Abstract: This chronograph-watch includes, superposed over one another and in the following order, a motor module (19), a chronograph module (27) and a dial (12). The motor module comprises a first date ring (17). The chronograph module includes a second date ring (28) located immediately under the dial and bearing indications (14) concerning the date which appear through an opening (13). The second ring (28) is controlled by the first ring (17), through a drive chain (32, 33, 34, 36) assembled in the chronograph module.

Abstract: This invention concerns a braking arrangement for a gear wheel. The purpose of the invention is to brake the last wheel in a gear train in order to avoid the latter rotating through unequal angular steps. Such purpose is achieved with the help of an element forming a brake (1) fixed onto a first wheel set (2) of a gear train in a manner to be driven in rotation by the latter, such element (1) exhibiting a friction surface (39) at its periphery brought to bear elastically onto a second wheel set (6) meshing with the first so as to brake such second wheel set (6). The invention is more especially applied to horological and chronograph gearing.

Abstract: A watch movement is a combination of a chronograph module and a motor module, the motor module comprising a third wheel, a first power take off composed of a toothed wheel fixed to the cannon-pinion and a second power take off composed of a pinion fixed to the seconds axle in the center, the chronograph module having a chronograph hand, a hand for the minute counter and a hand for the hour counter. This watch movement also has a third power take off composed of a wheel fixed to the third wheel, these three power take offs being accessible from the same side by the upper face of the motor module and the chronograph module being placed against said upper face of the motor module, and in that the hand of the chronograph, the hand of the minute counter and the hand of the hour counter are driven respectively and in independent manner by said second, third and first power take offs.

Abstract: A fly-back chronograph provided with a stop-start control for the fly-back hand is provided. The control does not require careful and frequent adjustment and avoids premature wear of the fly-back wheel parts. The control device has fly-back pincer, a fly-back wheel disposed between the free extremities of the two branches of the said pincer, two fixed reaction members against which a connecting member between the two branches of the pincer bear and deformation means creating a force acting against the said reaction members on the said portion of the connecting member in order to deform it.

Abstract: A calendar watch includes a central date indicator (4). The indicator is united with a crown wheel (9) comprising teeth (11) forming a circular crown (12) arranged to be perpendicular to a face (13) of said wheel. The teeth (12) are driven by a finger (14) rotating in a plane intersecting said crown in its height. The finger is united with a date driving wheel (15). The invention permits easy transformation of a watch having its date display in a dial aperture to a watch having a date indicator rotating about the center of the movement.

Abstract: The skeleton watch of this invention includes a caseband (1) bearing a frame (6) arranged between an upper crystal and a back cover (26), a leg (8) contiguous to the frame, a motor (10, 11, 12) secured to the frame and including a rotor directly driving a minutes wheel (15) bearing a minutes marker (17). An hours hand (18) is driven by the minutes wheel through motion work including a train of planetary gears (23, 24). Zones (27 to 32) and conductors (33 to 37) are metallized on the internal face of the back cover and are intended respectively to accommodate the electrical and electronic components and establish connections among such components. The arrangement as set forth permits a greatly bared skeleton watch with a minimum of noticeable elements.

Abstract: The wrist watch case of this invention includes a caseband-back provided with supports for retaining a movement assembled from above the caseband. The caseband-back is provided with a circular opening having a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of a circle circumscribing the movement. The opening is blocked by a cap which is fixed to the caseband-back by fastening means arranged at the exterior of said circumscribing circle and at a level located above the lower face of the movement. The cap is provided with notches arranged and adapted to cooperate with a wrench supplied to the watch user thereby to open or close the cap and thus permit changing the battery. The wrench may form an integral part of the bracelet buckle.

Abstract: The setting system of this invention includes a contactor provided with a blade adapted to come into repeated contact with a contact stud thereby to act on an electrical circuit. The contactor is operated by a stem bearing a crown and has a lock which prevents the blade from coming into accidental contact with the stud (for instance following a shock) when said stem is in its pushed-in rest position.

Abstract: A time indicator for a timepiece is driven by an arrangement comprising a driving train and a transmission assembly. The driving train includes a finger adapted to drive a pinion of small diameter and a circular flange adapted to block a pinion of large diameter. The small and large diameter pinions are coaxial, fixed to one another and compose the transmission assembly. In this manner the time interval in passing from one indication to another is diminished while avoiding the butting phenomenon of teeth resting on the circular flange.

