Abstract: The invention concerns a lunar month display mechanism, for a lunisolar calendar mechanism. The mechanism includes concentrically a plate, which determines the position of the additional month in the bissextile years. The plate is provided with a hand associated with a scale of twelve months and carries a planetary wheel permanently braked by a restraining device. The drive wheel, driven over one twelfth of a revolution at each new moon, meshes with the planetary wheel and moves the plate and hand forward. At the start of a bissextile month, the stop finger forces the wheel to rotate overcoming the force of the restraining device while the drive wheel is rotating, such that the hand remains close to the number of the preceding month. The position of the stop finger is determined by a year cam. This mechanism can be used in particular in a Chinese calendar display.

Abstract: In order to display images true to the real appearance of the moon during a lunation, particularly in a watch, there is provided a rotating indicator disc (8) arranged behind a circular aperture of a dial and comprising an annular region (20) subdivided into alternatively light (21-25) and dark (26-30) fields by lines of separation (31-40) having different shapes, which can appear in succession in the aperture. The drive means impart primary movements on the indicator disc (8), each of which is large enough to replace one of the lines of separation by another in the aperture, and smaller secondary movements, to produce small movements of the line of separation inside the aperture. This allows a new image of the moon to be given every day, true to reality, with a restricted number of light and dark fields on the indicator disc and a particularly large aperture in relation to the size of the dial. A version with electric driving is disclosed and a version driven by a mechanical watch movement.

Abstract: In an electronic watch containing an electric battery assembly of large size, particularly a battery assembly including several batteries or accumulators (41, 42), the diameter of a removable cover (20) closing a large bottom opening of the back cover (14) of the watchcase is limited by the fact that the cover is provided with a bayonet fitting device having locking members (56) radially directed towards the interior. These locking members catch on a fixed support (22) having one or more housings for the battery assembly. They are arranged at the top of a substantially cylindrical annular portion (50) of the cover. A sealing gasket (52) is placed around this annular portion and compressed radially against a cylindrical surface (16) of the periphery of the opening in the back cover, which ensures water-resistance even if the bayonet fitting is not screwed all the way in. According to a variant, the cover can form the entire back cover of the case.

Abstract: The case (2) includes means (4a, 4b; 24, 25) for attaching a wristband (3) to a wrist and means for connecting a flexible support (11) of a keyboard (13, 23) with keys (14, 15) connected inside the case (2) to a data processing unit (29) controlling a display device (16, 16a, 16b) allowing characters, supplied by the processing unit (29), to be displayed on a dial (7) of the case (2), the electric power for the electronic components of the assembly being provided by a power source (10). The case is characterized in that the flexible support (11) for the keyboard (13, 23) is connected on one side of the case (2) and its length substantially corresponds to the size of the wrist outline, and in that the wristband (3) totally covers the keyboard (13, 23) while being provided with fixed attachment means (4b, 24) diametrically opposite the means for connecting the keyboard (13, 23) and removable attachment means (4a, 25) located in proximity to said connection to the keyboard.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a portable object such as, in particular, a timepiece (1) including means for controlling at least an electronic function such as an horological function, these control means including at least a touch-sensitive key (16) for selecting the desired electronic function, characterized in that the control means further include a strain gauge (22) allowing the selection of the desired electronic function to be confirmed and/or the electronic function to be activated, the confirmation and/or activation of said electronic function being effected by applying pressure to the portable object via the effect of which the strain gauge (22) generates a control signal which will be applied to an electronic data processing circuit, said portable object also being able to include means able to emit an acoustic signal to indicate to a user that the desired function has actually been switched on.