GB2043969A

GB2043969A - A watch or clock

Info

Publication number: GB2043969A
Application number: GB8005853A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: INGENDAHL K
Current assignee: INGENDAHL K
Priority date: 1979-03-02
Filing date: 1980-02-21
Publication date: 1980-10-08
Also published as: IT1140764B; FR2450476A1; CH626223B; DE3006816A1; IT8020304A0; CH626223GA3; JPS55146093A

Abstract

A watch or clock having at least one display or indicator device containing at least one linear scale subdivided into time units comprises an elongate or extended base body 1 having time markings 7 and having at least one peripheral portion which is provided with an arrangement for the display of a first type of time units. The base body also is provided with an arrangement for the display of at least a second type of time units. As shown the timepiece has incandescent bulbs 2, 3 to show the hours and minutes respectively, the time depicted in the Figure being 8:01 am. Numerous arrangements are described. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A watch The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of watch containing at least one display or indicator device, which possesses at least one linearly extending scale and subdivided into time units.

Watches of this type are often constructed such that the scale is divided into time units, and apart from the relevant time marker at the scale in each case there is inscripted thereon the number which indicates the time. Such type watches further contain a pointer or the like which travels along the scale in order to determine the relevant time of day. Significant in this regard is United States Patent No. 2,221,413. The movement of the pointer along the scale is accomplished with the aid of bands or cables guided about deflection rolls and driven by a drive motor. It should be selfevident that limits are placed upon miniaturization of such construction of watch.

There is also known to the art a watch construction of the previously mentioned type wherein the linear scale is composed of stacked light or luminous blocks. Each light block unit indicates the time increment of one hour and it contains at least one incandescent bulb or lamp, wherein each of these light units is connected to one terminal or pole of a mechanical reversing switch. In this respect attention is invited to German Patent No. 458,233. The number of light units which have been switched-on then indicate the time. With increase of the number of hours which are to be indicated the illuminated portion or section of the column composed of the light radiating devices becomes longer.Because the number of hours which have passed only is determined by the number of lit devices and because otherwise there are not present any means for the indication for the number of illuminated devices it is practically impossible to exactly determine the number of light devices which are lit in each case.

In connection with these types of watches devoid of any pointers or hands there also have been proposed to the art watches composed of light devices or units, wherein the light devices are arranged such that they form addresses.The number of illuminating light devices also in this instance indicates the number of expired hours and minutes, respectively. Also with such type watches it is practically impossible, for the reasons already mentioned, to exactly read the time.

Therefore, with the foregoing in mind it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved construction of watch which is not afflicted with the aforementioned drawbacks and shortcomings of the prior art proposals.

Another and more specific object of the present invention is to design a new and improved construction of watch which, if desired, can be miniaturized, and which independently of its size enables accurate read-out of the number of time units which have expired.

Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the watch of the present development is manifested by the features that it contains an elongate or extended base body having time markers or markings. This base body contains at least one peripheral portion which is provided with a device for the display of one of the types of time units, and the base body is also provided with a device for the display of at least one second type of time units.

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a front view of a first exemplary embodiment of watch constructed according to the invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the watch shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top plan view of a modified construction of watch having two display or indicator devices; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the watch shown in Figure 1, also equipped with a device for the display of seconds; Figure 5 is a side view of the watch shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a watch whose base body has an elliptical cross-sectional configuration;; Figure 7 is a. perspective view of a watch wherein the device for the display of hours is located at the center of the base body thereof.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a watch whose base body has a triangular cross-sectional configuration: Figure 9 is a perspective view of a watch whose base body is cornered and whose walls are concave; Figure 10 is a perspective view of a watch whose display or indicator device is constituted by liquid columns or displaceable bands; Figure 11 is a perspective view of a watch wherein a display device is arranged in a second display device; Figure 12 is a side view of a watch whose base body has a round cross-sectional configuration; Figure 1 3 is a side view of a 24-hour watch; and Figure 14 is a further development of the watch shown in Figure 9.

