Timepiece movement comprising a mechanism for indexing the relative position between display members of current seconds and minutes

Abstract

The invention relates to a watch movement in which a disengageable link, provided between current minute display and current minute reference mobiles, includes an indexing mechanism arranged to define sixty distinct indexed relative positions between the current minute display (1) and reference (3) mobiles, the passage from one indexed relative position to another involving a temporary disengagement of the disengageable link, the current minute display (1) and reference (3) mobiles occupying by default, when a time-setting mechanism (10) is inactive, one of the indexed relative positions.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a watch movement comprising: a running seconds display wheel, a running minutes display wheel, a time base and at least one drive member arranged to drive the running seconds and running minutes display wheels, a current minutes reference wheel, arranged between the drive member and the running minutes display wheel and being connected to the latter via a disengageable link, the current minutes reference wheel having a kinematic link with the running seconds display wheel in such a way that its angular orientation depends on the running seconds, a time setting mechanism, inactive by default, arranged to allow correction of the angular orientation of the current minutes display wheel, via disengaging the disengageable link.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a timepiece comprising such a watch movement as well as display members for the running seconds and the running minutes driven, respectively, by the display mobiles for the running seconds and the running minutes. State of the art

[0003] Many standard watch movements, whether mechanical or electromechanical, have the above characteristics.

[0004] In mechanical analog watches, when setting the time, the minute and current hour hands are detached from the kinematic chain linked to the watch regulator (the gear train in a mechanical watch) and are no longer connected to the current seconds hand. The initial relative positioning between, on the one hand, the hands indicating the current hours and minutes respectively and, on the other hand, the hand indicating the current seconds is lost. If this misalignment is not perceptible to a user at the level of the hour indication, it can be at the level of the minute indication and it can cause uncertainty in reading the time indicated by the watch. An example of this problem is illustrated in the Figure 1a. The relative positioning between the running seconds hand and the running minutes hand is clearly wrong, that is to say that the position of the running minutes hand in reference to the minute graduations does not correspond to the indication of the running seconds since it should point to a graduation. The user would not be able to tell whether the watch indicates 10:12 or 10:13. In fact, with such a misalignment, the indication of the running seconds loses its meaning, even for high-precision watches capable of keeping the rate with less than 3 sec / day of error. When the relative positioning of the hands is correct ( Figure 1b ), there is no doubt that the current time displayed corresponds to 10:12 and 0 seconds, and the high precision of a watch then takes on its full meaning.

[0005] A mechanism known as a "stop second" or "balance stop" is known, used in certain mechanical watches, which allows the going train to be stopped via the balance wheel, and therefore the running seconds hand, during time setting, in order to adjust the time to the nearest second. This also allows the user to adjust the position of the hand indicating the running minutes between two minute markers (spaced 6° apart on a traditional dial) by estimating the angular proportion corresponding to the indication of the running seconds hand. To avoid this angular estimation, the user can wait for the running seconds hand to pass through zero (indicated 12 on most dials), and carefully align the running minutes hand with a running minutes graduation on the dial. In all cases, this requires a particular effort of precision from the user.

[0006] An alternative to avoid uncertainty about reading the current minutes may be to implement a so-called "dead minute" complication described for example in document EP 1772783 A1, this complication being linked to the implementation of a constant force. The corresponding mechanism keeps the minute hand stopped for 60 seconds and then releases it to make a jump of one precise minute. In addition to its technical complexity, this type of mechanism breaks with the traditional display of mechanical watches, where the minute hand moves continuously and almost imperceptibly. In contrast, a jumping hand looks like an electronic element, which is not desirable for most users of mechanical watches.

[0007] Therefore, it remains interesting to be able to construct a watch movement which would facilitate the setting of mechanical analogue display watches with a running seconds indicator, while maintaining the consistency of the relative position between the running minutes indicator and the running seconds indicator after a time setting operation. Disclosure of the invention

[0008] A main aim of the present invention is to propose a watch movement, of reasonable complexity and size, making it possible to maintain a consistent relative positioning between the current minute display hand and the current second display hand when setting the time, to avoid display inconsistencies and possible reading errors which would otherwise result, while preserving the traditional continuous movement of the current minute hand during normal operation of the watch.

