clock

Abstract

To provide a timepiece capable of improving the impact resistance of a dial. [Solution] The watch comprises a dial 12 with a decorative plate 14 mounted on a base plate 13, and a watch case 1 that houses the dial 12, with the dial 12 housed within the watch case 1 with the decorative plate 14 not in contact with the watch case 1. Therefore, because the decorative plate 14 of the dial 12 is housed within the watch case 1 without contacting the watch case 1, even if the watch case 1 receives an external impact, the decorative plate 14 will not come into contact with the watch case 1. As a result, the decorative plate 14 will not be scratched or broken by an impact received by the watch case 1, improving impact resistance.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a timepiece, such as a wristwatch, that has a dial. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in the case of wristwatch dials, as described in Patent Document 1, a paste is applied to a metal plate, fired, and then the top surface of the fired paste is polished to give it the appearance of precious stones. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 54-98882 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such watches, the paste fired onto the metal plate of the dial is a brittle material, so when the dial is incorporated inside the watch case and the watch case receives an external impact, the impact causes the paste to come into contact with the watch case and be easily damaged, resulting in a problem of lacking impact resistance.

[0005] The problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a timepiece capable of improving the shock resistance of the dial. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a dial having a brittle member provided on a base member that is generally flat, and an outer member disposed on the outside of the dial, and the dial is configured such that the dial can be moved in any direction within its plane. MisalignmentThis timepiece is characterized in that the brittle member is provided on the base member so that, when the base member is pressed against the part located closest to the dial on the outside of the dial, the base member will first come into contact with the part located closest to the dial. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to this invention, the impact resistance of the dial can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an enlarged front view showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wristwatch. [Diagram 2] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the wristwatch shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line AA. [Diagram 3] 3 shows the dial shown in FIG. 2, in which (a) is an enlarged perspective view thereof, and (b) is an enlarged front view thereof. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B show the base plate and decorative plate of the dial shown in FIG. 3, where FIG. 4A is an enlarged front view showing the base plate, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged front view showing the decorative plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wristwatch will now be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. As shown in Fig. 1, this wristwatch has a wristwatch case 1. Band attachment sections 2, to which a watch band (not shown) is attached, are provided on the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock sides of this wristwatch case 1. In addition, switch sections 3 are provided on the 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, and 4 o'clock sides of this wristwatch case 1.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, wristwatch case 1 comprises a first case 4 and a second case 5. First case 4 is the main case and is made of metal or hard synthetic resin. Second case 5 is a bezel and, like first case 4, is also made of metal or hard synthetic resin and is provided integrally with the top of first case 4.

[0011] 1 and 2, a watch crystal 6 is attached via a backing 6a to the upper opening of this watch case 1, i.e., the upper opening of second case 5. A back cover 7 is attached via a waterproof ring 7a to the lower part of this watch case 1, i.e., the lower part of first case 4. A watch module 8 is housed inside this watch case 1.

[0012] This timepiece module 8, as shown in Fig. 2, has a housing 10. Although not shown, this housing 10 is equipped with various parts necessary for the timepiece functions, such as multiple timepiece movements that individually move multiple hands to indicate and display information such as the time, a display unit that electro-optically displays information such as the time and date, and a circuit board that drives and controls these.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, the housing 10 has an inner frame 11 made of synthetic resin provided around its periphery, and is configured to be incorporated into the first case 4 of the wristwatch case 1 by means of this inner frame 11. A dial 12 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 10. This dial 12 includes a base plate 13 which is a base member and a decorative plate 14 which is a decorative member, and is structured such that the decorative plate 14 is affixed to the upper surface of the base plate 13 with an adhesive (not shown) such as double-sided adhesive tape or liquid adhesive.

[0014] In this case, the dial 12 has a main display area and first to fourth sub-display areas 15a to 15d, as shown in Fig. 1. The main display area is an area where a pointer (not shown) moves above the entire dial 12, and a shaft insertion hole 12a into which a hand shaft (not shown) is inserted is provided in the center of the dial 12, penetrating the dial 12 from top to bottom.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the first sub-display area 15a is a circular area provided on the 12 o'clock side of the dial 12 through which the first sub-hand (not shown) moves, and a first insertion hole 13b through which the first sub-hand shaft (not shown) is inserted is provided in the base plate 13 at the center of the circular area.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the second sub-display area 15b is an area in the shape of two overlapping circles of different sizes located on the 6 o'clock side of the dial 12 and in which two second sub-hands (not shown) are respectively moved, and a second insertion hole 13c for inserting the second sub-hand shaft (not shown) is provided in the base plate 13 at the center of each of the two overlapping circular areas.