Describing now the drawings, the watch shown by way of example in Figures 1 and 2 will be seen to comprise an elongate or extended base body 1 which, in the exemplary embodiment under discussion, is flat and rectangular. The lengthwise edges of this base body 1 are provided with luminous elements which can be assembled together into groups, each group of such elements being responsible for the indication or display of one of the types of time units. For instance, the first group of luminous or luminating elements 2 indicates hours. A second group of luminous elements 3 indicates the number of expired minutes. These groups of luminous elements 2 and 3 are located at the mutually oppositely situated edges of the flat base body 1.

The relevant luminous element 2 or 3 can be constituted by an incandescent lamp or bulb, the diameter of which is larger than the thickness of the base body 1. This has the advantage that the time indication can be also read from both of the marginal regions of the base body 1 when the user looks in the direction of the longer transverse axis of the base body 1. This is so because the laterally protruding parts of a luminous element which is round and located at the marginal portion which faces away also is still visible in this direction of viewing.

If there is present the danger that the glass envelope of the incandescent lamp will become damaged, then it is possible to use a light conducting element instead of an incandescent lamp or bulb, at the starting portion of which, i.e., internally of the base body 1, there is then arranged a suitable light source, such as for instance an incandescent bulb or a light emitting diode or the like. The end portion of this light conducting element which extends out of the base body 1 has a spherical configuration, and the diameter of this spherical-shaped end portion of the light conducting element is greater than the thickness of the base body 1.

Each luminous element 2 and 3 is connected with a conventional switch (not shown) which stepwise turns-on the luminous elements 2 and 3, and specifically after there has expired the time span characteristic for the corresponding group of luminous elements. For this purpose there can be used any one of the heretofore known conventional electronic circuits. If such watch is to function as an upright clock, then it is provided with a base or stand, not particularly shown in Figures 1 and 2, but for instance like the stand 16 of Figure 4, in which there can be housed the electronic part of the control for the time display and also a power supply for the control. If such watch is to be structured as a pendant watch, in other words, hung upon a chain or the like, then the electronic part and the power supply thereof must be housed within the base body 1 itself.The upper portion of the base body 1, in this case, has an eyelet 4 or equivalent structure through which there can be threaded, by way of example, a not particularly shown chain for the neck of the user or the like.

The watch illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is a socalled 12-hour watch. However, it only has seven luminous elements 2 for the display of the hours, wherein each such element, after expiration of one hour, is switched-in to the remaining hours. If it is assumed that the lowest situated luminous element 21 constitutes the standard display for 6 hours and the uppermost element 22 the standard display for 1 2 hours, then it is possible to read the relevant time display in that those elements which are illuminated are counted together. In doing so, however, it is necessary to take into account whether the row of luminous elements which are to be counted together increases from the lowermost luminous element 21 or from the uppermost luminous element 22.The shading applied to the luminous elements at the right-hand side of Figure 1 , for the three lowermost luminous elements 2 and 21, schematically signifies that these luminous elements have been turned-on.

Hence, the time is exactly 8 hours or 20 hours, i.e.

8:00 a.m. or 8:00 p.m. When the two uppermost luminous elements 2 and 22 at the right-hand side of the base body 1 illuminates, then this means that the time is 2 hours or 14 hours, i.e. 2:00 a.m.

or 2.00 p.m.

The luminous elements 3 of the other group, located at the left-hand region of the base body 1, indicate minute increments. There are provided a total of 31 such luminous elements 3, wherein each of.them indicates a time interval of one minute. It can be assumed that the uppermost luminous element 31 signifies the value of O (null) and the lowermost element 32 the value of 30 minutes. Until expiration of the first half-hour, the row of turned-on luminous elements 3 increases from the uppermost luminous element 31 downwardly. After expiration of the first 30 minutes within an hour all of the minute elements 3, with the exception of the element 32, located below the uppermost luminous element 31 are turned-off.After expiration of the 31st minute the second lower-most element 33 is switched-in and so forth, until after expiration of a further 29 minutes all of the minute elements 3 are again illuminated. If the shading of the minute elements is considered then the time displayed in Figure 1 is 1 minute after 8, i.e. 8:01 a.m.

