EP1470452A2

EP1470452A2 - Device comprising a movement for a timepiece and a chronograhic module

Info

Publication number: EP1470452A2
Application number: EP03700289A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hugues Jolidon
Original assignee: TAG Heuer SA
Current assignee: TAG Heuer SA
Priority date: 2002-02-01
Filing date: 2003-01-27
Publication date: 2004-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 2023-01-27
Also published as: US8182138B2; TWI276930B; CH697015A5; US20050007888A1; DE60302040T2; WO2003065130A3; US7905655B2; WO2003065130A2; CH697016A5; DE60225779T2; DE60302040D1; ATE308068T1; US8308345B2; US20110164474A1; ATE390654T1; DE60225779D1; JP4505054B2; AU2003201592A1; EP1333345A1; EP1333345B1

Abstract

A device comprises a base movement (MB) for a timepiece the time display of which is driven by a first barrel connected to a first mechanism and a first regulator and an autonomous chronographic module the time display of which is driven by a second barrel independent of the first and connected to a second mechanism and a second regulator. The chronographic module is exclusively comprised of mechanical components. The oscillation frequency provided by the regulator thereof is equal to N times the oscillation frequency for the regulator of the base movement, the coefficient N being able to be defined as a function of a specific application for the chronograph, such that any chronographic module as previously defined may co-operate with the same base movement. The chronograph regulator is constantly engaged with the corresponding mechanism. The chronograph module permits the reading of a time interval with a minimum precision of one hundredth of a second.

Description

Device comprising a time movement and a chronograph module

The present invention relates to a device comprising a usual time movement and a chronograph module according to the preamble of independent claim 1.

The market for chronograph watches with such a device has grown considerably in recent years, particularly in the high-end segment. However, a very large part of such watches includes a chronograph board (referred to interchangeably, hereinafter, part, module or chronograph movement), with quartz oscillator, while a clientele experiences an increasing attraction for mechanical chronograph watches. But with the latter, for reasons explained below, a person skilled in the art comes up against a problem of precision (also called resolution) of reading.

Wristwatches in which the box houses a chronograph module or movement provided with a quartz oscillator allow the wearer to carry out measurements of an accuracy which varies according to the type of display, namely of the order of a tenth or of the hundredth of a second, depending on whether this display is analog or digital respectively.

CH-667,771 describes a chronograph watch comprising a usual central clockwork movement driving the hour, minute and second hands and an autonomous chronograph movement presenting a timepiece and at least one indicator driven by an electric motor. The organs of the chronograph movement are arranged at the periphery of the usual movement or basic movement. Each movement has its own regulator oscillating at the same frequency as the other. The chronograph movement is provided with an independent bell-shaped cage covering the basic watch movement and surrounding it. The two movements are connected by means of a plate interposed between them. The purpose of this construction is to make an electric chronograph watch cheaply. On the other hand, the accuracy remains very questionable, the chronograph hand beating the 1/5 of a second (which corresponds to an oscillator at 1800 vibrations per hour). In addition, this document does not deliver to the skilled person any teaching as to the arrangement of the organs of the module or chronograph movement, in the event that this module would be mechanical, nor to the cooperation between a module of this type and the usual hourly basic movement.

However, this arrangement and this cooperation pose complex problems of reliability and feasibility on both technical and aesthetic levels - which the use of a quartz chronograph in no way solves, but saves money by bypassing them - so much so that a person skilled in the art has always been dissuaded from envisaging said arrangement and said cooperation and a fortiori from assigning the task of carrying them out.

In fact, the measurement accuracy of mechanical chronographs currently available on the market is, for the most part, of the order of 0.125 seconds, the corresponding balance oscillating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, and more rarely, for certain other mechanical chronographs , significantly more expensive, the balance oscillates at 3600 vibrations per hour, of the order of 0.1 seconds. This measurement accuracy cannot be increased with mechanical chronographs having a common time base for the hourly part and the chronograph part, for several reasons. The use for the hourly part of a pendulum oscillating at a higher frequency would modify the unwinding speed of the barrel spring and would decrease the duration of the power reserve of the movement. In addition, an assembly comprising an escape wheel, anchor, ellipse, pendulum pivot, which would be continuously subjected to such an operating condition, would after a few months already show significant wear and tear inevitably causing an irreversible deterioration in the proper functioning of the movement, it should also be stressed that at high frequency, the transmission of energy from the barrel to the balance-spring through the gear train and the exhaust poses, in continuous use, problems the solution of which would most likely involve setting work of complex means and all the same not free from hazards. Thus, by way of illustration, a pendulum oscillating at high frequency has a lower amplitude than the same pendulum oscillating at a lower frequency. As a result, it will be more sensitive to variations in the driving torque of the barrel spring and will only offer running stability during the period when the variation curve of said driving torque of the spring is linear.