[0009] To this end, the present invention relates more particularly to a timepiece movement of the type indicated above, characterized in that the disengageable link comprises an indexing mechanism arranged so as to define distinct indexed relative positions between the display wheel set and the current minute reference wheel set, the passage from one indexed relative position to another involving a temporary disengagement of the disengageable link, the display wheel set and the current minute reference wheel set occupying by default, when the time-setting mechanism is inactive, one of the indexed relative positions.

[0010] Thanks to these characteristics, the position of the current minute display member is ensured to be consistent with the position of the current second display member, even after a time-setting operation, without a user needing to make any particular effort. Indeed, the relative positioning between the current minute reference wheel set and the current second display wheel set is not modified during time-setting operations, and the particular nature of the disengageable connection between the current minute display and reference wheel sets according to the present invention, with its indexing mechanism, ensures that the current minute display wheel set is correctly repositioned at the end of a time-setting operation.

[0011] Generally, it can be provided that the indexing mechanism is arranged so as to define 60*n or 60 / n distinct indexed relative positions between the display and reference mobiles of the current minutes, with n≥1, n being an integer. Preferably, n can be chosen to be equal to 1.

[0012] Preferably, it can be provided that the indexing mechanism comprises a notched member and an indexing member arranged to cooperate with the notched member, the notched and indexing members being coaxial and capable of exhibiting a relative rotational movement to allow the indexing member to pass from one notch to another of the notched member, by temporary axial relative separation between the notched and indexing members and / or by elastic deformation of at least a portion of the indexing member.

[0013] Furthermore, it is also possible to provide, advantageously, when the notched and indexing members are likely to have a relative axial distance, that the indexing mechanism further comprises an elastic return member arranged to act on one and / or the other of the notched and indexing members so as to engage the indexing member with a notch of the notched member.

[0014] In this case, it can further be provided that each of the notched and indexing members comprises an axial toothing in triangular teeth intended to cooperate with the axial toothing in triangular teeth of the other of the notched and indexing members to define the relative indexed positions.

[0015] Generally speaking, it is preferable to provide that the current minute display and current minute reference mobiles are coaxial.

[0016] According to a first preferred embodiment, it can be provided that one of the notched and indexing members is integral with the current minutes display wheel, and that the other is integral with the current minutes reference wheel.

[0017] Furthermore, according to a second preferred embodiment, it can be provided that one of the notched and indexing members has a kinematic connection with the current minutes display wheel, and that the other has a kinematic connection with the current minutes reference wheel.

[0018] In this case, it is also advantageous to provide that each of the notched and indexing members comprises a pinion arranged in mesh with a corresponding wheel of the one of the current minute display and current minute reference mobiles with which it is associated.

[0019] It can then be further provided that the pinions are sized and numbered identically, and that the wheels are sized and numbered identically.

[0020] Furthermore, it is still advantageous to provide that the current minute display wheel comprises a cannon pinion arranged in engagement with a current hour display wheel by means of a timer.

[0021] Generally speaking, it is advantageous to provide that the indexing member comprises one or more arms, each of which carries a finger intended to cooperate elastically with a notch of the notched member when the time-setting mechanism is inactive.

[0022] The present invention also relates to a timepiece of the type mentioned above, and in which the current seconds and current minutes display members have relative positions with reference, respectively, to the current seconds display wheel set and the current minutes display wheel set, such that the current minutes display member substantially indicates the start of a new minute when the current seconds display member indicates 0. Brief description of the drawings