In order to render clear in which direction the relevant row of luminous hour elements or markers 2 and the luminous minute markers or elements 3 increases, the end portions of the base body 1, are provided with beams 5 and 6 or equivalent structure composed of additional luminous elements 225, 325 and 216, 316 respectively. During operation of the embodiment of watch presently under discussion it is possible for always those luminous elements 225, 325 and 216,315 of those beams 5 and 6, respectively, to light-up from which the relevant switched-in or further connected hour or minute display elements 2 and 3 move away. On the other hand, if it is desired the system can be designed such that those elements 216,225,316,325 of the beams 5 and 6 illuminate to signify the direction of approach of the relevant switched-in or further connected hour elements 2 and minute elements 3, as the case may be.

Also to improve the visual reading of the watch the base body 1 of the watch can be additionally provided with applied time markers or markings 7 at the level of the correspondingly related hour element 2. Such strip-shaped time markers 7 can extend up to the related 5-minute elements 34.

In order to still further facilitate reading of the minute display, the 5-minute luminous elements 34 can be arranged at the ends of extensions or projections 8 protruding from the base body 1.

Similar extensions or projections 9 also can be operatively correlated with the hour luminous elements 2, so that there is optically clearly signified the significance of such elements 2 as hour displays.

As already mentioned, the dimensions of the individual time indicating luminous elements 2, 21, 22, 3, 31, 32, 33, 34, in the transverse direction of the base body 1 is chosen such that it is greater than the thickness of the base body 1. If the aforementioned luminous elements are spherical in shape, then this means that their diameter is greater than the thickness of the base body 1. However, the aforementioned luminous elements can also have a cylindrical, cornered or similar type of configuration.With such type selection of the mentioned dimension of the luminous elements such contain portions 10, 11, which protrude past the thickness of the base body 1 , so that the momentary time indication or display also then can be read if the watch is viewed in the direction of the width thereof, i.e. in the direction of the arrows A or B.

In order to still further facilitate reading of the time in the direction of the width of the base body 1 of the watch, it is possible to use two devices similar to the previously described time device, wherein they are arranged so-to-speak antiparallel to one another, as shown in Figure 3. This means that the beams 5 and 6 are located at the top and bottom of both of the devices 12 and 13.

However, the minute display elements 3 are located at different sides of such structure. The display elements which can be switched-on again can be mounted at extensions or projections 8 and 9. For such type "double" watch it is however advantageous to accommodate the thickness of the display elements 2-and 3 to the thickness of the corresponding base body, so that the two devices flushly bear against one another. In such case it is then advantageous to omit the luminous elements of the beams 5 and 6 which are located at the inner surface or sides of the base bodies of the respective devices 12 and 1 3. Also this embodiment of watch can be provided at its upper end with an eyelet 4 or equivalent structure for receiving a neck chain or the like.

The base-body 1 can contain conventional electronic switching circuits bringing about the switching-on and switching-off of the relevant luminous elements. If the power supply of the watch should be rendered independent of the electrical supply network or must be independent thereof, then the base body 1 also houses the energy source needed for powering the watch, such as for instance an electrical battery or the like.

If the energy consumption is not a major factor, then all of the luminous elements which have been turned-on can remain illuminated for such length of time until the relevant complete row thereof has been turned-off as a unit.

With a more energy saving operation there is only illuminated the element which is immediately responsible for giving the time, and the additional information required for the correct reading of the time is then read-off of the beams 5 and 6. In order to display the time of 01 hours and 38 minutes -(1:38a.m.) there are only illuminated the second uppermost hour element 2 and the 8th minute element 3 counted from the bottom.