[0017] 1, the third sub display area 15c is a circular area provided on the 9 o'clock side of the dial 12 through which a third sub hand (not shown) moves, and a third insertion hole 13d into which a third sub hand axis (not shown) is inserted is provided in the base plate 13 at the center of the circular area. The fourth sub display area 15d is a square area provided on the 3 o'clock side of the dial 12, and corresponds to a display unit (not shown) of the time module 8 arranged below the fourth sub display area 15d, and a square display opening 12b is provided in the dial 12 so that information such as the time and date displayed on this display unit can be seen from above.

[0018] The base plate 13 of the dial 12 may be formed in a circular plate shape from synthetic resin or metal, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, but if the watch module 8 is equipped with a solar panel (not shown) on the underside of the dial 12, it may be formed in a circular plate shape from a transparent or translucent synthetic resin having optical transparency.

[0019] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, this base plate 13 has an axis insertion hole 12a in the main display area, a first insertion hole 13b in the first sub-display area 15a, two second insertion holes 13c in the second sub-display area 15b, a third insertion hole 13d in the third sub-display area 15c, and a display opening 12b in the fourth sub-display area 15d.

[0020] On the other hand, the decorative plate 14 of the dial 12 is formed in a plate shape from a highly decorative brittle material such as a natural or artificial precious stone such as aventurine, sapphire, or jade, or a shell such as luminous pearl or abalone, as shown in Figures 2 to 4. In this embodiment, the decorative plate 14 is formed in a circular plate shape with approximately the same outer shape as the base plate 13 and is made of aventurine.

[0021] As shown in Figures 3 and 4(b), this decorative plate 14 has an axis insertion hole 12a in the main display area, a first circular hole 14a corresponding to the first sub-display area 15a, two second circular holes 14b of different sizes corresponding to the second sub-display area 15, a third circular hole 14c corresponding to the third sub-display area 15c, and a display opening 12b in the fourth sub-display area 15d, which are open at the top and bottom.

[0022] In this case, among these first to third circular holes 14a to 14c, for example, in the first circular hole 14a in the first sub-display area 15a, a decorative ring 16 made of metal such as aluminum is disposed as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4(a). This decorative ring 16 may be formed in a circular ring shape, but in this embodiment, it is formed in a discontinuous circular ring shape, that is, a C-shaped ring shape.

[0023] 3 and 4(a), the decorative ring 16 is provided on the base plate 13 and disposed within the first circular hole 14a without contacting the inner peripheral surface of the first circular hole 14a. In this case, the decorative ring 16 does not necessarily have to be provided only in the first circular hole 14a, and may be provided in the second and third circular holes 14b and 14c of the second and third sub-display areas 15b and 15c.

[0024] 2, the decorative plate 14 of the dial 12 is made of a brittle material and can be formed to a thickness in the range of 0.4 mm to 2.0 mm due to the correlation between strength and overall thinness, and is formed to about 0.7 mm in this embodiment. That is, the thicker the decorative plate 14 is, the easier it is to process, but the thicker the dial 12 as a whole will be, and the thicker the overall time module 8 will be. For this reason, when thinning the time module 8, it is desirable for the decorative plate 14 to be thin, even if it is made of a brittle material.

[0025] In this case, when a natural or artificial precious stone such as aventurine, sapphire, or jade is formed into a thin plate of about 0.7 mm thickness as the decorative plate 14, the design of the precious stone material itself is expressed. Also, when a shell such as turban shell or abalone shell is formed into a thin plate, the design of mother-of-pearl is expressed. In this way, the dial 12 is configured so that the design of the decorative plate 14 is enhanced.

[0026] 2, in order to ensure shock resistance, the dial 12 is configured such that the decorative plate 14 is provided within the watch case 1 in a non-contact state with the watch case 1. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a plurality of protrusions 13a are provided on the outer periphery of the base plate 13, protruding in the planar direction beyond the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14. In this case, when the base plate 13 is placed on the upper surface of the housing 10, the dial 12 is placed such that the base plate 13 and the decorative plate 14 are positioned above the upper end of the inner frame 11.