[0023] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the detailed description of preferred embodiments which follows, given with reference to the appended drawings given by way of non-limiting example and in which: THE Figures 1a and 1b, already mentioned above, represent simplified front views of timepieces, respectively, according to the prior art and according to the present invention, the figure 2 represents a simplified perspective view of a construction detail of a watch movement according to the prior art, the Figures 3 and 4 represent schematic diagrams relating to the construction of watch movements, respectively, according to the prior art and according to the present invention, the Figure 5 represents a simplified perspective view of a construction detail of a watch movement according to a first variant of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the figure 6 represents a simplified perspective view of a construction detail of the watch movement of the Figure 5 , there figure 7represents a simplified perspective view of a construction detail of a watch movement according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, and the figures 8 And 9 represent simplified perspective views of a construction detail of watch movements, respectively, according to a second and a third variant of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Method(s) of carrying out the invention

[0024] In the remainder of this disclosure, the term "hand" should be interpreted generally as any mechanical display member, intended in particular to indicate the minutes (minute indicator) or the seconds (second indicator). This may include, for example, a disc in a rotating disc display, or other elements moving opposite a dial. The term "hand" is used solely to facilitate understanding, as it is in fact the most traditional display mode, implemented in the vast majority of watches with mechanical displays.

[0025] Although reference is mainly made to mechanical watches, the present invention is also suitable for other types of watches, in particular quartz watches, provided that the display is of the mechanical type with a gear train linking the seconds and minutes. In the context of the present invention, the main difference to be considered between an electromechanical watch and a mechanical watch is the nature of the driving member, which has no impact on the implementation of the invention.

[0026] This invention may or may not be combined with the "stop seconds" mechanism as mentioned above. The invention operates regardless of whether the seconds hand is stopped or not during a time-setting operation. The "stop seconds" function nevertheless remains advantageous for setting the watch to the correct time with precision to the second relative to a reference time.

[0027] There figure 2represents a simplified perspective view of a construction detail of a watch movement according to the prior art.

[0028] In the vast majority of watches, a cannon pinion 1, carrying a hand (not shown) indicating the current minutes, is driven by a center wheel comprising an axis 2 carrying a center wheel 3 (which makes one revolution per hour) thanks to a clamping (lanterning) ensured for example by a tight tolerance, or an internal protuberance, of its barrel in which the axis 2 is inserted. When setting the time, cannon pinion 1 slides on the axis 2 thanks to the torque generated by the user through the time setting mechanism 10, which is greater than the torque ensured by the clamping of the cannon pinion, to define a disengageable connection between cannon pinion 1 and the axis 2.

[0029] Alternatively, some movements include a large-medium wheel meshing with the barrel, the large-medium wheel driving a medium wheel whose pinion is meshed with a drive wheel secured to the cannon-pinion by friction to ensure its drive. In this case also, the torque exerted by a user during a time-setting operation exceeds the friction torque provided between the cannon-pinion and the drive wheel, thus allowing the cannon-pinion to slide in the drive wheel and disengage the corresponding connection.

[0030] The operating principle of these clock movements is shown schematically in the diagram of the figure 3 .

[0031] Typically, the timepiece comprises a motor member 300 driving a kinematic chain 302 connected to a running seconds display wheel 304, this kinematic chain 302 being called a finishing gear in a mechanical watch. In the example of the figure 2 , wheel 3 constitutes an element of this kinematic chain. The driving member 300, as well as the mobile for displaying the current seconds, have been omitted in the figure 2 to facilitate its understanding. This same kinematic chain 302 drives a current minute display wheel 306, as well as other time value display wheels 308 which are possibly kinematically connected to it. Most often the other time indicators associated with these additional display wheels 308 comprise only a time hand, but also possibly a second hour hand (display of additional time zones) or a day-night indicator, a calendar, etc.

[0032] The connection between the kinematic chain 302, connected to the motor member 300 (and to the current seconds display wheel 304), and the current minutes display wheel 306 can slide continuously when the time setting mechanism 10 is activated. In the example of the figure 2 , this sliding therefore occurs between the axis 2, integral with the center wheel 3, and the cannon pinion 1. This function of continuous sliding, or disengagement, of the connection during the time setting, which is necessary to allow the timepiece to be set, is responsible for any misalignment between the current minute hand and the current second hand.