In order to realize a particularly energy saving operation, for instance in the case where the watch is designed in a miniaturized construction, it is advantageously provided with a push-button switch or the like. Only after actuation of this push-button switch is it possible to supply with current the relevant luminous elements 2 and 3 and the luminous elements of the beams 5 and 6, respectively, so that these luminous elements only then light up during actuation of such switch. After the switch is again released there is interrupted infeed of current to the luminous elements, these luminous elements stop illuminating, and moreover, the current from the power source which is assembled into the watch only then is used for operating the electronic switching circuit.

This switching circuit, as should be readily evident, must be powered without interruption but still its current consumption is extremely small so that very little energy is drawn from the battery.

Continuing, the watch also can be equipped with a device 14 for the display of seconds, as apparent from the showing of Figure 4. The second display device 14 contains a row of luminous elements 1 5 arranged at the center of the front surface of the base body 1. Here also there are provided 31 of such second displayingluminous elements 15, wherein the lowermost and uppermost elements 1 56 and 1 55 constitute a component of the respective beams 5 and 6 and deliver the additional information for reading the second display.

The watch according to Figures 4 and 5 has a base or stand 16, but however, it also can be designed to be so small that it can be used as a pendant.

Figure 6 shown the previously described watch in a modification wherein the base body has an elliptical cross-section.

There have already been discussed heretofore the problems associated with reading the time values in the direction of the width of the base body 1. Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of watch constructed according to the invention and which solves this problem and is still extremely simple. The base body of this construction of watch consists of two adjacently arranged parts 1 7 and 1 8 between which there are located the luminous elements 2, 22 and so forth which display the hours. The size of such luminous elements is dimensioned so that they protrude past the surface of the parts or body portions 1 7 and 1 8 at both sides of the base body.The intermediate space between the individual hour elements 2 can be filled with a suitable colored material, which additionally interconnects both of the parts 17 and 18 with one another. The free edges of the base body parts or portions 17 and 18 are provided with minute elements 3, 31 and so forth, which can be mounted at the extensions or projections 8, in the manner already heretofore discussed. Furthermore, from the showing of Figure 7 it will be apparent that the beam 5 is mounted at the upper edge of the base body 1.

However, it is to be understood that the base body of the watch constructions of this invention can still have different cross-sectional configurations. Figure 8 shows a watch in top plan view, whose base body 1 has a triangular crosssectional configuration. The apexes or corner edges of the base body 1 are provided with the hour elements 2 and 22, respectively, whereas the flat portions of the base body 1 support the minute elements 3 and 31 respectively. With such construction of watch it is possible to undertake all of the previously discussed measures.

On the other hand, in Figure 9 there is shown a watch construction wherein the cross-section of its base body 1 is four-cornered, wherein the individual walls 1 9 are concave. Each two oppositely situated edge regions of the base body 1 are provided with elements for the display of the same type of time units. In the illustrated embodiment the left and right edge of the base body 1 carries the luminous elements 2 displaying the hours, whereas the front and rear edges of the base body 1 are provided with the minute elements 3. In similar fashion as heretofore described, the upper portion of the base body 1 is provided with the luminous elements forming the upper beam 5 and the lower part thereof is provided with the luminous elements forming the lower beam 6.At the deepest portions of the concave walls of the base body 1 there is then arranged the device 14 for the display of the seconds, which is structured in any one of the manners heretofore disclosed and also functions in such described manner. A base body with concave walls can also consist of two pyramids 40 and 41, the apexes of which are connected with one another, as shown in the arrangement of Figure 14.

As the display means for the hours, minutes and seconds it is also possible to use devices which have the form of a moving band, cable or liquid columns.

Figure 10 illustrates a construction of watch whose base body has a triangular cross-sectional configuration, and the walls of this base body are advantageously concave. The edge portions of this base body 1 can be provided with devices for the display of the hours and the walls with devices for the display of minutes and also seconds, if desired.