[0027] As a result, the dial 12 is configured to be held within the watch case 1 with the housing 10 positioned within the first case 4 of the watch case 1 via the middle frame 11, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, and with the upper surfaces of the multiple protrusions 13a of the base plate 13 pressed against the lower surface of a ring-shaped brim portion 5a provided on the lower part of the inner surface of the second case 5 from below in the thickness direction (up and down direction) perpendicular to the surface direction of the base plate 13.

[0028] In this case, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the decorative plate 14 is arranged to face the inner peripheral surface of the flange portion 5a of the second case 5, and a first interval S1 (first distance) in the surface direction of the decorative plate 14 or more is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the decorative plate 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the flange portion 5a. It is configured to be spaced apart. Further, the base plate 13 is arranged and held on the housing 10, and the tip portions of the plurality of protrusions 13a provided on the outer peripheral portion extend in the direction in which the presser ring 17 made of synthetic resin, which is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the first case 4 and restricts displacement of the base plate 13 in the surface direction, is arranged.

[0029] That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the base plate 13 is arranged in the first case 4 so as to be separated by a second interval S2 (second distance) in the surface direction of the base plate 13 between the tip surface of each of the plurality of protrusions 13a and the inner peripheral surface of the presser ring 17 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the first case 4. It is configured to be. This second interval S2 is set to an interval (S2 < S1) narrower than the first interval S1 between the outer peripheral surface of the decorative plate 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the flange portion 5a, for example, an interval (S2 ≒ (1 / 2) · S1) about half of the first interval S1. That is, the base plate 13 is configured to be arranged closer to the first case 4 than the first interval S1 (first distance).

[0030] As a result, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, when the wristwatch case 1 receives an external impact, the base plate 13 is displaced in the surface direction by the impact, and the tip portions of the plurality of protrusions 13a of the base plate 13 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the first case 4 of the wristwatch case 1. By abutting against the provided presser ring 17 and restricting the displacement of the base plate 13 in the surface direction, the displacement of the decorative plate 14 in the surface direction is also greatly restricted, so that the outer peripheral surface of the decorative plate 14 does not contact the inner peripheral surface of the flange portion 5a of the second case 5. It is configured.

[0031] 1 and 2, the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 is covered in a non-contact manner by a ring-shaped parting member 18, which is a cover member provided on the inner periphery of the second case 5. This parting member 18 is provided with an inclined surface 18a that slopes toward the inner periphery, and the hour characters (not shown) of the main display area are provided on this inclined surface 18a. The parting member 18 is formed to a length that covers the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 so that the first interval S1 is hidden and not visible when the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 is viewed from above the center in the surface direction of the parting member 18.

[0032] 1 and 2, parting member 18 is disposed between its underside and the upper surface of the opposing outer periphery of decorative plate 14 with a third gap S3 in the thickness direction (up-down direction) of decorative plate 14. Parting member 18 is configured such that the underside of parting member 18 will not come into contact with the upper surface of decorative plate 14 even if watch case 1 receives an external impact, because base plate 13 is held by pressing the upper surfaces of multiple protrusions 13a of base plate 13 against the underside of flange 5a of second case 5.

[0033] Next, the operation of this wristwatch will be described. In this wristwatch, the decorative plate 14 of the dial 12 is usually visible from the outside of the wristwatch case 1 through the watch crystal 6. In this state, a hand (not shown) moves above the entire dial 12 in the main display area to indicate and display the time.

[0034] In addition, in the first sub-display area 15a, a first sub-hand (not shown) moves within the first circular hole 14a of the dial 12 in accordance with a first mode selected by operating any one of the multiple switch sections 3, thereby indicating functional information corresponding to the selected first mode.

[0035] Similarly, in the second sub-display area 15b, two second sub-hands (not shown) move within two different sized second circular holes 14b of the dial 12 depending on the second mode selected by operating any one of the multiple switch sections 3, thereby indicating functional information corresponding to the selected second mode.

