Horologicai Systems

This invention relates to horologicai systems. More particularly, the invention concerns horologicai systems involving the use of time pieces that may be worn by an individual, on or about the individual's body, or supported by, or accommodated in, articles normally associated with, or carried by, an individual during the course of daily life.

Individual's time pieces such as watches are, of course, well known and have been worn by individuals for centuries, around an individual's limb, e.g. as part of a bracelet or on a strap, around an individual's neck on a strap or on a cord or chain hanging from an individual's neck as a pendant, on an individual's clothing as an ornament or article of jewellery like a brooch or accommodated in a pocket of the individual's clothing as is a pocket watch. Watches can even be carried on a key ring accommodated in an individual's pocket, purse, handbag, rucksack or other article of luggage. Hereinafter, for convenience, such time pieces will be genericaSiy referred to as watches.

A typical watch has a conventional face or dial (hereinafter referred to as face) displaying at least two time functions, namely hours and minutes, to enable the time to be told, and optionally a third time function, namely seconds. The time functions may be displayed in analogue form, viz. an hour hand, a minute hand and optionally a second hand synchronised by the watch movement with the refative positions of the hands enabling the time to be told, usually but not necessarily in conjunction with appropriate hour, minute and optionally second markings on the watch face or bezel. Alternatively the time functions may be displayed in digital form. Thus, instead of watch hands, a digital watch has windows in the watch face displaying numbers relating to hours, minutes and optionally seconds or otherwise displays the numbers on the watch face.

From early times, watches, especially large-faced pocket watches originally bore only one hand, the hour hand. Minutes were determined from reading the inter-hour gradations on the face. The larger the face the higher the resolution of minutes. More recently, some modern manufacturers have introduced a wristwatch with this feature. Moreover, there are single face watches (e.g. pocket watches), that have separate, much smaller dial-like areas, on the watch face for hours and minutes. However, this is a

mechanical and aesthetic contrivance, as all the dial areas on the face are interconnected by an intricate mechanism behind the face, or in the case of digital watches by a common electronic time source.

Watches are often used also to tell other functions relating to time such as the days of the week, months and date, displayed usually in an appropriate area or areas, such as a dial area or areas of, or window or windows in, the watch face, or projected onto the watch face from behind.

US 2006/0120220 A1 discloses a timepiece apparatus in which the focus is on transmission of time and or data variables from a fixed non-worn separate remote dedicated time base transmitter unit to a wristwatch for adjusting the time on the wristwatch. This apparatus overcomes the possible shortcomings of radio-controlled wristwatches by the use of a separate dedicated time base transmitter unit for transmitting a wireless signal indicative of the current time to the wristwatch for time adjustment to synchronise the worn watch to a base value from a non-wearable transmitter unit. There is only one wearable watch having a conventional face that displays all the time functions to enable the time to be told.

US 2003/0151982 A1 relates to a method and apparatus for synchronising data between a watch and an external digital device in which the focus is again on transmission of time and or data variables from a fixed non-worn device to a wristwatch. The apparatus is designed to overcome the shortcomings of utilising a wristwatch size display and operating features {buttons, keys) when manipulating large and complex data sets such as are found on personal digital assistants (PDAs), palm pilots and the like by providing a docking feature between watch and the PDA which enables data transfer. There is only one wearable watch having a conventional face that displays all time functions with the main function of the apparatus being to transfer data to the worn watch from another non-worn device.

US 6,825,829 B1 relates to adhesive backed displays incorporating a remote multifunction digital indicator "patch" worn, say on a sleeve of an outer garment. This application is, in the main, concerned with the physical and physio-chemical issues related to the transmission, display and power supply of data relating to time or

environmentally-sensitive variables. The displays may present time indicia but there is no specific disclosure of spatially separate time functions.

WO 03071364 discloses a watch having a dual function timepiece, incorporating in Fig. 5 thereof, separate dial areas disposed on a single watch face and displaying the time based on the 25-hour system and the time based on the 24-hour system respectively with the time functions being represented by hour, minute and second hands in each case. A user can read time based on two separate systems, i.e. the 24-hour system and the 25-hour system at once. Although the separate dial areas on the single watch face display separate time functions, both display full time in different ways. Thus, only one wearable device displays the time and all the time functions are effectively on one watch face.