The walls of the base body 1 are provided with markers or markings 77, 44 for the hours 77 and for the minutes 44. The start and the end of the relevant band 42 or 43, respectively, or the liquid column determines the corresponding time data.

Advantageously, the display devices 42 and 43 have different colors.

Figure 11 illustrates a watch constructed upon the same principles. The display devices 45, 46 for the hours 45 and for the minutes 46 are constructed as concentric cylinders in which there can be pumped different colored liquids. The cylinders 45 and 46 can be provided at least with the hour markers 77. It should be evident that the liquid of the intermediate cylinder 46 which displays the minutes must be pumped full one time and again conveyed out of such cylinder until the liquid which displays the hours is raised higher by one time marker 7 or drops lower by one time marker.

In order to render clear to the observer attempting to read the watch whether the length of the relevant liquid column increases or decreases a disk 47 floats upon the one liquid column and a ring 48 upon the other liquid column, the disk 47 and the ring 48 being formed of any suitable lightweight material.

A further possibility for clearly indicating the direction of movement of the level of the liquid column can be obtained in that, there is provided at the top of the watch an attachment or fixture 49. At the central region of this attachment 49 there is located any suitable first light source (not shown), which is responsible for illuminating the upper surface of the disk 47. At the remaining part of the attachment 49 there is arranged a second suitable light source (not shown) which is responsible for illuminating the upper side of the ring 48. In the base or stand 1 6 there are arranged appropriate light sources for the illumination of the lower side of the disk 47 and the ring 48. When the disk 47 and the ring 48 respectively, move in an upward direction, then there is turned-on the upper correlated light source in the attachment 49.When the disk 47 or/and the ring 48 move downwardly, then in each case there is illuminated the source correlated therewith and arranged in the base or stand 1 6. Of course, the light sources also can be turned-on in the reverse sequence.

Figure 1 2 illustrates two time displays of a further embodiment of watch constructed according to the invention, wherein the base body 1 thereof has a circular cross-sectional configuration. Advantageously, there are provided at the circumference of this base body 1 three devices for the display of hours and which are distributively arranged at the same spacing from one another, between which there is located in each case a device for the display of minutes. To display the individual hours there are provided, just as was heretofore the case, individual luminous elements or points along the base body 1.

The device which displays the minutes, with this embodiment, however is constructed as a strip 39, the length of which increases or decreases, as the case may be. This strip 39 can be constituted by a movable material strip, or it .can consist of individual, flat luminous elements which, at the base body 1, assume time intervals of, for instance, in each case one minute.

In the left-hand showing of the watch of Figure 12 the same is set such that the line of sight of the observer is located exactly at the center between one minute display device and one hour display device. Since the watch body 1 has a round crosssectional configuration, the otherwise round hour elements 2 actually should be illustrated as ellipses. The actuation of the beams 5 and 6 at the ends of the base body 1, with this embodiment of watch, only is accomplished in conjunction with the minute display, because with the device for the display of hours in each case there are simply connected-in further hour luminous elements 2 with the already illuminated hour markers or luminous elements 2.

During the time span of 1 to 29 minutes the strip 39 increases in size from the upper end 5 of the watch body 1 in the direction towards the bottom. At the start of the 30th minute the strip 39 suddenly switches-off or it is drawn away and only remaining visible is the lower edge 6 of the watch body 1 as an indication that the first halfhour has expired. Then the strip 39 increases in size from the bottom towards the top until it has reached the full hour. Now the luminous elements of such strip 39 are again turned-off or the strip 39 is removed out of the display and there only is illuminated the upper beam 5, in order to thereby indicate that a new hour has begun.