As an extension of these difficulties are those raised by questions of cost and aesthetics. On the one hand, it is known that a timepiece, more particularly a wristwatch housing a device comprising an hourly base movement and a "fully mechanical" chronograph movement, is in principle classified in the high end. Its price is therefore high, even though the precision of its chronograph movement is poor, not even reaching that of a quartz chronograph movement with low-end digital display. On the other hand, it is understandable that the production of a timepiece housing a double movement, hourly and chronograph, both mechanical, confronts the manufacturer with a delicate problem of space or volume of the part, a problem which , in the absence of a solution, will result in an unsightly appearance likely to compromise the commercial success of the watch. One solution that comes to mind would be to miniaturize the organs making up the mechanical chronograph. But by serving the aesthetic, it would however go against the objective of the best cost and would certainly raise major technical difficulties. Choosing and applying it would therefore not be without technical and commercial risks. These risks appear sufficiently dissuasive to invite those skilled in the art to imagine and investigate other possible solutions in order to make the device with a quality / price ratio as advantageous as possible.

The aim of the present invention is to propose a device which overcomes the drawback of the lack of precision while ensuring, moreover, a truly reliable reading whatever the characteristic of the regulator chosen, therefore of the expected precision, and excluding all disturbances (described above) on the time part of the device's movements.

This object is achieved by the means defined in independent claim 1, the dependent claims relating to means allowing preferred embodiments of the invention and, in line with the quality / price ratio mentioned above, cheaply.

The tests carried out on prototypes according to the invention equipped with a chronograph whose pendulum oscillated at 360,000 vibrations per hour made it possible to establish that an accuracy of a hundredth of a second was ensured even in continuous use of at least thirty minutes. In other words, the device according to the invention makes it possible to offer a top-of-the-range timepiece truly "entirely mechanical", whose precision of the chronograph has nothing to envy to a high quality quartz chronograph.

An embodiment of the device will be described in detail below, by way of nonlimiting example, in support of the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a top view of a timepiece in the form of a wristwatch incorporating a device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective representation of the device in the unassembled state,

FIG. 3 is a perspective representation of the only chronograph module,

FIG. 4 is a perspective representation of the regulating member, the train and the barrel of the chronograph module,

Figure 5 is a perspective representation of a timer and small seconds return system of the chronograph module. FIG. 6 is a perspective representation of a winding system of the chronograph module,

FIG. 7 is a perspective representation of a power reserve of the chronograph module

FIG. 8 shows a variant brought to the example of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7,

FIG. 9 is a sectional representation of the time-setting and winding device in several parts,

FIG. 10 is a sectional representation of the device for transmitting the date correction from the basic movement to the auxiliary module,

and

FIG. 11 is a diagram indicating the torque of the barrel spring necessary to guarantee a given power reserve.

The device according to the invention advantageously finds its place in a chronograph wristwatch (not specifically referenced), as shown in FIG. 1. This watch has: at 2 o'clock, a pusher crown 1 making it possible to wind a barrel of the chronograph module of the device - module hereinafter called autonomous MCA chronograph module - and to control the start and stop functions of the autonomous chronograph module MCA, at 3 o'clock, a winding crown 2 of the time movement of the device, movement hereinafter called base movement MB, and at 4 o'clock a push button 3 actuated for resetting to zero and returning on the fly of the autonomous chronograph module MCA. In a preferred variant illustrated below in connection with FIG. 9, the watch comprises a single crown making it possible to set the time and to go back at the same time, in different axial positions, the basic movement MB and the auxiliary chronograph movement MCA.

The chronograph watch allows the current time to be displayed using an hour hand 4, a minute hand 5 and a small second hand 6 arranged at three. It also makes it possible to display the measurement of an elapsed time using a thirty-minute counter 7, placed at nine o'clock and provided with a hand 8, a central second hand of chronograph 9 and a hundredths of seconds counter 10 located at six o'clock and equipped with a hand 1 1. A power reserve counter 12 of the MCA autonomous chronograph module provided with a hand 13 and located at twelve o'clock is used to check the autonomy of said module until the next reassembly. The graduations of these different counters are carried on a dial 14; in particular the hundredths of a second correspond to a hundred marks materialized on a circular ruler, the hand 11 making a rotation of 360 ° per second to ensure a comfortable and precise reading of the time interval.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the principle of assembly of the autonomous chronograph module MCA with the basic movement MB, providing centering elements and fixing members. By way of nonlimiting example, the basic movement can for example be constituted by a type 2892 movement marketed by the company ETA SA. A base plate 76 of the autonomous chronograph module MCA has two holes (not visible and not referenced) in which cylindrical feet 16,17 intended to engage in holes in the dial feet 18,19 of a plate 15 are driven out. of the basic MB movement, for the purpose of correct angular positioning of the MCA module with respect to the MB movement. Fixing means connect the basic movement MB and the autonomous chronograph module MCA to their periphery. According to the example, screws 20 A, 21 A pass through holes (not visible and not referenced) made in the plate 76 and are screwed into corresponding tapped holes 20, 21 of the plate 15. Are also shown in this figure 2, on the one hand, on the MCA autonomous chronograph module, emerging from its side, a rod pusher 1 A intended to receive the pusher crown 1 (FIG. 1) and, emerging from its top face, a shaft 71 of the minutes mobile, a shaft 67 of the seconds mobile, a shaft 61 of the hundredths of a second mobile and a shaft 88 of the small second, and on the other hand, on the basic module MB, emerging from its side, a push rod 2B intended to receive the winding crown 2 (figure 1) and, emerging from its top face , in the center, a wheel 86 of the seconds mobile and a wheel 77 of the minutes mobile. As mentioned above, a single winding crown could, using the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 9, be used to actuate the two rods 1A and 2B axially and in rotation.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the two movements in the assembled state, essentially showing the autonomous MCA chronograph module covering the basic movement MB (viewed mainly by its plate 15 and its winding stem 2 B) and illustrating the arrangement and the conformation remarkable and original of the main organs and elements of the autonomous MCA chronograph module on its base plate 76. This extremely compact and compact arrangement results from an optimal exploitation of volumes, which saves costly miniaturization of said organs and elements without sacrificing aesthetics, this design and construction making it possible to limit the dimensions of the device in the assembled state to very reduced values. According to the embodiment described, these values are of the order of 7.75 mm (height) and 30 mm (overall diameter), the dimensions of the MCA chronograph module alone not exceeding values of the order of 4 mm (height) and 30 mm (diameter). We understand that these dimensions allow the most varied coverings of the device and a remarkable and successful aesthetic.