[0033] The present invention solves this problem by introducing a mechanism preferably ensuring only sixty possible positions of the hand indicating the current minutes, when setting the time, and each of which is consistent with the position of the hand indicating the current seconds.

[0034] The operating principle according to the invention is illustrated schematically in the diagram of the figure 4. Activation of the time-setting mechanism 10 makes it possible to shift the current minute display wheel 306 relative to the kinematic chain 302 which drives it in normal operating mode (for indicating the current time) as well as the other display wheels 308 which are connected to it, but only in jumps, each corresponding, preferably, to one minute. There is no longer any non-indexed sliding between the current minute display wheel 306 and the kinematic chain 302 connected to the current second display wheel 304.

[0035] A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the Figure 5 , as a non-limiting illustrative example.

[0036] There is no longer any kinematic transmission by friction between cannon pinion 1 and axis 2, but the principle of a disengageable connection between a reference wheel for the current minutes (the center wheel, with its wheel 3 and its axis 2, or the drive wheel in a watch movement with a large average for example) and the current minutes display wheel (cannon pinion 1) is still present. An additional indexing mechanism, introduced between the center wheel 3 and cannon pinion 1 fulfills this function, adding an indexing function. This indexing mechanism comprises a wheel 4, integral with cannon pinion 1, two pinions 5 and 6 arranged along an axis 7, and a disengaging mechanism comprising a notched member 8 and an indexing member 9.

[0037] There figure 6 represents a detail of the construction of the Figure 5 . In the mechanism illustrated on the Figures 5 and 6, the disengagement is achieved by an axial displacement, along the axis 7 carrying the pinions 5 and 6, of at least one of the two notched 8 and indexing 9 members. In the embodiment variant illustrated in the Figures 5 and 6 , when the time-setting mechanism 10 is inactive, i.e. during normal operation of the timepiece, a spring of the indexing mechanism is arranged to act on one or the other, or even on both, notched organs 8 and indexing organs 9 so as to push one towards the other or to push them towards each other, in such a way that they are in an engaged configuration, as illustrated in the Figure 5. According to this first embodiment, the notched 8 and indexing 9 members are similar, in the sense that each of them comprises an axial toothing with triangular teeth arranged to cooperate with the triangular toothing of the other member when the connection is engaged. In this configuration and in normal operation, that is to say when the time-setting mechanism is inactive, the wheel 3 drives the notched member 8 in rotation, by means of the pinion 5, while the notched member 8 is held in abutment against the indexing member 9 under the effect of the action it undergoes from the spring 12.

[0038] When a user operates the time-setting or correction mechanism 10, the latter acts on cannon-pinion 1, generally by means of a timer 14, to make it rotate and move the current minute indicator member (not visible). During this operation, the rotation of cannon-pinion 1 causes the rotation of wheel 4 which is integral with it and the rotation of pinion 6 with which wheel 4 is permanently meshed. The rotation of pinion 6 causes the rotation of indexing member 9 with which it is integral.

[0039] During this operation, the wheel 3 remains linked to the drive kinematic chain and therefore controlled by its movements (regulated by the escapement, in the case of a typical mechanical watch movement, as a non-limiting illustrative example). Thus, when the torque applied by the user and which reaches the level of the indexing member 9 exceeds the torque opposed by the notched member 8 from the force it undergoes from the spring 12, the indexing member 9 begins to rotate and pushes the notched member 8 towards the bottom of the figure in the view of the figure 6 , due to the sliding which occurs between the two triangular tooth sets, and by compressing the spring 12. In the example illustrated on the Figures 5 and 6 , the notched member 8 can slide along the axis 7 while maintaining its angular position thanks to a non-circular section of the axis 7, for example of square shape, paired with a central hole of the notched member 8 of complementary shape.

[0040] According to the illustrated embodiment variant, it is the notched member 8 which moves towards the bottom of the figures, when the torque resulting from the time setting exceeds that resulting from the spring 12. Of course, the person skilled in the art will not encounter any particular difficulty in adapting this construction according to his own needs, in particular by providing, as an alternative or in addition, that the indexing member 9 moves towards the top of the Figures 5 and 6 (by placing spring 12 elsewhere or by providing two springs, one for each of the organs concerned).