If the lowermost situated time marker 21 lights up, which indicates 6 hours, then in the illustrated case appearing at the left of Figure 12 the time is 10 hours, i.e. 10 o'clock. The upper beam 5, in the present case, assumes the value 0 minutes and the lower beam 6 the value 30 minutes. Since in the case illustrated at the left-hand portion of Figure 12 the lower beam 6 illuminates, there is displayed a time increment of 50 minutes.

According to the illustration, viewed in toto the time is 10 hours, 50 minutes.

With the display illustrated at the right-hand portion of Figure 12 the watch body 1 is set such that the hour markers or elements 2 are situated opposite the observer. Since the strips 39 have a certain width, and because they are located, in this case, laterally of the center, with this design of watch only the projections of the strips 39 in the plane of the drawing are visible and also illustrated. That is the reason why the strips 39 with the watch of Figure 12 is shown at the righthand portion of the illustration to be narrower than the strips 39 for the watch shown at the left-hand portion of such Figure.

If one proceeds with the basic principles for reading the time which have been explained in conjunction with the left-hand illustrated watch, then the watch in the right-hand portion of Figure 12 displays the time 01 hours, 05 minutes.

Figure 1 3 illustrates a so-called 24-hour watch which, one again, has a base body 1 having a circular cross-sectional configuration. Just as was the case for the watch of Figure 12, also with this watch design there are provided three devices for the display of hours and three devices for the display of minutes at the circumference of the base body 1 which are distributed essentially at the same spacing from one another.

The device for the display of minutes here also possesses in each instance a strip 39 which displays the number of expired minutes in conjunction with the corresponding beams 5 and 6, respectively. When the lower beam 6 lights up there are displayed 0 to 29 minutes. When the upper beam 5 lights up there are displayed 30 to 59 minutes. In the illustration shown at the extreme left of Figure 1 3 of this design of watch there are hence displayed 35 minutes. With the two remaining illustrations of Figure 13 there are displayed 06 minutes.

The base body 1 of the watch, for the left-hand and intermediate watch illustrations of Figure 13, is set such that the hour display is located directly opposite the viewer. In the right-hand illustration of watch of Figure 1 3 the watch has been shown however such that the minute display is located directly opposite the viewer.

The intermediate and right-hand located illustrations of watch of Figure 1 3 indicates the same time, namely 14 hours, 06 minutes.

In the case of a 24-hour watch the problem exists that for the display of the hours until 12 hours and after 12 hours there must be possible different displays. For this reason the hour display, with the watch of Figure 13, is constructed in a particular manner. The display of 0 hours is accomplished with the aid of an element 50 located at the lower end of the base body, this element 50 having a neutral shape, such as for instance the shape of a circle. At the level of the relevant hour displays there are located the hour markers 51 and 52 of two different types, the shape of which at the same time indicates in which direction there is running the momentary increase in the hour display. These hour markers 51 and 52 can be, for instance, triangular in shape, and one of the apexes of the relevant triangle points in the direction of the momentary progression of the time indication.Apart from the neutrally configured hour indicator 50 there is located at the lower end of the base body 1 also a downwardly pointing indicator or pointer 52 (not shown).

At the upper end of the base body 1 there is located, apart from an hour marker 51, also an especially configured, for instance star-shaped hour marker 53 which has assigned to it the value of 12 hours.

Since in the illustration at the left of Figure 13 this special time marker has not yet illuminated, it is sufficient to merely read the number of already illuminated upwardly pointing hour markers 51.

Consequently, with the left-hand illustrated watch of Figure 13 there is displayed the time 05 hours, 35 minutes. In order to display the time 6 hours all of the hour markers 51 up to the star-shaped marker 53 light-up, and of course any possibly prevailing minute displays are added thereto. At 7 hours the neutral time marker 50 extinguishes as does equally the lowermost upwardly pointing hour marker 51, at 8 hours also the second lowermost marker 51, until at 12 hours all of these markers 51 are placed out of operation, and now there only lights up the star-shaped marker 53.At 13 hours the first downwardly pointing hour marker 52 is taken into consideration along with the illuminated star-shaped marker 53, at 14 hours (2:00 p.m.) there is taken into consideration the second hour marker 52 and so forth, and at 18 hours (6:00 p.m.) there illuminate, apart from the star-shaped marker 53, all of the downwardly pointed markers 52.