[0036] In the third sub display area 15c, a third sub hand (not shown) moves within a third circular hole 14c of the dial 12 to indicate functional information corresponding to a third mode selected by operating any one of the switches in the multiple switches 3. In addition, in the fourth sub display area 15d, information such as the time and date displayed on a display unit (not shown) of the clock module 8 can be seen through the display opening 12b.

[0037] As a result, in this watch, various information such as the time and the first to third function information are displayed according to the movement of the hands in the main display area, the movement of the first sub-hand in the first sub-display area 15a, the movement of the two second sub-hands in the second sub-display area 15b, and the movement of the third sub-hand in the third sub-display area 15c, and this displayed information, as well as information such as the time and date displayed on a display section (not shown) of the watch module 8, can be viewed from outside the watch case 1 through the watch glass 6.

[0038] Furthermore, when watch case 1 of this watch receives an external impact, even though the impact is somewhat cushioned by inner frame 11 attached to the outer periphery of housing 10 of watch module 8, some of the impact is transmitted to watch module 8 inside watch case 1. For this reason, dial 12 attached to housing 10 receives the impact that cannot be fully cushioned by inner frame 11.

[0039] At this time, even if the dial 12 is held within the first case 4 in a state in which the upper surfaces of the multiple protrusions 13a, which are provided on the outer periphery of the base plate 13 of the dial 12 and protrude in the surface direction beyond the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14, are pressed from below against the lower surface of the brim portion 5a of the second case 5 of the watch case 1, the dial 12 will shift in the surface direction due to the impact that cannot be completely absorbed by the middle frame 11.

[0040] At this time, the tip portions of the plurality of protrusions 13a of the base plate 13 abut against the pressing ring 17 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the first case 4, and displacement of the base plate 13 in the surface direction is restricted. For this reason, the outer peripheral portion of the decorative plate 14 of the dial plate 12 does not come into contact with the inner peripheral portion of the flange portion 5a of the second case 5. Thereby, even if the wristwatch case 1 is impacted from the outside, it is possible to prevent the decorative plate 14 from being damaged or broken by the impact.

[0041] That is, the decorative plate 14 of the dial plate 12 is disposed in the wristwatch case 1 with a first interval S1 in the surface direction of the decorative plate 14 between the outer peripheral surface thereof and the inner peripheral surface of the flange portion 5a of the second case 5, and the base plate 13 is disposed in the wristwatch case 1 with a second interval S2 in the surface direction of the base plate 13 between the tip portions of the plurality of protrusions 13a provided on the outer peripheral portion thereof and the inner peripheral surface of the pressing ring 17.

[0042] In this case, the second interval S2 is set to be narrower (S2 < S1) than the first interval S1 between the outer peripheral surface of the decorative plate 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the flange portion 5a. For this reason, when the wristwatch case 1 is impacted and the base plate 13 is displaced in the surface direction by the impact, and the tip portions of the plurality of protrusions 13a of the base plate 13 abut against the inner peripheral surface of the pressing ring 17 of the first case 4, displacement of the base plate 13 in the surface direction is restricted.

[0043] At this time, since the first interval S1 between the outer peripheral surface of the decorative plate 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the flange portion 5a is wider (S1 > S2) than the second interval S2 between the tip portions of the plurality of protrusions 13a of the base plate 13 and the inner peripheral surface of the pressing ring 17, even if the tip portions of the plurality of protrusions 13a of the base plate 13 abut against the inner peripheral surface of the pressing ring 17 of the first case 4, the outer peripheral portion of the decorative plate 14 does not come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the flange portion 5a of the second case 5. For this reason, even if the wristwatch case 1 is impacted from the outside, it is possible to surely prevent the decorative plate 14 from being damaged or broken by the impact.

[0044] Furthermore, in this wristwatch, the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 is covered in a non-contact manner by the ring-shaped parting member 18 provided on the inner periphery of the second case 5, so even if a first gap S1 is provided between the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 and the inner periphery of the flange 5a, this first gap S1 can be covered and hidden by the parting member 18. This makes it possible to provide a watch that is both visually pleasing and has a good design.

[0045] That is, the parting member 18 is formed to a length that covers the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 so that the first gap S1 is hidden when the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 is viewed from above the center in the surface direction of the parting member 18, so that the first gap S1 between the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 and the inner periphery of the flange 5a can be reliably and satisfactorily covered, and the outer periphery edge of the decorative plate 14 can also be satisfactorily covered. This improves the appearance and design of the wristwatch.