[0041] When a time-setting operation is carried out, the torque resulting from the user's action on the time-setting mechanism 10 causes the indexing member 9 to move from one notch to the next, in reference to the notching of the notched member 8, and so on for as long as the user acts on the time-setting mechanism 10. During this operation, the cannon pinion 1 jumps from one indexed position to another. The position and number of indexes are preferably calculated so as to ensure an indexed position of the current minute hand per minute. For example, on a traditional dial the indexes must ensure jumps of the hand indicating the minutes corresponding to 6° (i.e., 1 / 60 of the circumference).

[0042] Thus, according to the present preferred embodiment, it is provided that wheel 4 can occupy sixty different indexed relative positions with reference to wheel 3, such that the current minute display member carried by cannon pinion 1 can occupy sixty different positions with respect to the corresponding dial.

[0043] Of course, it is possible, more generally, to provide that the number of distinct indexed relative positions is 60*n or 60 / n, with n≥1, n being an integer. If a number of indexed relative positions of sixty is preferred (therefore n=1), it may prove useful in certain cases to have, for example, one hundred and twenty distinct indexed relative positions in order to be able to carry out a correction of the position of the current minute display organ in steps of thirty seconds.

[0044] It should be noted that the different relative indexed positions are not necessarily distinguishable at the level of wheels 3 and 4 themselves, but they are at the level of the current minutes display organ once it is made integral with cannon-pinion 1.

[0045] According to the preferred embodiment illustrated herein without limitation, it is advantageously provided that the wheels 3, 4 are sized and numbered identically. Similarly, the pinions 5, 6 are sized and numbered identically. In this case, in the same way as in a traditional movement such as that illustrated in figure 2 , cannon pinion 1 rotates at the same angular speed as center wheel 3 during normal operation of the watch. This prevents slippage between cannon pinion 1 and axle 2, which would cause unnecessary stress and energy loss in the movement.

[0046] Furthermore, it is necessary to ensure that the cannon 1 can rotate with less resistance on the axis 2 so as not to oppose resistance to the indexing mechanism. To do this, it is necessary to avoid its lantern being too tight on the axis 2. In fact, the lantern has no longer any reason to exist according to the present invention, the cannon 1 being integral with the wheel 4, by which its drive is carried out.

[0047] Alternatively, it is even possible to provide for cannon pinion 1 to be mounted so as to be free to pivot on a specific tenon, which could for example be provided on the plate of the watch movement, independently of axis 2. Similarly, axis 2 could be replaced by a fixed tenon to ensure the pivoting of wheel 3. Since axis 2 no longer performs the function of driving the cannon pinion (via the lantern), it no longer necessarily needs to pivot with wheel 3.

[0048] Of course, the person skilled in the art may decide to adapt this teaching according to his own needs, in particular to change the gear ratios and to rotate wheel 4 at a different angular speed from that of wheel 3. In this case, the person skilled in the art will not encounter any particular difficulty in modifying other elements of the kinematic chain to take this difference into account and arrange the disengageable connection so that the current minute hand ultimately rotates at a rate of one complete revolution every 60 minutes. However, it remains more advantageous to use wheels 3 and 4 of the same diameter and two pinions 5 and 6 of the same diameter as well, to avoid unnecessary complexity of the system and to facilitate its integration into traditional watch movements.

[0049] Generally speaking, the indexing mechanism must be sufficiently precise so that the user perceives the relative position of the running seconds and minutes hands as consistent, which requires an accuracy estimated at approximately + / - 0.5°.

[0050] It can be difficult to ensure indexing of such resolution (60 indexes per revolution) with such precision (< + / - 0.5°) by integrating it into a space located under / on the road surface, i.e. in such a way that the disengageable connection with its indexing mechanism is arranged coaxially with road surface 1 and wheel 3, when we know that the diameter of the pinion of road surface 1 can be as small as about 2 mm. The precision in terms of the shape of the parts as well as their machining and assembly tolerances then become difficult to achieve (3.14 x 2 mm / 60 = 104 micrometers between two adjacent notches, i.e. from one stable position to another, + / - about 10 micrometers, all errors taken into account).