To further reduce the height of the chronograph movement, it is possible to envisage placing the elements - to which we will return in detail later (in particular regulating bodies, barrels, respective cogs, power reserve, levers, winding systems) - on bridges suitably arranged, from a single stage, the basic movements and chronographs then being nested one inside the other, without hampering the proper functioning of the chronograph module according to the processes which will be described below, but by increasing the manufacturing costs.

The autonomous chronograph module MCA is provided with its own barrel 22 and with its own regulating member comprising in particular a balance 23. This characteristic eliminates any power take-off on the basic movement MB and makes it possible to stop the balance 23 without disturbing the balance- MB basic movement hairspring.

The MCA chronograph is switched on and off by short pressure on the push rod 1 A, that is to say on the crown 1. Each of these pressures produces a movement towards the center of the MCA chronograph of a plate 24 comprising grooves in the form of oblong openings 25, 26, this movement, guided by screws 27, 28 cooperating with said grooves, simultaneously activating a spout 29. When the pressure is released, the plate 24 and the spout 29 resume their starting position under the action respectively of a wire spring 40 and a return spring 41.

Starting from a starting position (chronograph stopped, that is to say at zero), the end of the spout 29, pivoting around a pin 30, comes into contact with a side of a central wing d 'A cam 31 and rotates said cam 31 around a shaft 32 by an angle defined by a stop 33. A lug 34 then drives a lever 35, a lug 39 rotates a launcher 36 around its shaft 37, and a leaf spring 38 tangentially emerges from the outer face of the balance 23. In doing so, the spring 38 provides the balance 23 with a starting impulse to set it in motion. A new pressure on the crown leads to the stop of the chronograph at the end of an identical but opposite process (position corresponding to that which is illustrated in FIG. 3 (pendulum in movement)), the leaf spring 38 entering this time ci tangentially in contact with the outer face of the balance 23 and immobilizes the latter.

Pressing the push button 3 (Figure 1) results in a reset of the MCA chronograph module. This reset is done by the action of a single hammer 48. The aforementioned pressure on the button 3 rotates a rocker 42 and therefore its beak 44 around a pillar axis 43, which has the effect of causing an inverter 45 with its pin 46, the latter in turn controlling a lever 47 which rotates the hammer 48, the three nozzles of which (not referenced) strike hearts 49, 50, 51 mounted respectively on the mobiles of the minute counters, seconds and hundredths of a second (see also Figure 4) and cause the MCA chronograph module to be reset to zero.

When the rocker 42 is pressed, the spout 44 remains in contact with the reverser 45 for approximately two thirds of the angular space described by the rocker 42 around the pillar axis 43, then said spout 44 separates tangentially from the end of the inverter 45 and the inverter 45 returns to its starting point under the action of a return spring wound around the pivot axis of said inverter 45 (in FIG. 3, neither this return spring, nor this pivot axis are referenced, the pivot axis being also hidden by the inverter 45).

The hammer 48 is fixed to the gear train 52 by a screw 53 and an eccentric washer 54. The eccentric washer 54 makes it possible to adjust the adjustment of the hammer 48 so that the three nozzles of said hammer 48 press simultaneously on the three hearts 49, 50 and 51, the resetting of the chronograph module MCA thus taking place just before the spout 44 leaves the inverter 45.

The consequences when resetting the MCA chronograph module differ depending on whether the balance 23 is stopped or in motion.

If the balance 23 is stopped, the leaf spring 38 is in contact with the balance 23 and the friction exerted by the shafts 61, 67, 71 (FIGS. 2 and 4) on the gear train has no influence on the balance. 23. On the other hand, if the balance is in motion, the leaf spring 38 is not in contact with the balance 23 and the friction exerted by the shafts 61, 67 and 71 on the gear train will tend to brake the balance 23.

When the pressure is released on the rocker 42, the spout 44, held by a return spring 56, can pivot around a pin 55 to avoid the reverser 45 and allow the rocker 42 to return to its rest position under the effect of a return spring 57.

The operating principle described above therefore serves to avoid, when the MCA autonomous chronograph module is reset to zero and the balance 23 being in motion, any stopping of said balance due to prolonged friction of the shafts 61, 67 and 71.