[0046] In this case, the upper surfaces of the multiple protrusions 13a of the base plate 13 are pressed against the underside of the flange 5a of the second case 5, holding the base plate 13 within the watch case 1, and the decorative plate 14 provided on this base plate 13 is disposed with a third gap S3 between its upper surface and the underside of the parting member 18, so that even if the watch case 1 receives an external impact, the upper surface of the decorative plate 14 will not come into contact with the underside of the parting member 18. Therefore, the decorative plate 14 will not be scratched or damaged.

[0047] Thus, this wristwatch comprises a dial 12 having a decorative plate 14 mounted on a base plate 13, and a wristwatch case 1 that houses the dial 12, and the dial 12 is housed within the wristwatch case 1 with the decorative plate 14 not in contact with the wristwatch case 1, thereby improving the impact resistance of the dial 12.

[0048] That is, in this wristwatch, the decorative plate 14 of the dial 12 is housed within the wristwatch case 1 in a state of non-contact with the wristwatch case 1, so when the wristwatch case 1 receives an external impact, the decorative plate 14 does not come into contact with the wristwatch case 1. As a result, the decorative plate 14 is not scratched or broken by the impact received by the wristwatch case 1, improving impact resistance.

[0049] In this case, since decorative plate 14 is formed in a plate shape from a brittle material, even if the material is prone to being scratched or damaged when it receives an impact and comes into contact with the inner surface of watch case 1, it is contained within watch case 1 in a non-contact state with watch case 1, so even though decorative plate 14 is formed from a brittle material, it will not be scratched or damaged by impact.

[0050] In addition, the decorative plate 14 can be made of a natural or artificial precious stone such as aventurine, sapphire, or jade, or a shell such as a luminous oyster or abalone, as a brittle material, thereby enhancing the design and increasing the commercial value. In this case, the decorative plate 14 of this embodiment can be made of a natural or artificial precious stone such as aventurine, sapphire, or jade, preferably aventurine, as a brittle material, thereby further enhancing the design and increasing the commercial value.

[0051] That is, this decorative plate 14 can express the design of the precious stone material itself, so it can reliably and satisfactorily enhance the design, thereby further increasing the commercial value. Also, if the decorative plate 14 is made of shellfish such as turban shell or abalone shell as a brittle material, it can express the design of mother-of-pearl, which can also increase the commercial value.

[0052] Furthermore, since the thickness of this decorative plate 14 is in the range of 0.4 mm to 2.0 mm and is formed to be approximately 0.7 mm, even if the decorative plate 14 is made of a brittle material, it can be formed to be thin, making the overall thickness of the dial 12 thin, and thereby reducing the thickness of the watch module 8 and making the entire wristwatch thinner.

[0053] Furthermore, since the base plate 13 is pressed against the watch case 1 in a thickness direction (up and down direction) perpendicular to the surface direction of the base plate 13 and held therein, when the watch case 1 receives an external impact, the base plate 13 can hold the decorative plate 14 away from contacting the watch case 1, thereby preventing the decorative plate 14 from coming into contact with the watch case 1 and becoming scratched or broken due to the impact received by the watch case 1.

[0054] In other words, when the base plate 13 is placed on the housing 10 of the watch module 8, the upper surfaces of the multiple protrusions 13a provided on the outer periphery of the base plate 13 and protruding in a planar direction beyond the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 are pressed from below against the lower surface of the flange portion 5a of the second case 5 of the watch case 1, thereby enabling the base plate 13 to be securely and well held within the watch case 1, and thereby allowing the decorative plate 14 to be well positioned within the watch case 1 without coming into contact with the watch case 1.

[0055] In addition, in this watch, a first gap S1 is provided in the surface direction of the decorative plate 14 between the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 and the inner periphery of the watch case 1, so that even if the decorative plate 14 shifts position in the surface direction of the decorative plate 14 within the watch case 1 when the watch case 1 receives an impact from the outside, the first gap S1 prevents the decorative plate 14 from coming into contact with the watch case 1.