[0051] In a pocket watch, or more generally, a large watch, one could implement an indexing mechanism large enough to define sixty positions without any particular difficulty. For example, with a diameter of 20 mm, an accuracy of around 100 micrometers, all errors taken into account, would be sufficient, which is perfectly within the reach of current manufacturing methods.

[0052] There figure 7 represents a simplified perspective view of a construction detail of a watch movement according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, in which the indexing mechanism is coaxial with the display and reference mobiles of the current minutes.

[0053] More precisely, it can be provided in this case, by way of non-limiting illustrative example, that the conventional roadway is slightly modified to produce a roadway 100 carrying (solidly) an additional wheel 104 provided with teeth on the edge defining a notched member 108, here comprising sixty teeth, intended to cooperate with an indexing member 109 solidly attached to the axle 102, itself solidly attached to a wheel, similar to the wheel 3 of the preferred embodiment of the Figure 5 , arranged in permanent engagement with the kinematic drive chain of the watch movement.

[0054] The indexing member 109 comprises a plurality of elastic arms 110, each of which carries a finger 111 at its free end intended to cooperate with the toothing of the additional wheel 104 to define the distinct indexed relative positions between the display and reference mobiles of the current minutes. Thus, the indexing member 109 is shown here at a distance from the additional wheel 104 for the purposes of the description, but in the service position, the fingers 111 are positioned in the notches defined by the toothing of the additional wheel 104.

[0055] Roadway 100 is free to pivot on axis 102.

[0056] During a time-setting operation, the cannon pinion 100 is rotated by the time-setting mechanism and the elastic arms 110 deform to allow the fingers 111 to move from one notch to another.

[0057] Of course, those skilled in the art will be able to adapt the shapes described according to their own needs without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the attached set of claims. Thus, for example, it is also possible to reverse the respective locations of the notched member 108 and the indexing member 109 without modifying the operating principle according to the invention.

[0058] It is understood that for the typical dimensions of a watch movement for a timepiece of more measured dimensions than a pocket watch or a clock, in particular for a wristwatch, the production of such an indexing mechanism, coaxial with cannon pinion 100, is more complex. An additional difficulty, posed by the integration of the indexing mechanism directly under the cannon pinion, lies in the complexity of the assembly because one of the parts of the indexing mechanism must be integral with the reference wheel of the current minutes (for example, the axis of the center wheel or the drive wheel mounted with friction on the cannon pinion depending on the type of construction concerned), while another part of the indexing mechanism must be integral with the cannon pinion, all these components being coaxial.

[0059] Thus, returning to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the Figure 5, it is noted that it advantageously makes it possible to simplify the implementation of the present invention, more particularly on the scale of watch movements for wristwatches.

[0060] Indeed, the ratio of the diameters between wheel 4 and the pinion 6 which meshes with it makes it possible to circumvent the need to define 60 indexes on a small part. This ratio will define the number of notches necessary to have the jumps of 6° precisely. For example, a ratio of 6 will impose notches on the notched organ 8 every 6 x 6° = 36°, or ten notches in all. This reduction makes it possible to reduce the strong constraint imposed by the desired precision of approximately + / - 0.5° on the indexed position of the current minute hand, because it results in the need to have a precision of + / -3° (0.5° x 6) on the position of the indexes.

[0061] The reduction and relocation of the indexing function as proposed by the present variant embodiment of the invention not only simplify the constraints on machining precision, as explained above, but also on the gear sets and assembly conditions to the extent that all the components of the indexing mechanism are no longer coaxial with the current minute display wheels (the cannon pinion) and the current minute reference wheels (the center wheel or the drive wheel mounted with friction on the cannon pinion). According to the simplest approach, it is sufficient to provide, in the center, an additional wheel (wheel 4) to be made integral with cannon pinion 1 without complicating the axis 2 of the center wheel. The rest of the mechanism, i.e. the disengageable connection with its indexing mechanism, can be arranged at a distance from the center, in any suitable location of the watch movement.