US 4130987 discloses a bracelet embodying a wristwatch where the hours, minutes, seconds, days of the week, date, months etc are separately displayed digitally on a series of separate interlinked faces arrayed around the bracelet and thus the wrist. The digital displays have a common controller, i.e. are electrically interconnected, derive their function from one time source within the watch and are incorporated in the same bracelet. Therefore all the time functions are inseparable and worn on one and the same wrist.

US 5303211 relates to a wall clock in which the hour and minute functions represented by hour and minute hands are displayed on respective separate faces of which the hour face is mounted on a wall through a fixed frame. The separate minute face is suspended from the hour face by a moving belt through which the driving force and synchronisation comes through respective first and second wheels behind the two faces. The diameters of the first wheel and second wheel have a ratio of 12:1 so that a single timepiece movement can drive both the hour hand and the minute hand at appropriate speeds.

Applicant's invention is based on the appreciation that with the advent of mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) which have internal clocks, watches are no longer as essential as they have been hitherto to an individual for telling the time. Thus, whilst watches continue to be worn and/or carried about by individuals, their importance as the

primary source of telling the time from a conventional watch face with at least hour and minute functions and optionally a seconds function is no longer essential.

Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to provide an horological system which is not dedicated essentially to telling the time.

To this end, and from one aspect, the present invention resides in an horological system including at least two separate watches having respective faces of which each respective face displays one time function only, the sole time functions on the at least two watch faces being different to enable the watches to be recognised as being associated with one another without such association necessarily enabling telling of the time.

From another aspect, the present invention resides in a method of creating an horoiogical system, characterised in that a plurality of separate watches are provided and have faces displaying time functions, in that the separate watches are adapted such that each respective face displays one time function only, in that the sole time functions displayed by the respective faces of at least two of said separate watches are different, and in that the difference in the sole time functions displayed by the respective faces of the at least two of said separate watches enables the separate watches to be recognised as being associated with one another without such association necessarily enabling telling of the time.

By means of the above aspects of the invention, the primary purpose of the horological system is not time telling, (the watches are separate entities with their movements not being physically linked), but something entirely different, as will hereinafter become apparent. For example, the horological system of the invention may represent an emblem of association worn by one individual or more individuals or connected individuals forming or being a family, family members, group, group of colleagues, such as work colleagues, group of friends, peer group, a group of linked individuals, a confederation of individuals or partners, such as business or life partners and so on. In such cases, other aspects for example, the aesthetic appearance of the associated watches as a fashion statement, a status symbol and/or as an article of jewellery may transcend the telling of the time.

This is reinforced by the fact that a minute or second oniy watch is intrinsically useless without the hour face but is a reminder of the other party or parties in the emblematic family, group, or confederation.

For convenience, the separate watches displaying different time functions represented by faces displaying hours, minutes and seconds may be referred to as hour-face, minute-face and second-face watches respectively.

The separate watch faces may be of any suitable configuration consistent with providing an aesthetic appearance. For example, the watch face and/or bezel may be semicircular, ovoid, rectangular and may be suitably ornamented or decorated such as by the use of semi-precious and precious stones. The watch faces and/or bezels of the separate watches may also be interconnectable and/or be provided with matching ornamentation or decoration to create unique families or communities of watch holders starting from a minimum of two individuals.

When there are two separate watches with different time functions, the two watches could be in so-termed watch-pairs, e.g. an hour-face watch and a second-face watch, a minute-face watch and a second-face watch or an hour-face watch and a minute-face watch linked with antonymic themes, e.g. hot/cold, sun/moon, day/night, good/evil or any other linking pairs of ideas. For good/evil, the watch bezels may incorporate for example say, a halo in blue and devil's horns in red. Such themed separate watches may be regarded as a set of watches and such sets could be formed of more than two watches linked by a common theme such as signs of the Zodiac or sun/moon/stars etc.

Thus, the hour-face, minute-face and second-face watches may be identified as a set by being of the same, similar or complementary style or having mountings, bezels or supports such as straps, chains, cords, links, or connectors of the same or complementary style. In this specification "style" means shape, colour, design, configuration, marking, pattern, material or ornament, or any other identifying characteristic such as jewellery, for example.

