GB2243000A

GB2243000A - Improvements in watches

Info

Publication number: GB2243000A
Application number: GB9008442A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ping-Chaun Li
Original assignee: WIN CHIEF IND Ltd
Current assignee: WIN CHIEF IND Ltd
Priority date: 1990-04-12
Filing date: 1990-04-12
Publication date: 1991-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 2010-04-12
Also published as: GB2243000B; GB9008442D0

Abstract

An analogue watch has a pair of concentric bezel rings 22, 24 rotatably mounted on the watch case around the edge of the watch dial. Each bezel ring is individually rotatable separately from the other. The rings have indicator means 26, 26 to enable a user to set one ring relative the dial to indicate either a particular hour or a particular minute and to set the rings relative one another to indicate the other of a particular minute or a particular hour, respectively. <IMAGE>

Description

IPROVEMTs IN WATCHES This invention relates to watches.

An analogue watch has a dial over which hands rotate inter alia to point to the hour and minute of the current time. The hands can be mechanical hands or a simulation of hands formed by a liquid crystal display.

It is conventional to provide a rotating bezel ring around the outside of the watch dial. Such a bezel is usually marked with twelve divisions corresponding to the hour divisions on the dial. The user can then rotate the bezel so that the hours shown by the bezel are radially displaced from those shown by the dial if, for example, the user wishes to see quickly the time at another location which is a number of hours in front of or behind the current time of the location of the user.

With such an arrangement, however, the number of uses for such a bezel are limited.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a watch where in a simple manner the uses of such a bezel can be improved.

According to the invention an analogue watch has a pair of bezel rings, rotatably mounted on the watch case around the edge of the watch dial, each bezel ring being individually rotatable separately from the other, and the rings having indicator means to enable a user to set one ring relative the dial to indicate either a particular hour or a particular minute and to set the rings relative one another to indicate the other of a particular minute or a particular hour, respectively.

Such an arrangement is very simple since it is easy to provide a second rotatable bezel riny on the watch casing. Then the position of that second ring greatly enhances the possible uses of the arrangement as compared with the provision of a single ring. For example, it is possible to set the rings so that they indicate a particular time by means of hour and minute giving the user a warning of an impending appointment.

In a preferred arrangement one ring, eg the outer, has indicator means such as markings corresponding to the minutes on a watch dial, whilst the other ring has some form of indicator means serving to point to a particular hour on the watch dial and a particular minute on the other bezel. These indicator means could be a marking or some form of pointer or marker formed on the said other ring.

An example of a watch according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

The watch 10 shown in the drawing has a casing 12 which supports a watch dial or face 14 and contains a watch movement (not shown) for driving an hour hand 16 and minute hand 18 There may also be a second hand (not shown) and/or an indication of moon phases (not shown). A strap 20 is attached at either end to the casing.

Rotatably mounted on the casing is an inner be2el ring22 and an outer bezel ring 24. The inner ring 22 has a raised pointer 26 to point to a particular orientation on the outer ring. Diametrically opposite the pointer 26 are a pair of raised, spaced indicator lines 28 whose inner ends project slightly over the inner edge of the ring and over the outer periphery of the dial 14. The inner ring 22 may also carry markings corresponding to the hour divisions on the dial. The outer ring 24 carries markings corresponding to the minute divisions of the dial. The outer edge of the outer bezel ring 24 may have a serrated edge to assist in rotating it.

In order to set the bezel rings to give a wearer of the watch 10 a simple indication of an appointment at say 10past 10, the ring 22 is rotated to align the lines 28 so that they bracket the 10 o'clock marking on the dial, Then the outer ring 24 is rotated so that pointer 26 is aligned with the l0-minute marking on the outer dial, This provides a very simple, quick and convenient way of giving an indication of the time of a future appointment. As an alternative the inner ring 22 could also have hour markings (not shown) and be used conventionally to show a time difference. For example in the situation shown in the drawing, lines 28 bracket the 10 otclock which represents a 2-hour time difference from the 12 o'clock on the dial 14 and so the hour hand 18 would point to an hour indication of 7 o'clock on the ring 22 at the point 30, so giving a quick and easy indication of time at a place where there is a 2-hour time difference.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An analogue watch having a pair of bezel rings, rotatably mounted on the watch case around the edge of the watch dial, each bezel ring being individually rotatable separately from the other, and the rings having indicator means to enable a user to set one ring relative the dial to indicate either a particular hour or a particular minute and to set the rings relative one another to indicate the other of a particular minute or a particular hour, respectively.

2. A watch as claimed in Claim 1 in which one ring has indicator means corresponding to the minutes on a watch dial, whilst the other ring has indicator means serving to point to a particular hour on the watch dial and a particular minute on the other bezel ring.

3. A watch as claimed in Claim 2 in which the ring having indicator means corresponding to the minutes is the outer ring.

4. A watch as claimed in any preceding claim in which the indicator means on the inner ring comprise a raised pointer to point to a particular orientation on the outer ring, and diametrically opposite the pointer a pair of raised, spaced indicator lines whose inner ends project slightly over the inner edge of the ring and over the outer periphery of the dial.

5. A watch as claimed in Claim 4 in which the inner ring also has markings corresponding to the hour divisions on the dial.

6. A watch as claimed in any preceding claim in which the outer ring carries markings corresponding to the minute divisions of the dial.

7. A watch as claimed in any preceding claim in which the outer edge of the outer bezel ring has a serrated edge to assist in rotating it.

8. An analogue watch substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.