[0062] There figure 8represents a perspective view similar to that of the figure 6 , illustrating a construction detail of the disengageable connection according to a second variant of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] The notched member 8 is unchanged here compared to the first embodiment variant, but a new construction of indexing member 19 is provided as an alternative to that of the first embodiment variant. Indeed, the indexing member 19 comprises several arms 20 which are elastically deformable, each of which carries a finger 21, at its free end, intended to cooperate with a notch of the notched member 8 when the time-setting mechanism 10 of the current minute display is inactive.

[0064] Consequently, the passage from one relative indexed position to another, between the current minutes display wheel and the current minutes reference wheel and when the time setting mechanism is actuated by a user, is achieved by the crossing of a summit of the triangular toothing of the notched member 8 by each finger 21 of the indexing member 19, thanks to the simultaneous elastic deformation of all the arms 20. The indexing member 19 may in particular be manufactured by stamping and turning or other suitable known machining technique, or possibly even by an additive manufacturing technique.

[0065] An advantage of this embodiment is its reduced size along the axial direction of the disengageable connection, given that it is not necessary to provide a translation of the indexing member 19 along this direction as was the case in the first embodiment variant.

[0066] There figure 9 represents a perspective view similar to that of the figure 6 , illustrating a construction detail of the disengageable connection according to a third variant of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] According to this third embodiment variant, the mode of cooperation between the notched member and the indexing member is no longer axial but radial. Indeed, the indexing mechanism according to this variant comprises a notched member 28 having the shape of a star, here with twelve branches (therefore with a gear ratio of 5 with the wheel 3), integral with the pinion 5 not shown on the figure 9 The indexing member 29 comprises at least one, here two jumpers 30, each of which is held in contact against the star by a spring 31, in an engaged configuration.

[0068] When a user activates the time-setting mechanism 10, the jumpers 30 pivot, opposing the action of their springs 31, to move from one notch of the notched member 28 to the next, and therefore to allow the current minutes display wheel set to move from one indexed relative position to the next (with respect to the current minutes reference wheel set), in a manner similar to what has already been described in relation to the first two variant embodiments.

[0069] Thus, it is understood that the construction of the disengageable connection according to this third embodiment variant has a slightly reduced size in the axial direction, to the detriment of a slight increase in the size in the average plane of the notched 28 and indexing 29 members. Furthermore, it is also understood that each jumper 30-spring 31 assembly fulfills a function equivalent to that of an elastic arm 20 of the second embodiment variant. As such, each jumper 30-spring 31 pair could also be produced in a single piece, as an alternative, that is to say by a jumper which would be elastic instead of being rigid, without however departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the attached set of claims.

[0070] Thanks to the different construction variants which have just been presented, the person skilled in the art understands how he can construct a watch movement comprising a mechanism for indexing the relative position of the display members of the running seconds and the running minutes adapted to his own needs and constraints, or even how he can modify an existing basic watch caliber to add to it the function according to the present invention.