Thus, the same pressure exerted on the press button 3 (FIG. 1) causes, when the balance 23 is stopped, a reset to zero of the MCA chronograph module and, when the balance 23 is in motion, a reset to zero of the MCA chronograph module (operation called return to the fly) followed by an automatic restart of a new measurement (without obligation to press on the push rod 1 A).

The balance spring assembly of the chronograph regulator is stopped when the latter is not in operation.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of the regulating member, the train and the barrel mounted on the base plate 76 of the MCA autonomous chronograph module. According to the example, in this configuration, the balance spring 23 balance spring is dimensioned to oscillate at a frequency of 360,000 vibrations per hour.

In the formula

^D 2Eh

we note that for a given hairspring, the frequency is inversely proportional to the square root of the moment of inertia of the pendulum whose formula can be assimilated to that of a hollow cylinder -m ⁽ tf + r ²⁾

Or

m = πhp (] -γ)

which allows to write

_ 1 M

∞i ^ -r ¹ )

- f Frequency [Hz] - M Elastic torque of the balance spring [Nm]

- I Moment of inertia of the balance [kg * m ² ]

- R outside radius of the pendulum [m]

- r inside radius of the pendulum [m]

- h thickness of the balance [m] - p specific weight of the balance [kg / m ³ ].

By introducing values of f, R and r into this function we see that if we pass the frequency, for example from 28,800 to 360,000 vibrations per hour, we could divide the diameter of the balance by about five. Experience shows that a too small balance no longer ensures good walking stability and poses adjustment problems. The solution therefore consists in adopting a compromise between a reduction in the outside diameter of the balance wheel, which facilitates its integration into the autonomous chronograph module MCA, and an increase in the accelerating power of the balance spring defined by its CGS number. In view of these considerations, a hairspring will therefore be chosen whose technical characteristics allow the choice of a balance of a size such that the regulator oscillates at the predetermined frequency, that the regulating member offers a good quality of adjustment and that the pendulum can be relaunched effectively by the leaf spring 38.

We see in Figure 4 an anchor 1 13 and an escape wheel 58, these elements can be chosen from existing assortments. According to an embodiment of the device described by way of example, a wheel 59, driven onto the shaft of the escape wheel 58 is chosen so that it rotates at a speed of 2.5 revolutions per second, the balance 23 oscillating, according to the example, at 50 Hz (i.e. 360,000 vibrations per hour). A wheel 60 of the hundredths of a second mobile spins clockwise at the speed of one revolution per second. A wheel (not visible in the figure, since it is hidden by the heart 51), integral with the wheel 60, is mounted on the shaft 61 of the hundredths of a second mobile and meshes with a wheel 62 driven on a pinion 63, the latter meshing with a wheel 64. A wheel 65 of the seconds hand rotates clockwise at the speed of one revolution per minute thanks to an inverter 66 which connects it to the wheel 64. A wheel 84 (shown in FIG. 5) hidden by the heart 50 and integral with the wheel 65 is mounted on the shaft 67 of the seconds mobile. This wheel 84 meshes with a wheel 68 driven on a shaft secured to a wheel 69 which drives a wheel 70 mounted on the shaft 71 of the minutes mobile. The wheel 70 rotates clockwise at the speed of one revolution in thirty minutes, it meshes with a wheel 72 driven on a shaft 73 secured to a wheel 74 which meshes with a toothed crown 75 of the barrel 22, the latter taking place under the action of the barrel spring (not shown) clockwise at the speed of one revolution in 29.7 minutes.

In a mechanical movement, the barrel spring is generally calculated to achieve around 7.5 turns. According to the embodiment described, for reasons of saving space, the barrel spring is dimensioned to allow the barrel to perform approximately six turns, which is equivalent to a power reserve of 178.2 minutes. But as explained above, the use of a regulatory body, the whole of which high frequency oscillating balance spring (360,000 vibrations per hour) reduces the use of the mainspring torque of the barrel spring during the period during which the Δ engine torque / Δ time function is linear, the useful power reserve of the MCA autonomous chronograph module is of the order of 120 minutes (see Figure 12)

When measuring with a standard mechanical chronograph, the cog in the chronograph part must be disengaged from the cog in the time part. To avoid the floating of the chronograph hands it is essential to immobilize the wheels of the mobiles carrying said hands. With the MCA autonomous mechanical chronograph module according to the present invention, this immobilization operation is not necessary, because as it emerges from the above description of the workings of the MCA autonomous chronograph module, the gear train remains permanently constrained by the barrel spring owing to the fact that there is no declutching system and that on all the mobiles carrying several wheels (such as for example the wheels 84 and 65 of the seconds mobile or the escape wheel 58 and the wheel 59 mounted on the same shaft), the latter are integral. These characteristics guarantee a permanent resumption of the play of the gears.

In addition, on a usual chronograph, the operations of clutching the train of the chronograph part with the train of the hourly part (basic movement MB or references of the basic movement located in the chronograph module), and / or disengaging these cogs between them, causes jumps, especially when starting the chronograph, which can distort the measurement by several tenths of seconds. This defect is eliminated by the present invention. To reset the meter needles mounted on shafts 61, 67 and 71 (Figure 4), these are mounted on their respective mobiles with a known friction system (for example, by an elastic washer, by lanterning, etc. .).

