Abstract: An electronic timepiece movement includes a control stem slidably guided in a radial passage of a base plate. Pulling on this control stem brings a return spring acting on the stem into contact with a stud which is carried by the substrate of an electronic circuit module of the movement. This connects a conductive lead to ground, which controls an operation function of the timepiece. The pull-out control stem and associated return spring can be replaced by a push-in member and by a return coil spring located in said passage. The stud is then positioned in a hole of the substrate of the electronic circuit, which hole is situated opposite to the longitudinal axis of the passage. Pressure exerted on this push-in member places a portion thereof into electrical contact with the stud and this connects the lead to ground, as before. Thus, the movement can according to choice be completed for operation either by a push-in control movement or by a pull-out control stem movement.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a timepiece having an alarm activating mechanism that serves for effecting the closure of an electrical contact (5a, 9) at a time which is adjustable in advance. The mechanism is arranged in the form of a module (100) which comprises a mechanically unitary assembly formed of two coaxial wheels (6, 8), one of which carries a contact element (9). This unitary assembly is mounted on the framework of the movement so that its angular position is manually adjustable about an axis, and it carries a wheel (5) which is in mesh with the hour wheel (3) and has an embossment (5a) which can enter into contact with the contact element (9). The invention is applicable more particularly to alarm watches.

Abstract: The various pivoting members--setting-lever (3), rocker lever (14) and correction lever (16)--of a setting mechanism having a setting stem (2) are held in place and pivoted by means of a metal bridge (90) an arm (9) of which forms the setting-lever spring. The setting-lever, the rocker lever and the correction lever are interposed between the plate (1, 10, 11) of the movement and the bridge which not only provides for holding them in position but also provides for pivoting thereof. For that purpose, these three pivoting members each carry an arbor (4, 15, 17), which is fitted thereto and which has two end sections (4a, 15a, 17a; 21) projecting outside of said pivoting member. One of these end sections (21) engages without appreciable clearance into a corresponding hole (101) in the bridge and the other end (4a, 15a, 17a) is located with substantial clearance in a corresponding hole (20) in the plate and serves for the prepositioning of said pivoting element on said plate.

Abstract: A converter (300) for converting an a.c. voltage (SP) into a direct current (i.sub.3), characterized in that it comprises a first elementary converter (21) which, in response to the a.c. voltage (SP), provides a pulsed direct current (i.sub.1), the mean value (i.sub.1) of which is a steeply rising function of the amplitude A of the a.c. voltage (SP), and a second elementary converter (22) which, in response to the current i.sub.1 provides a current i.sub.3, the value of which is a steeply falling function of i.sub.1.Used for regulating the amplitude of the oscillation signal of an oscillator.

Abstract: The alarm wheel (5) is mounted with axial clearance between an insulating plate (6) and a wheel (8).This wheel (5) is in mesh with the hour cannon wheel (3). It has an embossment (5a) which, once during each turn, passes in front of a magnet (9) carried by the plate (6). The wheel (5) is then attracted axially and its embossment (5a) enters into contact with the magnet (9), grounding the latter. Now, the magnet (9) being in permanent contact with one of the conductive tracks (13) of the printed circuit of the watch, this track (13) is thus grounded. The user of the watch can alter the time at which the releases are produced by altering the angular position of the plate (6). No spring acts axially on the alarm wheel (5) which moves freely between the wheel (8) and an annular rib (6e) provided on the plate 6.

Abstract: A manually operable setting stem 1 has three stable axial positions defined by a pull out piece 4 cooperating with notches in the head 8a of a spring 8. The illustrated position is a pushed in, neutral position. In an intermediate pulled out position, a return bar 9 moves a sliding pinion 12 into engagement with a gear 17 in mesh with a gear 18 which is in turn in mesh with a gear 19 whose axis can swing about the axis of the gear 18. In the intermediate position, rotation of the stem in one sense adjusts a data ring 14 via a star-wheel 20 on the gear 19; rotation in the other sense adjusts the pre-set alarm time via a gear 21. In the fully pulled out position the return bar slides the pinion 12 further inwardly and with it the gear 17 which meshes with a gear 24 for setting the time indicating mechanism. The stem can be pushed in beyond the stable pushed in position to engage the tip 1a of the stem with an electrical contact. Such operation alternately turns the alarm mechanism on and off.

Abstract: The watch comprises a plurality of stores, each containing a particular item of time data and each producing an output signal representing the data therein. A single operating button is displaceable by the user of the watch, on the one hand in the axial direction between a pushed-in position and a pulled-out position for which a switch is respectively open and closed, and on the other hand rotatably. Rotation of the button closes and opens two more switches by two cams rotationally displaced so that two pulse trains are produced with a phase relationship indicating the sense of rotation. A circuit processes these pulse trains to produce UP pulse for one sense of rotation and DOWN pulses for the other sense of rotation. These pulses are used to correct the value in a selected store. The particular store to which the correction signal is applied is selected by axially displacing the operating button from the pushed-in position to the pulled-out position a predetermined number of times.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece comprising a rate correction circuit for modifying the number of time base pulses received by the frequency divider during a predetermined period of time by a predetermined number of correction pulses. The rate correction circuit is arranged to divide said period of time into a given number of sub-periods and to distribute correction pulses substantially and equally over these sub-periods.

Abstract: A device comprises means for distinguishing a short depression from a long depression depending on the period of actuation of a control button (block 14), means for selecting in the case of a short depression a minutes correction mode in which the display advances by one minute for each pressure (block 18) and, in the case of a long depression, an hours correction mode in which the display advances by complete hours as long as the depression lasts (block 19). It further comprises means for defining two different advance speeds, a slower speed (SLOW+60 m) and a faster speed (FAST+60 mn) in the hours correction mode, and means for passing automatically first to the slow speed to advance a first hour and then to the fast speed for the following hours.