The association of the watches may be achieved by bringing the separate watches displaying different time functions into proximity with each other.

in such a case, the association of the separate watches displaying different time functions may be achieved by watches being worn by the same individual on a part of the individual's body, e.g. a wrist, arm, leg, ankle, neck, head, ear or ears and on clothing worn by the individual or be carried about the individual's person in a pocket, on a keyring, or in or on a handbag, purse or other item of luggage carried by an individual in the course of daily life. For example, one hour-face watch may be mounted on a strap or form part of a bracelet or bangle for wearing on the individual's wrist, a second minute-face watch may be worn on the other wrist, hung around the neck as a pendant, on a headband, or as part of an ankle bracelet and a third watch, say a second-face watch or even another minute-face or hour-face watch, may be worn on an article of clothing, as a brooch on a suit lapel, dress, coat, belt, blouse or shirt or as a tie pin, or as cuff-links associated optionally with another watch worn on an individual's body, e.g. around a wrist. The watches could be incorporated in an article of clothing for example in a head band, an arm band, a leg band or a neck band. Two separate watches, say an hour-face watch and a minute-face watch or a second-face watch may be worn as earrings.

Alternatively, the association proximity may be achieved by the separate watches displaying different time functions being mounted to a common support such as a strap, belt, chain, clip or cord or any other suitable link, attachment or connection. The common support may enable the separate watches displaying different time functions to be worn or carried in any of ways referred to above.

With regard to the use of handbags, any of the separate watches may respectively be attached via a loop or connector of any material, e.g. metal or synthetic fabric or a natural material, such as wood, leather, rubber or natural fibre, to the handle link of any handbag and are known in the trade as handbag charms, handbag clip-ons, purse charms, etc.. There are many types of such items or so-called trinkets specifically for attaching to handbags that are currently available on the market (some of which have a useabie function such as a flashlight, bottle opener etc., and most of which have a purely decorative value).

In another way of carrying the invention into effect, the separate watches having different time functions may be worn by different individuals who have some connection with each other to form the requisite emblematic association. In such a case, the separate watches displaying different time functions can be worn or carried in any of ways referred to above.

Accordingly, from a further aspect of the invention, an horological system includes at least two separate watches having respective faces of which each respective face displays one time function only, the sole time functions on the at least two watch faces being different to enable the watches to be recognised as being associated with one another without such association necessarily enabling telling of the time, the different sole time functions displayed by the respective faces of the said at least two separate watches providing an emblem of association when the at least two separate watches are related to a plurality of individuals who have some connection with each other.

And from a still further aspect of the invention, a method of creating an horological system is characterised in that a plurality of separate watches are provided and have faces displaying time functions, in that the separate watches are adapted such that each respective face displays one time function only, in that the sole time functions displayed by the respective faces of at least two of said separate watches are different, in that the difference in the sole time functions displayed by the respective faces of the at least two of said separate watches enables the separate watches to be recognised as being associated with one another without such association necessarily enabling telling of the time, and in that the different sole time functions displayed by the respective faces of the said at least two separate watches provide an emblem of association when the at least two separate watches are related to a plurality of individuals who have some connection with each other.

The invention also comprehends a system or method of creating an emblematic association between a plurality of individuals or in relation to a single individual, characterised in that a plurality of separate watches are provided and have faces displaying time functions, in that the separate watches are adapted such that each respective face displays one time function only, in that the sole time functions displayed

by the respective faces of at least two of said separate watches are different, and in that the difference in the sole time functions displayed by the respective faces of the at least two of said separate watches provides a recognisable emblematic association between a plurality of individuals or in relation to a single individual that does not necessarily enable telling of the time.

The different individuals are preferably human beings, i.e. persons. However, one of the two individuals, may be a pet, such as a dog which could wear a separate watch displaying one time function on a collar worn around the neck and which is owned by the other individual in this case a person, for example, wearing another watch displaying a different time function. However, the choice of individual pet could be any pet chosen by the owner.

The watches (analogue or digital) may be powered in any of the conventional ways, e.g. spring powered mechanical, spring powered self-winding automatic, battery powered or solar powered, One or some of the associated watches may have analogue time functions and another or others of the associated watches may have digital time functions.