[0056] In this case, this watch is equipped with a pressure ring 17 that is provided on the inner circumference of watch case 1 corresponding to the outer circumference of base plate 13 and regulates the positional shifting of base plate 13 in the planar direction. Therefore, even if base plate 13 shifts in the planar direction when watch case 1 receives an impact, each tip of multiple protrusions 13a provided on the outer circumference of base plate 13 can be pressed against pressure ring 17, thereby regulating the positional shifting of base plate 13 in the planar direction and preventing decorative plate 14 from coming into contact with watch case 1.

[0057] In addition, in this watch, a second spacing S2 narrower than the first spacing S1 is provided in the surface direction of the base plate 13 between the respective tips of the multiple protrusions 13a, which are the outer peripheral ends of the base plate 13 that protrude in the surface direction beyond the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14, and the inner peripheral part of the pressure ring 17.Therefore, when the watch case 1 receives an impact and the base plate 13 is displaced in the surface direction, the respective tips of the multiple protrusions 13a provided on the outer periphery of the base plate 13 can be brought into contact with the pressure ring 17, reliably restricting the displacement of the base plate 13 in the surface direction, thereby reliably preventing the decorative plate 14 from coming into contact with the watch case 1.

[0058] In other words, in this wristwatch, a second gap S2 narrower than the first gap S1 is provided between the tip faces of the multiple protrusions 13a provided on the outer periphery of the base plate 13 and protruding in the planar direction beyond the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 and the inner periphery of the pressure ring 17.Therefore, even if the base plate 13 is displaced in the planar direction due to an impact received by the wristwatch case 1 and the tip ends of the multiple protrusions 13a of the base plate 13 come into contact with the pressure ring 17, the first gap S1 between the inner surface of the wristwatch case 1 and the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 is wider than the second gap S2 (S1>S2), so that it is possible to reliably prevent the decorative plate 14 from coming into contact with the wristwatch case 1.

[0059] Furthermore, this watch is provided with a parting member 18 that covers the first gap S1 between the outer peripheral surface of the decorative plate 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the watch case 1, thereby concealing the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14. Therefore, even if a first gap S1 is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the decorative plate 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the watch case 1, this first gap S1 can be covered and concealed by the parting member 18, thereby providing a watch that is both visually appealing and design-wise.

[0060] In other words, the length of the parting member 18 covering the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 is formed to be long enough to hide the first gap S1 when looking at the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 from above the center in the surface direction of the parting member 18, so that the first gap S1 between the outer surface of the decorative plate 14 and the inner surface of the watch case 1 can be reliably and effectively covered and the outer edge of the decorative plate 14 can also be effectively covered, thereby improving the appearance and design.

[0061] In this case, the upper surfaces of the multiple protrusions 13a of the base plate 13 are pressed against the underside of the flange portion 5a of the second case 5, thereby holding the base plate 13 within the watch case 1, and the decorative plate 14 provided on this base plate 13 is positioned with a third gap S3 between the upper surface of its outer periphery and the underside of the parting member 18, so that even if the watch case 1 receives an impact from the outside, the decorative plate 14 will not come into contact with the parting member 18, thereby preventing the decorative plate 14 from being scratched or damaged.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the decorative plate 14 is made of a brittle material such as a natural or artificial precious stone, such as aventurine, sapphire, or jade, or a shell, such as turban shell or abalone shell, but the present invention does not necessarily require a brittle material, and any material, such as metal or synthetic resin, may be used as long as it has decorative properties. Also, the present invention does not necessarily require the decorative plate 14 to be a circular plate, and any shape may be used as long as it does not interfere with the movement of the hands.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the presser ring 17 corresponding to the outer periphery of the base plate 13 of the dial 12 and the inner frame 11 provided on the outer periphery of the housing 10 to assemble the housing 10 into the watch case 1 are formed separately, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the presser ring 17 may be formed integrally with the upper part of the inner frame 11. In this case, the presser ring does not necessarily have to be ring-shaped, and may be provided partially. Also, the presser ring 17 may be formed integrally with the watch case 1, for example by forming it integrally with the bezel of the second case 5.

[0064] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a plurality of protrusions 13a are provided on the outer periphery of the base plate 13, protruding in the surface direction beyond the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14; however, this invention does not necessarily require the provision of a plurality of protrusions 13a, and a structure in which the diameter of the circular base plate 13 is formed larger than the diameter of the decorative plate 14 and the outer periphery of the base plate 13 protrudes in the surface direction beyond the outer periphery of the decorative plate 14 may also be used.

