is generally located have been known since the 19th century. In another type of construction, so-called mystery watches have transparent crystal or sapphire discs on which the hands are attached. The rim of the discs is provided with teeth that enable the discs and thus the hands to be driven in rotation by means of pinions concealed in the frame of the watchcase. An example of such a device is described in patent CH639812.
Document EP0673519 discloses a transparent watch provided with a seconds' hand, a minutes' hand and an hours' hand, whose movement is distributed by means of transparent discs driven by one or several motors confined in the case middle of the watch. A transparent toothed wheel drives the hollow shaft of each hand, wherein the drive unit (common or specific to each hand) is mounted invisibly in the ring of the case.
Document GB2351163 describes a watch comprising transparent discs on which the hands are inscribed. The rim of the discs is provided with teeth that enable the discs and thus the hands to be driven in rotation by means of pinions placed in the frame of the watchcase. The pinions are themselves driven by a drive mechanism placed in the case bottom of the watch.
In the solutions presented hereabove, the discs are mounted on shafts placed in the middle of the watch's dial. On the other hand, the arrangement of the discs and of the drive mechanism does allows the time to be read on one face of the watch only. In the case where the drive mechanism is placed in the frame of the watchcase, the latter is often very thick.
One aim of the present invention is to propose a mystery watch free from the limitation of the known prior art.
According to the invention, this aim is achieved notably by means of a watch having: a watchcase comprising a case middle forming a transparent central region, a first display placed on the side of a first face and a second display placed on the side of a second face opposite the first face; at least two transparent indicator plates placed in a pivoting fashion and superimposed in the central region, wherein at least each indicator plate comprises at least one indicator; a drive unit, housed completely in the case middle and driving each indicator plate in rotation at its periphery; holding means, housed completely in the watch's case middle and capable of holding each indicator plate at its periphery in a position roughly perpendicular to its rotation axis; such that the drive unit and the holding means are outside the central region and that said at least one indicator of each of the indicator plates is visible on the first face so as to form the first display, and visible on the second face so as to form the second display.
In another embodiment, each indicator plate can be held at its periphery by means of rollers comprised in the case middle.
In another embodiment, each indicator plate can have the shape of a disc comprising a peripheral toothing; wherein the toothing meshes with the drive unit so as to drive the indicator plate.
In yet another embodiment, the toothing can be formed integrally with each indicator plate.
In yet another embodiment, the indicator plate can comprise an optically variable element.
In yet another embodiment, said at least two transparent indicator plates can comprise an hours' indicator plate and a minutes' indicator plate.
In yet another embodiment, said at least two transparent indicator plates can furthermore comprise an indicator plate for displaying the seconds and/or an indicator plate for displaying the dates and/or an indicator plate for displaying the power reserve.
In yet another embodiment, the first display and the second display can comprise markings.
In yet another embodiment, the markings can be comprised on an element of the first and/or of the second display, wherein the element is close to the periphery of the central region.
In yet another embodiment, the indicators can be executed with the plate in a same injection mold; or yet again, the indicators can be executed by over-molding during the plastic injection of the plate, making it possible to manufacture the plate and the indicator of different materials.
In yet another embodiment, the watch can further have a bracelet and two fastening elements for attaching the bracelet onto the case middle so that the watch can be worn on a wrist; wherein each of the fastening elements comprises, at one extremity, first affixing means for attaching the fastening element in a pivoting fashion onto the case middle and, at the other extremity, second affixing means for attaching the bracelet in a pivoting fashion onto the fastening element; such that the case middle and the bracelet adjust to the wrist when the watch is worn.
In yet another embodiment, the drive unit can include a stepping motor of the Lavet type; wherein the motor can comprise a stator having roughly the shape of an arc of circle and a rotor comprised at one extremity of the stator, in the extension of the arc formed by the stator.
One advantage of the proposed mystery watch relative to the prior art is that it is reversible, i.e. it allows the display on the two faces to be read. Another advantage of the watch is that it makes it possible to create a visual interest that differs depending on the face of the watch that is viewed. The configuration of the watch also enables a greater transparent surface than that of known mystery watches.
Examples of embodiments of the invention are indicated in the description illustrated by the attached figures in which:
In one embodiment, the watch 1 comprises at least two transparent indicator plates 5 mounted in pivoting fashion and superimposed in the central region 15 of the watch 1. Each of the indicator plates 5 can comprise at least one indicator 7. In the example of
In
In another variant embodiment, the indicator plates 5 have a roughly identical shape in order to simplify the manufacturing process as well as the assembly process of the watch 1.
In one embodiment, the indicator plates 5 are held at their periphery by holding means 10, housed completely in the case middle 2 of the watch 1 outside the central region 15. The holding means 10 enable the indicator plates 5 to be held in a position roughly perpendicular to their axis of rotation, without any other holding means. In the example of
In the configuration of the watch 1 such as described here, the central region 15 is completely transparent, in other words: free from any visual obstruction of another element of the watch 1 with the exception of the indicator plates 5. Indeed, since the drive unit 6 and the holding means 10 are comprised in the case middle 2, the central region 15 comprises no staff for holding the indicator plates 5, nor movement as is usual in conventional mystery watches. In such a configuration, and inasmuch as the plates 5 are transparent, the indicators 7 for each of the indicator plates 5 are visible from the first face 3, forming a first display, as well as from the second face 4, forming a second display. The mystery watch 1 as described here thus has the advantage of being reversible, i.e. allowing the first and second display to be read depending on whether the first resp. second face 3, 4 of the watch 1 is viewed. In other words, the watch can be worn turned on one of the faces 3, 4 so as to display selectively one or the other of the displays.