Abstract: A passive electro-optic display cell comprises two glass plates each of which is covered with a protective layer, for example of silicon dioxide, on which are fixed conductive electrodes composed, for example, of indium oxide. A bonding layer is placed between each plate so treated and an alignment layer which aligns the molecules of a liquid crystal within the cell, this bonding layer being produced from a transparent organic substance, for example a silane or an aluminate. The alignment layers are composed of a polymerizable material, for example a polyimide. A sealing frame which surrounds the liquid crystal between the plates is likewise composed of a polymerizable material, for example a formaldehyde phenolic resin. A copolymerization of the sealing frame and the two alignment layers is obtained, so that these three elements form a casing which encloses the liquid crystal and protects it against contamination and from external influences.

Abstract: The device displays an hour hand and a minute hand on a twelve hour dial and comprises a layer of electro-optical material having on one face an inner ring of 10 sectorial plate electrodes B.sub.1 etc, each subtending an angle of 36.degree. and a corresponding outer ring of 10 plate electrodes B.sub.11 etc. On the other face there are sixty radial segments electrodes arranged in ten groups of six segments. Each group is opposed to a respective one of the ten plates. The segments are connected in six meandering circuits M.sub.1 to M.sub.6 so that, in proceeding one way round the dial, the segments of the said groups pertaining to the circuits M.sub.1 to M.sub.6 and then to the circuits M.sub.6 to M.sub.1 and so on in alternation round the dial.

Abstract: In an electronic watch the indication of the time (hours, minutes and possibly seconds) is given in analog form by means of a first passive electro-optic display cell. The display segments of this first display cell are arranged radially with respect to a central point, and the activated segments thereof have the appearance of the conventional hands of an analog watch. The watch comprises a second passive electro-optic display cell furnishing information in digital form, for example indicating the day of the week and the date. So that only the second cell need be provided with an illuminating device, the watch comprises a selector which is manually operable by means of a push-button which, when it is operated, causes the time to be displayed by the second cell at the same time as the illuminating device thereof is operated. This arrangement enables the user to know the time in the dark without it being necessary to provide the first cell with an illuminating device.

Abstract: An electronic watch comprises two passive electro-optic display devices one of which provides a digital display and the other of which provides an analog display. In one operational mode, the analog display device displays the local time while the digital display device furnishes other information such as the days of the week and the dates, for example. In another operational mode, which is selected by means of a push-button, the analog display device comprises only one activated segment (constituted or formed of a ray) which is consequently visible, to indicate opposite a scale of the time zones which time zone is actually selected, the digital display device then indicating the time of the selected time zone. The selection of the time zone which is displayed by the digital display device is effected by means of another push-button.

Abstract: An electro-magnetic motor for a timepiece wherein the stator is formed of two pole pieces contacting the ends of a core traversing a coil. Both ends of the core and one end of each pole piece have notched portions with cross sections of the notched portions of the core being at least equal to the cross section of core as it passes through the coil and cross sections of the notched portions of the pole pieces being substantially equal to the cross sections of the notched portions of the core, so that the notched portions do not produce an increase in the resistance to the passage of magnetic flux through the core and pole pieces.

Abstract: A set of passive display cells are manufactured by providing two superimposed glass plates on which there has been deposited groups of conductive layers in a matrix configuration. A peripheral closed belt of thermoplastic material is provided between the two plates and a set of open belts of thermoplastic material having openings is provided surrounding the groups of conductive layers. The closed belt is sealed so as to realize a closed space between the two plates. In a vessel where there is a higher pressure, the softening of the closed and open belts is produced. The two plates are then brought closer to each other under the effect of the overpressure up to a distance determined by spacing elements contained in the material of the open belts which material then is hardened. A side of the outer belt is eliminated and the cells are filled with a liquid crystal under vacuum. The cells then are separated from each other still under vacuum, and the openings of the open belts are closed.

Abstract: The invention concerns an electronic time-piece having a barometric indicator, indicating, for example, barometric trends.The time-piece comprises, in addition to the reference oscillator for determining the time, a measurement oscillator associated with a transducer exposed to the ambient air. A counter measures the variations of the frequency of the measurement oscillator due to the fluctuations of atmospheric pressure, and an electronic circuit controls, from predetermined detection thresholds, the indication of barometric trend on the display device of the time-piece.

Abstract: Electronic timepiece delivering an acoustic signal to signalize to the user a particular state of working mode. The invention applies more particularly to timepieces with a digital display for indicating the time and the date, the same display being used to indicate the time of alarm. In such a timpiece, it is necessary to be able to make corrections of the time and the date in the watch correcting mode as well as corrections of the time of alarm in the alarm correcting mode. It is this alarm correcting mode which, in the described example, is signalized by an acoustical signal.The timepiece includes an oscillator, a frequency divider, at least one display unit, an alarm device, a memory and a comparator for the time of alarm, a control logic circuit and a first and a second control means.

Abstract: An electronic watch circuits for the measurement and the display of time and for measuring a reaction time, and which further includes circuits controlling the display of a signal determined by comparing the measured reaction time with a reference time.

Abstract: Electronic watch provided with a release circuit in order to reduce the consumption of energy of the watch in its stocking condition. The release circuit is controlled through a delay circuit by a logic control circuit which is set in a particular "stocking" position by control means.

Abstract: An electronic watch with a body surrounded by a metallic ring. The ring is elastically deformable in at least some locations. Electrical contact blocks are positioned opposite the deformable portions of the ring. Pushers are operable on the ring to deform the same into contact with the blades to control functions thereof.