CH699165B1 - Watch i.e. skeleton watch, has clock movement housed in case and including supporting structure with plate whose openings are arranged such that structure allows appearance of indexes to be cooperated with movable time display unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The watch comprises a watch movement housed in a watch case (1, 2). The watch movement comprises a support structure (4) comprising a plate (4) and at least one bridge. The carrier structure comprises openings arranged in such a way that the latter causes indexes to appear to cooperate with at least one movable display member (15, 16).

Description

  The present invention relates to a watch or timepiece called "skeleton", that is to say whose plate and the bridges of the movement are perforated so as to reveal from above and / or the below the watch a large part of the moving parts of said watch movement. In such a timepiece, the dial of the watch is typically removed, made of a transparent material, or has an annular shape so that the movement is visible. In this category of timepieces it is necessary to affix hour markers or indexes on the upper face of the bezel of the box or to provide an annular dial or a box flange provided with indexes cooperating with the needles of the time display of the movement.

  

The use of an annular dial always closes part of the movement which goes against the purpose of a skeleton watch. In addition, the affixing of indexes on the bezel of the watch case is detrimental to the aesthetics of the watch and the use of a flange of the box reduces the space available inside the watch case leading for a given movement to a larger box.

  

The object of the present invention is to allow the realization of a skeleton watch avoiding the aforementioned drawbacks and in particular to not have an index on the watch case or flush box while having cooperating index with the hands of the movement for the time display. Another object of the invention is to allow the production of lightweight watches and allowing vision through the watch.

  

The watch or timepiece of the skeleton type object of the present invention meets the aforementioned aims and is distinguished by the fact that the watch movement comprises a plate having cutouts revealing indexes intended to cooperate with at least one organ mobile time display.

  

The accompanying drawing illustrates schematically and by way of example several embodiments of the skeleton watch according to the invention.
<tb> Fig. 1 <sep> is a top plan view of a skeleton watch according to a first embodiment of the invention.


  <tb> Fig. 2 <sep> is a perspective view from above of the watch movement of the watch illustrated in FIG. 1.


  <tb> Fig. 3 <sep> is a perspective view from below of the watch movement of the watch illustrated in FIG. 1.


  <tb> Fig. 4 <sep> illustrates, seen in plan from above, a plate according to a second embodiment of the skeleton watch according to the invention


  <tb> Fig. 5 <sep> illustrates, seen in plan from above, a third embodiment of the skeleton watch according to the invention.

  

The first embodiment of the watch according to the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises a watch case formed of a middle part 1, a transparent bottom, a bezel 2 and an ice cream 3.

  

[0007] This watch case contains a watch movement comprising a bearing structure formed of a plate 4 comprising a peripheral frame 5 having a rim or frame 5A (FIG 3) coming to rest on a casing ring (FIG. not illustrated) machined in the middle part 1 of the box and held in place against this circle of casing by the bezel 2.

  

The carrier structure of the movement comprises in addition to the plate 4, a first bridge 6, a second bridge 7, and a third bridge 8, all three fixed by screws on the peripheral frame 5 of the plate 4.

  

The mechanism of the watchmaking movement comprises in particular between the barrel 9, the winding mechanism 10, the power train 11 and the regulating member 12 is mounted between the plate 1 and the three bridges 6, 7, 8. A winding stem 13 crosses the middle part 1 of the watch case and is driven by a winding crown 14. This mechanism of the clockwork movement causes a time switch comprising an hour hand 15 and a minute hand 16.

  

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 more particularly, the plate 4 is cut, perforated as in a skeleton watch, but in addition these cutouts or openings are arranged in such a way that the plate makes appear indexes constituting the graduation of the time display with which the needles cooperate 15, 16 for the time display.

  

In the example shown in this first embodiment these indexes 17 take the form of Roman numerals XII, III, VI and IX placed respectively at twelve o'clock, three o'clock, six o'clock and nine o'clock.

  

Thus, the plate 4 simultaneously constitutes the dial and the fixed member of the time display. This combination of functions allows to remove any dial part and any flange box that reduces the height of the box and enlarge the front opening of the watch. In addition this embodiment is particularly lightened, the plate 4 having only a peripheral frame 5 and small ribs or partitions, the openings or cuts occupying large areas.