As a sign to reflect the fact that it is already 1 9 hours (7.00 p.m.), the star-shaped hour marker 53 can extinguish. This can not cause faulty reading of the time because now only the downwardly directed hour markers 52 illuminate. At 20 hours, the uppermost downwardly pointing marker 52 extinguishes and so forth until the watch, at 24 hours, reaches the initially already described condition in that only the neutrally shaped time marker 50 alone illuminates.

It is to be particularly understood that the described embodiments are but exemplary and are not intended-to be limited to those exemplary embodiments of the invention herein specifically dislosed, rather the invention is also intended to encompass any random combination or partial combination of the measures herein disclosed and undertaken for the various exemplary embodiments of watch, if they are suitable for solving the stated objectives of the invention or even a partial object of the invention.

Claims

1. In a watch containing at least one display device which has at least one essentially linear extending scale which is subdivided into time units the improvement which comprises: an elongate base body possessing time markers; said base body having at least one peripheral portion; a first device provided for the peripheral portion of the base body for the display of a first type of time units; and a second device provided for the base body for the display of at least a second type of time units.

2. The watch as defined in claim 1, further including: a signal device provided at least at one end of the elongate base body and which coacts with at least one of the display devices.

3. The watch as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein: said base body has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration, said base body having oppositely situated walls; the first display device being provided at one of the walls of the base body; and the second display device being provided at the other oppositely situated wall of said base body.

4. The watch as defined in claim 3, wherein: one of the walls of the base body which is provided with the display device for one of the time units contains protruding elements which collectively constitutes a display device for a third type of time units.

5. The watch as defined in claim 3, further including: an additional base body; said two base bodies being operatively correlated to one another such that the first display device for the first type of time units is arranged at the first base body adjacent the second display device for the other type of time units.

6. The watch as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein: the first display device for the first type of time units contains individual elements arranged at opposite sides of the base body; and said second display device for the second type of time units being located intermediate said individual elements.

7. The watch as defined in claim 6, wherein: the base body has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration.

8. The watch as defined in claim 6, wherein: the base body has a substantially oval configuration.

9. The watch as defined in claim 6, wherein: said base body has a substantially circular configuration.

10. The watch as defined in claim 6, wherein: said intermediately situated display device contains display elements which are visible from both oppositely situated sides of the base body.

11. The watch as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein: the cross-section of the base body has a fourcornered configuration possessing concave sides; and two respective oppositely situated edge regions of such base body being provided with elements for indicating the same type of time units.

12. The watch as defined in claim 11, wherein: the base body has recessed portions containing a display device for display of a third type of time units.

13. The watch as defined in claim 1, further including: eyelet means provided for the base body through which there can be threaded a neck chain for wearing the watch as a pendant.

14. The watch as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein: the base body has the configuration of two cones interconnected at the apexes.

1 5. The watch as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein: the base body has the configuration of two pyramids connected at their appexes.

16. The watch as defined in claim 1 or 2 wherein: said base body has a substantially triangular cross-sectional configuration and is provided with edges and walls; the edges of such base body containing said first display device for the display of the one type of time units; and the walls of the base body containing the second display device for the display of the second type of time units.

17. The watch as defined in claim 1, wherein: at least one of the display device contains light radiating elements.

1 8. The watch as defined in claim 1, wherein: the first display device for displaying time units of the first type contains tubes in which there can be removed a column of dyed liquid.

19. The watch as defined in claim 18, wherein: said tube of the one display device is arranged within a tube of the other display device; and the liquids in each of the tubes being of different colors.

20. A watch substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in any one of the Figures of the accompanying drawings.