[0071] The implementation of the present invention is not limited to certain particular characteristics as illustrated and described. Indeed, a person skilled in the art will not encounter any particular difficulty in adapting the present teaching to his own needs and implementing a watch movement incorporating only part of these characteristics, namely in particular a disengageable link comprising an indexing mechanism arranged so as to define, preferably, sixty distinct relative indexed positions between display and reference mobiles of the current minutes, the passage from one relative indexed position to another involving a temporary disengagement of the disengageable link, without however departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.It is clearly understood from the present teaching that, when the indexing mechanism comprises notched and indexing members arranged to cooperate with each other, these members may take multiple forms, even beyond the exemplary embodiments illustrated and described without limitation, without however departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A clockwork movement comprising: - a running seconds display wheel set, - a running minutes display wheel set (1), - a time base and at least one drive member arranged to drive said running seconds and running minutes display wheel sets (1), - a current minutes reference wheel set (3), arranged between said drive member and said running minutes display wheel set (1) and being connected to the latter via a disengageable link, said current minutes reference wheel set (3) having a kinematic link with said running seconds display wheel set in such a way that its angular orientation depends on the running seconds, - a time setting mechanism (10), inactive by default, arranged to allow correction of the angular orientation of said running minutes display wheel set (1), via disengaging said disengageable link, characterized in thatsaid disengageable connection comprises an indexing mechanism arranged so as to define distinct indexed relative positions between said display (1) and reference (3) mobiles of the current minutes, the passage from one indexed relative position to another involving a temporary disengagement of said disengageable connection, said display (1) and reference (3) mobiles of the current minutes occupying by default, when said time-setting mechanism (10) is inactive, one of said indexed relative positions.

2. Watch movement according to claim 1, characterized in that said indexing mechanism is arranged so as to define 60*n or 60 / n distinct indexed relative positions between said display (1) and reference (3) mobiles of the current minutes, with n≥1, n being an integer.

3. Watch movement according to claim 2, characterized in that n=1.

4. Watch movement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in thatsaid indexing mechanism comprises a notched member (8; 28) and an indexing member (9; 19; 29) arranged to cooperate with said notched member (8; 28), said notched (8; 28) and indexing (9; 19; 29) members being coaxial and capable of exhibiting a relative rotational movement to allow said indexing member (9; 19; 29) to pass from one notch to another of said notched member (8; 28), by temporary axial relative separation between said notched (8; 28) and indexing (9; 19; 29) members and / or by elastic deformation of at least a portion of said indexing member (9; 19; 29).

5. Clock movement according to claim 4, said notched (8) and indexing (9) organs being capable of having a relative axial distance, characterized in thatsaid indexing mechanism further comprises an elastic return member (12) arranged to act on one and / or the other of said notched (8) and indexing (9) members so as to engage said indexing member (9) with a notch of said notched member (8).

6. Watch movement according to claim 5, characterized in that each of said notched (8) and indexing (9) members comprises an axial toothing with triangular teeth intended to cooperate with the axial toothing with triangular teeth of the other of said notched (8) and indexing (9) members to define said relative indexed positions.

7. Watch movement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said current minute display mobiles (1) and current minute reference mobiles (3) are coaxial.

8. Watch movement according to claims 4 and 7, characterized in thatone of said notched (108) and indexing (109) organs is integral with said current minute display wheel (100), and in that the other is attached to the said reference mobile of the current minutes.

9. Watch movement according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that one of said notched (8; 28) and indexing (9; 19; 29) organs has a kinematic connection with said current minute display wheel (1), and in that the other has a kinematic connection with said reference mobile of the current minutes (3).

10. Watch movement according to claim 9, characterized in that each of said notched (8: 28) and indexing (9; 19; 29) members comprises a pinion (5, 6) arranged in mesh with a corresponding wheel (3, 4) of that of said current minute display (1) and current minute reference (3) mobiles with which it is associated.

11. Watch movement according to claim 10, characterized in thatsaid pinions (5, 6) are sized and numbered identically, and in that said wheels (3, 4) are sized and numbered identically.

12. Watch movement according to one of claims 4 to 11, characterized in that said indexing member (19; 29) comprises one or more arms (20), each of which carries a finger (21) intended to cooperate elastically with a notch of said notched member (8; 28) when said time-setting mechanism (10) is inactive.

13. Timepiece comprising a watch movement according to one of claims 1 to 12, as well as a current seconds display member and a current minutes display member driven, respectively, by said current seconds display wheel set and by said current minutes display wheel set (1).

14. Timepiece according to claim 13, characterized in thatsaid current seconds and current minutes display members have relative positions with reference, respectively, to said current seconds display wheel and said current minutes display wheel (1), such that said current minutes display member substantially indicates the start of a new minute when said current seconds display member indicates 0.

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