Abstract: The timepiece of this invention comprises at least one hand making a revolution in twelve hours and a disc making a revolution in twenty-four hours. A crown enables simultaneous setting of the hand and disc display when pulled out to the second position. When rotated in one sense while in the first pulled-out position the crown sets the disc only. Between the disc and the hand there is interposed a speed reducer provided with a hollowed-out gear containing a jumper spring. The jumper engages a star wheel, itself fixed to a pinion which meshes with teeth borne by the disc. In operating the disc through this mechanism it is displaced through one hour intervals by the action of the end of the jumper on the teeth of the star wheel.

Abstract: The timepiece of the invention includes a hand for date display. This hand is driven via a calendar ring of a well-known type bearing teeth on its outer circumference. Such teeth drive intermediate gearing which in turn drives a calendar wheel fixed to the date display hand. This mechanism enables the mounting of a date displaying hand on a movement normally intended to show dates through a dial opening with minimum modifications.

Abstract: This mechanism is intended for time setting of an analog mechanical display in a timepiece. It comprises a manually operable crowned stem (1) arranged to be toggled into at least two axial positions the active one of which is drawn-out relative to the neutral pushed-in position. The stem is provided with a toothed pinion (3) which meshes with an axially displaceable pinion (6). Such pinions are placed side-by-side and a mechanism including a trigger piece (9), a rocking lever (10) and a slider (21) slaves the axially displaceable pinion to the stem. The arrangement is compact and readily integrated into a thin timepiece.

Abstract: The invention provides a positioning mechanism for a center wheel in a tiiece enabling precision positioning for the seconds or minutes hand relative to the dial divisions. It comprises a jumper spring (1) friction mounted onto the base plate and cooperating with the teeth (3) of the center wheel (4) and a wheel member (29) interposed between the center wheel (4) and the motor pinion (14). The wheel member includes a pinion (17) meshing with the center wheel as well as a gear (16) friction mounted relative to said pinion and meshing with the motor pinion. The positioning method consists of immobilizing the motor pinion then turning the center wheel to bring the end of the jumper spring into coincidence with a tooth space thereof. The invention is employed to position exactly the seconds or minutes hand of an electronic timepiece having a stepping motor.

Abstract: A stepping motor causes a driving pinion to rotate by steps of 90.degree., he stopping position being such that a driven pinion is blocked with a very small backlash by the pressure of a tooth of the driven pinion against the top face of one of the teeth of the driving pinion. Both pinions have simple teeth with conventional profiles capable of being cut by means of a worm-hob. The pitch of the driving pinion is between one and two times that of the driven pinion, and the layouts of the teeth are such that the arc along which a tooth of the driving pinion engages the teeth of the driven pinion includes a portion tranversed freely and a portion along which the driving pinion rotates the driven pinion by one step of its toothing.

Abstract: To attach the dial to the timepiece movement it is proposed to use a magnc circuit comprising at least one permanent magnet which cooperates with a soft ferromagnetic material. The latter may be a component of the dial while the magnet is placed within the movement. The magnetic attraction which exists between both elements holds together the dial and the movement.

Abstract: A unidirectional gear transmission of reduced axial thickness advantageou employed in timepieces is adapted to be driven by a stepping motor. The driving gear is provided with an alternating pattern of teeth having a first thickness and spacing and sets of two teeth having greater thickness and spacing. The driven gear is provided with an alternating pattern of teeth corresponding to the first thickness teeth of the driving gear and two spaces corresponding to the greater thickness teeth of the driving gear separated by a single tooth. Regular stepping rotation in either sense can be transmitted from the driving gear to the driven gear, but transmission of rotation from driven to driving gear is prevented.

Abstract: An electrically driven timepiece is provided with a single user-actuated h button for controlling a modulo-three counter, the counter being utilized to control display advancing pulses derived from an oscillator and frequency divider. In a first state, the counter controls the display advancing pulses to advance the display at a normal rate. In a second state, the counter controls the display advancing pulses to advance the display at a rapid rate to effect a time correction. In a third state, the counter blocks all advancing pulses whereby the display remains constant. This enables the user to restart the advancement of the display at a precise desired instant. In an alternative embodiment, means are provided within the timepiece for automatically advancing the counter from the second to the third state when the display is advanced to a reference position such as the zero seconds position.

Abstract: A control mechanism for setting a watch or the like includes a rotatable gger piece, a stem actuatable from the exterior of the timepiece, linkage between the stem and the trigger piece, and a setting lever which cooperates with the trigger piece for moving setting linkage into a proper position upon actuation of the stem. The resilient setting lever is biased from its pivot through its resilient length to urge its opposite end against the trigger piece and thereby hold the trigger piece in set positions. The resilient setting lever is part of a V-shaped resilient element which straddles the trigger piece.