Compared to a mechanical chronograph with a usual additional chronograph module in which the cog and the arrangement of the counters, the present invention also gives the possibility of modifying the oscillation frequency of the balance spring, the measurement resolution and the power reserve of the autonomous chronograph module MCA. In general, the frequency of oscillation provided. by the regulator of the autonomous chronograph module MCA is equal to N times the oscillation frequency supplied by the regulating body of the basic movement MB, for example, for a basic movement with a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, N can be chosen at 12.50, so that the MCA autonomous chronograph module beats the hundredth of a second. These characteristics make it possible to produce a practically unlimited range of products covering all sectors and economic niches, ranging from the consumer chronograph watch to that of haute horlogerie, up to products reserved for professional uses.

Fig. 5 illustrates one of the many ways of transferring the time information, provided by the basic movement MB through the autonomous chronograph module MCA, to the time hands 4, 5 and 6 arranged on the dial 14 (FIG. 1).

The wheel 77 mounted on the roadway of the basic movement MB meshes with a reference 78 driven on a shaft 79 integral with the references 80, 81. The reference 80 drives a roadway 82 carrying the minute hand 5 and freely mounted on a tube 85, while the reference 81 drives a cannon wheel 83 carrying the hour hand 4.

A wheel 86 mounted on the seconds shaft of the basic movement MB meshes with a reference 87 which drives a wheel 89 driven on a small seconds tree 88 located at three o'clock. To avoid the floating of the small second hand 6, a thread spring (not shown) can press inside a groove 90 of the shaft 88 of the small second.

This arrangement makes it possible to arrange - according to current practice - the shaft 67 of the second hand 9 of the chronograph in the center of the MCA module (see also figure 4) and offers the user a display of the time interval measured by the MCA autonomous chronograph module.

It goes without saying that other arrangements can easily be imagined. Thus, FIG. 8 (comparable with FIG. 2) represents a variant according to which a seconds shaft 67 B, a carriageway 82 B and a cannon wheel 83 B of the basic movement MB have been extended so as to pass through a central opening 115 of the MCA autonomous chronograph module and to display the hour, minute and second in the center of the dial 14. According to this variant, the seconds hand of the MCA autonomous chronograph movement is carried by an 88 A shaft arranged at three o'clock on a counter.

Fig. 6 is a perspective representation of the winding system of the MCA autonomous chronograph module mounted on the base plate 76. The manual winding of the barrel 22 is carried out by rotation of the push rod 1 A, in the rest position, in the same direction time than that required for manual winding of the basic mechanical movement MB, necessary for putting it back into service when it has not been worn for a sufficiently long period and the barrel spring is fully unwound (automatic movement) . The push rod 1 A is guided by a stud 91 and held in place by a spring blade 92. A pressure exerted from below on the end of a lug 93 releases the push rod 1 A and makes it possible to remove the movement from its case shown in Figure 1 and not referenced, provided that the same operation is performed on the winding stem 2 B (not shown in this figure).

A corner wheel 94 actuated by a drive square 95 of the push rod 1 A drives a gear 96 which meshes with a clutch wheel 97. This wheel 97 is engaged with a gear 98 if it turns in the direction counterclockwise around its shaft 114, or disengaged from this reference 98 if it rotates clockwise, the shaft 1 14 being truncated in the form of an almond. The return 98 driven by the clutch wheel 97 when it rotates counterclockwise, meshes with a return 99 which actuates a ratchet 100 mounted on a plug 101 of the barrel 22. The reassembly of the barrel spring is therefore done by rotation of the ratchet 100 clockwise (the latching system necessary for the conservation of the energy stored by the spring of barrel during reassembly, known to those skilled in the art, is not shown).

Fig. 7 shows in perspective an exemplary embodiment of a power reserve device of the autonomous chronograph module MCA, the information of the power reserve being displayed at noon on the frame 14 by the hand 12 (FIG. 1). According to the embodiment, a ratchet turn 100 (FIG. 6) must, during reassembly, cause an angular displacement of a power reserve shaft 102 around its axis, equivalent and in the opposite direction to that generated by a turn of the crown 75 of the barrel 22 on the same shaft 102 when the autonomous chronograph module MCA is running. During reassembly, the ratchet 100 and the wheel 98 driven out on the shaft 106 rotate at the same speed and in the same direction (clockwise), a wheel 103, secured to a shaft 106, meshes with an external toothing of a solar crown 104, the internal toothing of the solar crown 104 drives a planetary wheel 105, the wheel 105 being integral with a planetary wheel 107 which rests on an internal toothing of a solar crown 108 to rotate, in the direction counterclockwise, the shaft 102 of the power reserve at an angle of 30.375 degrees per ratchet turn 100.