In one embodiment, not represented, the drive unit 6 comprises a quartz oscillator drive, comprising an electric motor, energy source (battery), quartz oscillator, electronic circuit and a gear-train adapted for driving the indicator plates 5, for example, through their peripheral toothing 9. In a preferred manner, the electric motor is a stepping motor of the Lavet type.
In one embodiment, the central region has a surface corresponding to at least half of the sum of the surface of the case middle 2 and of the surface of the central region 15. Here, the surface of the case middle is defined by the difference between the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the case middle 2. For example, in the example illustrated in
It is evident that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment that has just been described and that various simple modifications and variants can be contemplated by the one skilled in the art without falling outside the scope of the present invention. For example, the watch can comprise more than two indicator plates 5. The additional indicator plate or plates 5 can be used for displaying the seconds or another other functions such as displaying the date, the power reserve, chronometer etc. The indicator plates 5 can have the shape of a disc with a diameter at least as great as the diameter of the central region 15 or a smaller diameter. The indicator plates 5 can also be pivoted in an off-centered fashion at the center of the central region 15.
The watch can comprise markings (not represented) on which the indicators come to point, for determining among others the current time and minute. These markings can be comprised on one element of the first and/or of the second face 3, 4 so as to be visible from the two faces 3, 4, forming the first resp. second display. Such an element will preferably be placed close to the periphery of the central region 15 so as to leave the central region 15 essentially free of any visual obstruction. For example, the watch 1 can comprise a dial with the markings, wherein the dial has an annular shape placed at the periphery of the central region 15. The dial can also have the shape of a transparent disc including the markings. The element and/or markings seen from the first face 3 can be essentially identical to those seen from the second face 4 so as to read the same information on the two faces 3, 4, albeit in a possibly inverted manner. In another variant embodiment, the element and/or markings of the second face 4 are different from those of the first face 3 so that the first display is different from the second display. For example, the element and/or the markings of the first face 3 can be associated with the indicator plates 5 for the hours and minutes, whilst the element and/or markings of the second face 4 can be associated with the indicator plates 5 of the chronometer and/or of the date. It is possible that this latter configuration may render the reading more complex since all the indicators are visible simultaneously from the first face 3 and from the second face 4. However, such a display can amplify the “mysterious” and fanciful aspect of the watch 1. It will be noted that the indicator plates 5 will be seen as turning clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on whether the watch 1 is viewed from face 3 or face 4.
In a variant embodiment, not represented, each of the indicator plates 5 can comprise an optically variable element, i.e. an element that gives the indicator plate 5 a visual aspect that varies according to the viewing angle, depending on whether the plate 5 is viewed from the first or the second face 3, 4, and with the rotation of the plate 5. The optically variable element can include a polarizing element. Such an arrangement makes it possible to create a visual interest that differs depending on the face 3, 4 of the watch that is viewed. This visual character can be reinforced by arranging the markings of the first and second face 3, 4 and of the texture and/or colors of the case middle 2 on the side of the first and second face 3, 4. The optically variable element can also include a motive producing a variegated or moiré effect when one of the plates 5 pivots relative to another of the plates 5.
In yet another embodiment, not represented, one of the faces of each of the indicator plates 5 comprises a first graphical element and the other face of the indicator plate 5 comprises another graphical element distinct from the first graphical element. Such an arrangement makes it possible to achieve a display that differs visually when the watch 1 is viewed from the face 3 or the opposite face 4, a little as though there were two watches in one.
Thanks to its characteristics in terms of structure, conformation and layout of its different elements, the watch described further above in relation to
The fastening elements 20, affixed in a pivoting fashion relative to the case middle 2, enable the watch 1 to be worn on the wrist with either the first face 3 being on the wrist side or the second face 4 being on the wrist side, whilst ensuring the watch 1 and the bracelet 25 are well adjusted around the wrist. In other words, pivoting the fastening element 20 enables the space between the extremity of the bracelet fastened to the fastening element 20 and the wrist to be minimized. The watch 1 can thus be worn comfortably in both directions.
1 watch
2 case middle
3 first face
4 second face
5 indicator plate
6 drive unit
7 indicator
8 support
9 peripheral toothing
10 roller
11 stud
12 clamping screw
13 groove
14 periphery
15 central region
100 parts of rollers
200 portion of the case middle
20 fastening element
21 first affixing means, arms
22 bar
23 pin
24 second affixing means, fastening bracket
25 bracelet
30 stepping motor
31 stator
311 branch
312 branch
32 winding
33 rotor
34 opening
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1989/2011 | Dec 2011 | CH | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2012/075864 | 12/17/2012 | WO | 00 | 6/13/2014 |