  

In this embodiment the three bridges 6, 7, 8 are also perforated or cut in such a way that when in the operating position mounted on the plate 4 their openings are exactly aligned on the cutouts of the plate 4 thus giving a great transparency to the watch movement, the openings in the plate 4 coinciding with those of the bridges 6, 7, 8. This gives the watch a lightness and transparency unmatched to date.

  

According to one variant, the bridges of the movement are not perforated and the bottom of the watch is not transparent. In this case, the movement is only visible through the openings in the plate and therefore the watch is not a "skeleton watch" in the proper sense.

  

According to another variant, at least one bridge can be cut, these cuts being arranged in such a way that the bridge makes indexes interacting with a movable member forming part of a display device on the back of the watch. .

  

In the example described and illustrated the watch and movement are square, but they could be round, oval, or any other form in variants. The number of bridges can also be different from three, but at least one bridge is needed.

  

Preferably, the peripheral frame 5 of the plate 4 is continuous and its surface is cut according to the desired shape of the indexes 17 and the pivot points of the movement of the watch movement. The peripheral frame 5 advantageously gives a good rigidity platinum, but this frame can be removed in variants. Moreover, as the bridges are cut in such a way that seen from above the watch they are practically invisible, hidden behind the solid parts of the plate 4, the skeleton watch is very ventilated and in the case where it comprises a background ice the watch is at least partially transparent giving a significant lightness effect.

  

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the skeleton watch in which the indexes 17 of the plate 4 are constituted by the representation of the Arabic numerals twelve, three, six and nine.

  

FIG. 5 illustrates a third embodiment of the skeleton watch in which the indexes 17 of the plate 4 are constituted by the representation of twelve Roman numerals one to twelve.

  

The bridges of the clockwork movement of the second and third embodiments of the skeleton watch may also be cut so as not to be visible when viewing the watch from above, the openings or cuts of said bridges being located under those of the stage 4.

  

In all the embodiments of the invention, the indexes or figures may be set in precious or semi-precious stones, covered in a luminescent material such as Superluminova <(R)>, or otherwise embellished and / or accented. These indexes can also be associated with different types of display of the watch, such as a power reserve display.

  

The invention also relates to a watch movement plate having cutouts revealing a frame and indexes, these indexes being intended to cooperate with a mobile time display member.

Claims (14)

1. Watch, comprising a watch movement housed in a watch case (1, 2), the watch movement comprising a bearing structure (4, 6, 7, 8) comprising a plate (4) and at least one bridge (6, 7, 8), characterized in that the carrier structure comprises openings arranged in such a way that the bearing structure causes indexes to appear to cooperate with at least one movable display member (15, 16).

2. Watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate (4) is cut and comprises said openings.

3. Watch according to claim 2, characterized in that the plate (4) of the movement comprises a frame (5) continuous device.

4. Watch according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the indexes have, at least partly, the shape of Roman numerals and cooperate with at least one movable member (15, 16) of time display.

5. Watch according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the indexes are at least partly in the form of Arabic numerals and cooperate with at least one movable member (15, 16) of time display.

6. Watch according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the member (s) movable (s) of the display is a needle (15, 16).

7. Watch according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate (4) of the movement is clamped between a middle part (1) and a bezel (2) of the watch case.

8. Watch according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the bridge or bridges (6, 7, 8) is fixed on the plate (4) and has openings coinciding with those of the plate (4). .

9. Watch according to claim 8, characterized in that the bridge or bridges (6, 7, 8) are fixed on the peripheral frame of the plate (4).

10. Watch according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the indexes that appear the carrier structure are set with precious or semi-precious stones.

11. Watch according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the indexes that appear the carrier structure are covered in a luminescent material.

12. Platinum watch movement for a watch according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises cutouts showing indexes.

13. Platinum according to claim 12, characterized in that the shape of the indexes represent Roman numerals or Arabic numerals.

14. Platinum according to claim 12 or claim 13, characterized in that it comprises a frame (5) or continuous peripheral rim.