Horology: time measuring systems or devices – With calendar indicator – Winding and setting
Patent
1989-07-28
1992-03-03
Roskoski, Bernard
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
With calendar indicator
Winding and setting
368 34, G04B 1924
Patent
active
050938142
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention concerns a process for programming a perpetual calendar of a watch featuring a perpetual calendar and an analogical time display, in which is programmed at least one of the following parameters of this perpetual calendar: number of the year in a cycle of four years, name or number of the month in the year, day of the month, this watch comprising a case, at least an hour hand, a minute hand and eventually a seconds hand, at least one motor driving these hands together with a quartz-controlled electronic command circuit, means of displaying at least the day of the month and eventually the name of the day, a time-setting rod and an activating mechanism to enter a programming mode, a selecting mechanism and an adjusting mechanism to modify said parameters to be programmed and a display mechanism to visualize said parameters.
It also concerns a watch of the type featuring a perpetual calendar and an analogical time display, comprising a case, at least an hour hand, a minute hand and eventually a seconds hand, at least one motor driving the hands and a quartz-controlled electronic command circuit, means of displaying at least the day of the month and eventually the name of the day, a time-setting rod and the activating mechanism to enter the programming mode, the selecting mechanism and the adjusting mechanism to modify the parameters to be programmed, these parameters being the number of the year in a cycle of four years, the name or the number of the month of the year and the day of the month, and the display mechanism to visualise said parameters, this watch being designed to make use of the above process.
The perpetual calendar of a watch displays the day of the month correctly, allowing for the irregularity of the number of days in the months of the year and also for leap years which have an extra day, i.e. the 29th of February.
All this represents a cycle of four years which does not present any additional irregularities before the year 2100 which will not be a leap year, because of the fact that all the years denoting a century, except those whose first two figures are divisible by four, are not leap years.
To correct these irregularities in a four year cycle, a system must be used where the moment of the correction, whether it be the end of the month and the value to be corrected, whether it be the number of days of each month during four years, are defined.
For a mechanical watch it is sufficient to add to the display of the day of the month, the name of the month and the number of the year in a cycle of four years according to the following scheme:
The No. of the years corresponds to the remainder from the division by four of the number defining these years.
For a mechanical watch, it is not possible to hide from the wearer the name of the month and the number of the year because this type of watch may stop, for example if the watch is not worn for a certain period, when it is put on again it is necessary to re-date the calendar.
For quartz watches, the situation is completely different given that they continue to function even when they are not worn. Therefore it is possible to consider the name of the month and the number of the year as parameters uniquely accessible by the manufacturer or by a specialist, for example when the battery is changed. By their very nature, electronic systems permit such a conception whereas the mechanical systems can not.
With the aim of unifying the system, it is preferable to add a third parameter, by way of the day of the month, because this avoids a detection of the position of the day of the month disc to define the moment of the correction.
In summary, a watch featuring a perpetual calendar generally comprises three parameters to be programmed which are respectively, the number of the year in a cycle of four years, the name or the number of the month of the year and the day of the month which defines the moment of the correction.
These three parameters are memorised by the electronic circuit and the operation which consists of entering them in
REFERENCES:
patent: Re27278 (1972-01-01), Brasher
patent: 3750385 (1973-08-01), Kocher
patent: 3842599 (1974-10-01), Kato
patent: 4427300 (1984-01-01), Groothuis
Besson Rene
Ortelli Jean
Montres Rolex S.A.
Roskoski Bernard
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