When the MCA autonomous chronograph is running, the crown 75 of the barrel 22 drives a wheel 109, this wheel 109 being integral with a pinion 1 10 and held by a return axle 11 1. The pinion 111 meshes with an external toothing of the solar crown 108, the internal toothing of the solar crown 108 drives the planetary wheel 107 integral with the planetary wheel 105 which rests on the internal toothing of the solar crown 104 to rotate the shaft 102 clockwise of the power reserve at an angle of 30.375 degrees per revolution of the crown 75 of the barrel 22. According to this embodiment, the power reserve of the autonomous MCA chronograph module is approximately one hundred and twenty minutes, the barrel 22 makes one revolution in 29.7 minutes, a barrel revolution 22 corresponding to a rotation of 30.375 degrees from the tree 102 of the power reserve. The approximate power reserve of the MCA autonomous chronograph module therefore corresponds to a rotation angle of 127.72 degrees from the shaft 102 of the power reserve.

To ensure that the winding or the running of the MCA autonomous chronograph module does not give rise to a barrel spring unwinding beyond the limits defined above, it is possible to provide a safety device limiting the rotation of the shaft 102 power reserve, this device (not shown), which may consist, for example, in driving out a stop pin in a hole provided on a planetary disc 1 12, this pin cooperating with an oblong opening concentric with the axis of the shaft 102 and fitted on a mechanism cover.

FIG. 9 illustrates a preferred variant of the invention in which a single crown 1 ′, preferably positioned at 3 o'clock, makes it possible to act both on the basic movement MB and on the additional module MCA. For this purpose, the rod 2B ′ of the basic module MB is modified by the addition of a chicken 200 comprising a toothing 201, a groove 202. The threading on the rod which usually allows the fixing of the external crown 2 is in revenge removed.

The rod 1A 'of the additional module is provided with a tapped blind hole into which the rod 220 of the crown 1' is screwed. A square 213 on the rod 220 makes it possible to fix respectively to separate the crown 1 'from the rod 1A' using a suitable tool. Alternatively, the crown 1 'could be attached directly to the rod 1A'. A winding pinion 21 1 is mounted integrally on the rod of the auxiliary module MCA. In position (A), that is to say when the crown 1 'is completely pushed axially against the watch case, this pinion 211 meshes with both a gear 96' of the gear train for reassembly of the barrel 22, and with the teeth 201 of the chicken 200 on the rod 2B '. In the example illustrated, the radius of the pinion 211 is dictated by the distance between the axis of the rod 1A 'and the plane of the return 96'. The gear ratio between the pinion 211 and the toothing 201 is therefore imposed by the thickness of the basic movement and of the additional module. It may be useful to choose a different gear ratio in order to modify the number of revolutions and the torque to be applied to the crown to wind up or set the time of the basic module. In practice, it is for example comfortable to use a gear ratio equal to one, making it possible to go back and set the time of the basic movement with the number of turns and the optimal torque initially planned for this movement. In a variant not illustrated, the pinion 211 may therefore be replaced by two pinions side by side of different diameters, one meshing with the reference 96 ′, the other with the toothing 201.

The reference 96 'on which the pinion 211 meshes is chosen so as to allow the reassembly of the basic movement MB by actuating the crown 1' in a first direction of rotation, and the reassembly of the auxiliary module MCA by actuating this crown in the another direction of rotation, which allows these two elements to be raised independently. In a variant, it could be considered more practical to mesh the winding pinion 21 1 with a reference 96 'chosen so that the movement MB and the module MCA are both reassembled by actuating the crown in the same direction. In such a variant, it will be possible to choose a gear ratio between the pinion 211 and the toothing 201 other than 1 in order to reduce the torque necessary to reassemble the two modules simultaneously.

In a variant not illustrated, in order to avoid reversing the direction of rotation of the crown 1 'when reassembling the basic movement MB, an intermediate return could be provided between the pinion 21 1 and the toothing 201.

By pulling the crown 1 'outwards, the flange 212 drives the rod 2B' of the basic movement MB outwards via the scope 204. Those skilled in the art will understand that the collar 212 and the chicken 200 can be reversed on the two axes 1A 'and 2B'.

In the example illustrated, the mechanism for setting the time of the basic movement MB forces the rod 2B 'to adopt predetermined axial positions, and therefore the flange 212 to adopt one of the three indexed axial positions (A), (B ) or (C).

In positions (B) and (C), the pinion 212 no longer meshes with the gear 96 ', but only with the toothing 201 of the chicken 200 which has moved outwards. In position (B), the crown 1 'allows rapid correction of the indicator 250 (Figure 10) of the basic movement. In position 3, the crown 1 'allows setting the time of the basic movement.

An optional pivot, not shown, could be mounted as an extension of the rod 2B 'to reduce the risk of bending or breaking of this rod. This pivot could pivot in a bearing (not illustrated) attached in the middle of the watch.

FIG. 10 is a sectional representation of the device for transmitting the date correction from the indicator disc 250 of the basic movement towards the date disc 254 of the auxiliary module. The date disc 254 of the auxiliary module MCA carries the date indications seen by the wearer of the watch.