[0065] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, a parting member 18 is provided on the inner surface of the second case 5 of the watch case 1, and this parting member 18 is used to cover and conceal the first gap S1 between the decorative plate 14 and the watch case 1. However, this invention does not necessarily require a parting member 18, and a simple cover member may be provided on the inner surface of the second case 5 of the watch case 1 to cover and conceal the first gap S1 between the decorative plate 14 and the watch case 1.

[0066] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the invention has been described as being applied to a wristwatch, but this does not necessarily have to be a wristwatch, and can be applied to various types of clocks, such as travel watches, alarm clocks, table clocks, and wall clocks.

[0067] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and includes the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents. The invention as set forth in the claims of this application is set forth below.

[0068] (Additional Note) The invention described in claim 1 is a timepiece comprising a dial having a decorative member provided on a base member, and a case that houses the dial, wherein the dial is housed within the case such that the decorative member is positioned at a position that is more than a first distance away from the case around the entire circumference of the dial in the face direction, and the base member is positioned at a position that is closer to the case than the first distance around the entire circumference of the dial in the face direction.

[0069] The invention described in claim 2 is the timepiece described in claim 1, characterized in that the decorative member is formed into a plate shape from a brittle material.

[0070] The invention described in claim 3 is the timepiece described in claim 2, characterized in that the decorative member contains, as the brittle material, a natural or artificial precious stone such as aventurine, sapphire, or jade, or a shell material such as luminous oyster or abalone.

[0071] The invention described in claim 4 is a timepiece described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the dial is held by pressing the base member against the case in a thickness direction perpendicular to the surface direction of the base member.

[0072] The invention described in claim 5 is a watch described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is equipped with a pressure member provided on the inner circumference of the case corresponding to the outer circumference of the base member, and which regulates positional deviation of the base member in the planar direction.

[0073] The invention described in claim 6 is a watch characterized in that, in the watch described in claim 5, the outer peripheral end face of the base member that protrudes beyond the outer periphery of the decorative member and the inner peripheral surface of the pressing member are positioned apart in the planar direction by a second distance that is shorter than the first distance.

[0074] The invention described in claim 7 is a watch described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is provided with a cover member that covers the gap between the decorative member and the case and hides the outer periphery of the decorative member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 watch case 4 Case 1 5. Case 2 5a Tsuba 8 Clock Module 10. Housing 11 Middle frame 12 Dial 13 Base plate 13a Protrusion 14 Decorative Plate 14a~14c 1st~3rd circular holes 14d opening 16 Decorative Rings 17 Presser ring 18 Trim material

Claims

1. a dial having a brittle member provided on a base member having a flat shape as a whole; an outer member disposed outside the dial; Equipped with the brittle member is provided on the base member such that, when the dial is displaced in any direction within its plane, the base member comes into contact with a member disposed closest to the dial on the outside of the dial first, a pressing member provided on an inner periphery of the case as the outer member corresponding to an outer periphery of the base member, the pressing member restricting a positional deviation of the base member in a surface direction; A watch characterized in that the distance between the outer peripheral end face of the base member that protrudes beyond the outer periphery of the brittle member and the inner peripheral surface of the pressing member is shorter than the distance between the brittle member and the member located closest to the brittle member on the outside of the brittle member.

2. A dial having a brittle member provided on a base member that is generally flat, an outer member disposed outside the dial; Equipped with the brittle member is provided on the base member such that, when the dial is displaced in any direction within its plane, the base member comes into contact with a member disposed closest to the dial on the outside of the dial first, The base member has a plurality of protrusions protruding in a planar direction from an outer edge of the base member, A timepiece characterized in that the dial is held by pressing the multiple protrusions of the base member against the case as the outer member in a thickness direction perpendicular to the surface direction of the base member.

3. 3. The timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the brittle member is a plate-shaped decorative member.

4. 3. The timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the brittle member contains a natural or artificial precious stone such as aventurine, sapphire, or jade, or a shell material such as luminous oyster or abalone.

5. 2. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the dial is held by pressing the base member against a case as the outer member in a thickness direction perpendicular to a surface direction of the base member.

6. 3. The timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a cover member that covers the space between the brittle member and the case as the outer member, and hides the outer periphery of the brittle member.

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