Abstract: A driver circuit for a stepping motor having a coil, a stator and a rotor receives pulse signals from a pulse signal generator to rotationally drive the rotor. A rotation detection circuit comprises switching circuitry switchable between a high impedance loop formed of the coil and a high impedance element and a low impedance loop formed of the coil and a low impedance element, and means for detecting the voltage induced in the coil. After a pulse signal is applied to the stepping motor, the switching circuitry forms the high impedance loop and the detecting means compares the voltage developed across the high impedance element with a predetermined voltage to thereby detect the rotation and non-rotation states of the rotor.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece having a stepping motor including a stator, rotor and coil, a driving circuit for applying driving pulses to the coil, an oscillating circuit for generating a time standard signal and a dividing circuit for dividing the time standard signal, is provided with a pulse combining circuit receptive of the output of the dividing circuit for producing a correction driving pulse having sufficient effective power to drive the motor under worst case conditions, a detector for detecting the rotation or non-rotation condition of the rotor after the application to the coil by the driving circuit of a normal driving pulse having less effective power than the correction driving pulse, and a controller for the driving circuit to apply normal driving pulses to the coil and responsive to the output of the detector to apply a correction driving pulse when a non-rotation condition is detected.