As indicated above, the crown drawn in position B allows the correction, for example manual advance, of the angular position of the disc 250 of the basic movement MB via the pinion 211, the toothing 201 and the rod 2B '. According to the invention, the disc 250, as opposed to the usual date discs, is released from the gear train of the basic movement, for example by removing the day wheel; the disc 250 is therefore not driven by the basic movement, which saves the energy necessary to drive it and therefore increases the power reserve of the watch. The disc 250 is held by a ring 252 linked or screwed to the auxiliary chronograph module MCA. A pinion 2520 mounted on a shaft 253 collaborates with a toothing 251 on the outside of the disc 250, so that the corrections of the date on the disc 250 are transmitted to the ring 252 then to the shaft 253 passing through the auxiliary chronograph module. MCA. The shaft 253 is kept free to pivot in the movement by a stone or a bearing 255, a bearing 2530 preventing the shaft from coming out from the top of the figure.

A pinion 2531 mounted at the upper end of the shaft 253 meshes with a toothing 2540 linked to a second date disc 254 on the upper face of the auxiliary module MCA. This date disc is driven by the auxiliary module MCA, via a day wheel not shown. The upper face of the date disc 254 carries day indications visible to the wearer of the watch through a window in the dial, these known elements not having been shown. Thus the date disc 254 is driven and regulated by the high resolution auxiliary module MCA, but can be corrected by means of the basic movement MB by acting on the crown 1 '.

In the variant illustrated in FIG. 10, the shaft 253 and the disc 250 of the base module (not visible from the outside of the watch) are rotated by the date disc 254. This therefore results in unnecessary displacement of parts and a loss of energy. In a variant not shown, the gear formed by the toothing 2540 and the pinion 2532 is replaced by a free coupling, of a type known to those skilled in the art, making it possible to transmit only the correction movements transmitted from the shaft 253 to the upper date disc 254, but not the rotations in the opposite direction.

It will be understood that it is also possible, within the framework of the invention, to correct the indication of the upper date disc directly by means of the time-setting rod 1 A 'of the auxiliary module, without using the mechanism correction of basic movement MB. The solution illustrated in FIG. 11 however has the advantage of using the date correction mechanism frequently available on the basic movement, and therefore to avoid duplicating this mechanism in the auxiliary module.

It goes without saying that the autonomous chronograph module MCA can be implemented as such, that is to say not necessarily associated with the basic movement MB.

Claims

claims

1. Device comprising a basic movement (MB) provided with at least one time indicator driven by a first barrel, and an auxiliary module (MCA) provided with at least one indicator, the auxiliary module being independent of the basic movement, the two said indicators being visible on the same face, said auxiliary module being exclusively composed of mechanical elements, characterized in that said indicator of said auxiliary module is driven by a second barrel.

2. Device according to claim 1, in which: said basic movement (MB) comprises a first regulating member connected to a first gear train, to said first barrel and to said time indicator of basic movement, said auxiliary module (MCA) comprises a second member regulator connected to a second train, to said second barrel and to said indicator of the auxiliary module, the second regulator remaining constantly in engagement with the second train, the oscillation frequency supplied by the second regulator being different from the oscillation frequency supplied by the first regulator.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein said auxiliary module is a chronograph module disposed between said basic movement (MB) and said hourly indicator of the basic movement, so that any chronograph module thus previously defined can cooperate with the same movement schedule.

4. Device according to claim 3, in which the oscillation frequency supplied by the second regulator is equal to N times the oscillation frequency supplied by the first regulating member, the coefficient N being defined so that the auxiliary chronograph module ( MCA) allows at least a hundredth of a second resolution.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the coefficient N is at least equal to 12.50, the frequency of the basic movement (MB) being 28,800 vibrations per hour and the frequency of the auxiliary chronograph module (MCA) being at least 360O00 vibrations per hour.

6. Device according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that an indicator member of the auxiliary chronograph module (MCA) is mounted on a hundredths of a second counter shaft rotating 360 ° per second, and in that said indicator member consists of a hand allowing the reading of time intervals of one hundredth of a second, by coincidence of said hand with a graduation comprising one hundred marks arranged on a dial.

7. Device according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the balance of the regulating member of the auxiliary chronograph module (MCA) is set in motion or stopped by means of a spring leaf mounted on a launcher .

8. Device according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the balance spring balance of the regulating member of the chronograph is stopped when the latter is not in use.

9. Device according to one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that a pressure on a rocker causes a reset of the auxiliary chronograph module (MCA) when the balance of the regulating member of the chronograph part is stopped, and in that a pressure on the same lever causes a reset or a return on the fly of the auxiliary chronograph module (MCA) when the balance of the regulating member of the auxiliary chronograph module (MCA) is in motion.

10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the return to the fly is followed by an automatic restart of a new measurement of a time interval.

11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that said auxiliary module can be wound manually and includes a power reserve and an indicator member making it possible to read the available measurement time on the dial.

12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 1 1, characterized in that the auxiliary module (MCA) overcomes the time part of the basic movement (MB) removably.

13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the members of the time part of the basic movement (MB) and the auxiliary module (MCA) are arranged on a single plate carrying all the bridges .

14. Device according to one of claims 1 to 13, said first regulating member of the basic movement (MB) comprising a first balance spring and a first balance, said second regulating member of the auxiliary module (MCA) comprising a second balance spring and a second pendulum, the outside diameter of the second pendulum being smaller than the outside diameter of the first pendulum, and the acceleration power of the second balance spring being equal to or greater than the acceleration power of the first balance spring.

15. Device according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein said basic movement (MB) and said auxiliary module (MCA) each comprise a winding and / or time-setting rod (1 A ', 2A '), the two said rods being able to be actuated in rotation and / or axially by means of a single crown (V).

16. Device according to claim 15, said crown (1 ') being directly connected to said rod (1A') of the auxiliary module (MCA) to actuate it in rotation, and being connected by means of connecting elements ( 21 1,201, 201) to said rod (2B ') of the basic movement (MB) to actuate it axially and in rotation in order to wind it up and / or adjust the time indications.

17. Device according to claim 16, said connecting elements comprising: a pinion (211) on the axis of said crown (1 '), said pinion meshing a toothing (201) on the axis of said rod of the basic movement (MB) to transmit the rotations of said crown (1 ") to it, a flange (212) on the axis of said crown (V) cooperating with a groove (202) on the axis of said rod of the basic movement ( MB) to transmit the axial displacements of said crown to it.

18. Device according to claim 17, comprising a pinion (211) meshing in at least one axial position with the winding device of the auxiliary module.

19. Device according to one of claims 1 to 18, in which at least one indicator (254) of the auxiliary module (MCA) is driven by said auxiliary module (MCA) but corrected directly by the basic movement (MB).

20. Device according to claim 19, said basic movement (MB) comprising a winding and / or time-setting rod (2B, 2B ') actuated by a crown (V), said indicator of the auxiliary module (MCA ) being corrected by means of said crown (1 ') by means of said basic movement (MB).

21. Device according to one of claims 19 or 20, wherein said auxiliary indicator (254) is a date indicator.

22. Device according to claim 21, said basic movement (MB) comprising a second indicator (250), said correction mechanism being actuated by said second indicator (250) to transmit to said date indicator of the auxiliary module (254) the corrections applied by the crown (V) to the second indicator of the basic movement (MB).

23. Device according to claim 22, said second indicator (250) being corrected, but not driven, by said basic movement (MB).

24. Device according to one of claims 20 to 23, said mechanism comprising a non-reversible coupling for transmitting the displacements of the second indicator (250) of the basic movement (MB) towards the date indicator (254) of the auxiliary module ( MCA) but not the movements in the opposite direction.

25. Device comprising a basic movement (MB) provided with at least one time indicator driven by a first barrel, and an auxiliary module (MCA) provided with at least one indicator, the two time indicators being arranged on the same dial , said basic movement and said auxiliary module each comprising a winding and / or time-setting rod (1A ¹ , 2A '), characterized in that the two said rods can be actuated in rotation and / or axially by means with a single crown (1 ').

26. Device according to claim 25, said crown (V) being directly connected to said rod (1 A ') of the auxiliary module (MCA) to actuate it in rotation, and being connected by means of connecting elements ( 212,202, 201) to said rod (2B ') of the basic movement (MB) to actuate it in rotation and / or axially in order to wind it up and / or adjust said time indicator.

27. Device according to claim 26, said connecting elements comprising: a pinion (21 1) on the axis of said crown (V), said pinion actuating a toothing (201) on the axis of said rod of the basic movement (MB) to transmit the rotations of said crown to it, a flange (212) on the axis of said crown (1 ') cooperating with a groove (202) on the axis of said rod of the basic movement (MB) for transmit the axial displacements of said crown to it.

28. Device according to claim 27, comprising a pinion (211) meshing in at least one axial position (A) with the winding device (96 ') of the auxiliary module (MCA).

29. Device comprising: a basic movement (MB) driving at least one time indicator, an auxiliary module (MCA) provided with at least one auxiliary indicator (254) driven through a second gear train in the auxiliary module, characterized in that said auxiliary indicator is corrected by means of a crown (V) acting on a winding and / or time-setting rod (2B, 2B ') linked to the basic module (MB).

30. Device according to claim 29, comprising a correction mechanism (251, 253, 2540) arranged so as to allow the correction of said auxiliary indicator (254) by means of said rod (2B '), the correction not being carried out through said second gear.

31. Device according to claim 30, in which said auxiliary indicator (254) is a date indicator.

32. Device according to claim 31, said basic movement comprising a second indicator (250), said correction mechanism being actuated by said second indicator (250) to transmit to said auxiliary indicator (254) the corrections applied to the second indicator.

33. Device according to claim 32, said second indicator (250) of the basic movement (MB) being corrected but not driven by said basic movement (MB).

34. Device according to one of claims 30 to 33, said mechanism comprising a shaft (253) for transmitting to the indicator (254) of the auxiliary module the correction movements applied to the second indicator (250) of the basic movement (MB ).

35. Device according to one of claims 30 to 34, said mechanism comprising a non-reversible coupling for transmitting the displacements of the second indicator (250) of the basic movement (MB) towards the indicator (254) of the auxiliary module but not the movements in opposite directions.

36. Wrist watch whose box houses a device according to one of claims 1 to 35.

37. Auxiliary module of the device according to one of claims 1 to 35, said auxiliary module being a chronograph module comprising: a second regulating member connected to a second train, to said second barrel and to said indicator of the auxiliary module, the second regulator remaining constantly in engagement with the second gear train, characterized in that the frequency of the auxiliary module is at least 360,000 vibrations per hour, so as to allow resolution at least to the hundredth of a second.