Although, the invention is primarily concerned with transcending telling the time, the invention does not rule out the possibility of time telling should an individual or group of individuals decide to have an association of separate watches displaying different time functions from which the time can be told.

For example, in conventional watch faces displaying at least two time functions in an analogue or digital manner, it is not difficult for an individual to misread the relationship between the watch hands or numbers and make a mistake in the telling of the time. In such cases, ease of time telling may be facilitated by an individual being associated with (wearing/carrying) an hour-face watch and a minute-face watch or an hour-face watch, a minute-face watch and a second-face watch in any of the ways referred to hereinabove, without there being any physical link between the different time functions of the separate watches. This may be a particular advantage to a person who suffers from number reading difficulties such as experienced in dyscalculia, for example. In such a case, the problem of misreading the time would be at least substantially overcome.

When time telling is required, the individuals that are connected by virtue of forming or being a family, family members, group, group of colleagues, such as work colleagues, group of friends, peer group, a group of linked individuals, a confederation of individuals or partners, such as business or life partners and so on may synchronise the different time functions of the separate watches initially when the separate watches are purchased, when they meet, over the telephone <!and-!ine or mobile), or other real time communication medium. Alternatively, the different time functions, hours, minutes and seconds of the separate watches are arranged to be in perfect synchrony by virtue of a radio broadcast transmission of time from a standardised dock source, such as an atomic clock.

By this means, contact between friends and family members, work colleagues and absent partners is readily facilitated. So, the separate watches with different time functions can act synergisticaily to keep individuals in touch more easily and thereby act as an effective communication tool.

The separate watches having faces displaying respective sole time functions may be offered for sale in any of the ways used nowadays such as retail shops, the internet, mobiie phone, telesales or by advertising through television, magazines and newspapers for example. Although the separate watches having faces displaying respective sole time functions may be supplied in any suitable way, they are conveniently supplied in packaging which includes wearing suggestions. The packaging can be a suitable box, such as a flip-lid box, with the wearing suggestions being supported on the inside surface of the ltd for ease of viewing when the box is opened, as by printing on a separate card which may be fixed as by an adhesive to lid inside surface or printed on the lid inside surface.

One form of wearing suggestions which is particularly preferred is the use of graphic representations of one or more individuals showing where the separate watches having faces displaying respective sole time functions are worn or otherwise supported by the individual or individuals. For ease and simplicity of understanding, the various separate watches having faces displaying respective sole time functions are identified by different markings, and markings on the graphic representations correspond to the coloured

markings on the watches. Purely by way of example, the marking of an hour-face watch and its corresponding marking on the graphic representation may be identified by one colour, such as blue, the marking of a minute-face watch and its corresponding marking may be identified by another colour, such as red, and the marking of a second-face watch may be identified by a third colour, such as green, The watch markings can be on any part of the separate watches, e.g. on the watch faces, bezels, and/or their mountings, such as straps, bands, cords, chains, bangles, bracelets etc.

The graphic representations of the individual(s) are ideally kept as simple as possible consistent with providing the necessary information. Such simplicity may be achieved readily by the use of so-called stick figures.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood some embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figures 1 to 6 show a single individual person wearing three, separate hour-face, minute-face and second-face watches in different ways;

Figures 7 and 8 show a single individual person wearing two separate watches displaying different time functions and a third separate watch displaying a different time function supported from a handbag carried by the person;

Figures 9 and 10 show two individuals, one a person wearing two separate watches displaying different time functions and the other individual being a pet wearing a third separate watch;

Figure 1 1 shows two individuals, one individual being a person wearing one separate watch displaying one time function and carrying another watch supported by a handbag carried by the person and the other individual being a pet wearing a third separate watch;

Figures 12 and 13 show two individual persons wearing three separate watches between them displaying different time functions in different respective ways;

Figure 14 shows two individual persons wearing six separate watches between them displaying varying time functions and forming two dissimilar sets;

Figure 15 shows three individual persons wearing three respective separate watches between them displaying different time functions with al! three watches forming one set;

Figure 16 shows three individual persons wearing six respective separate watches between them displaying varying time functions and forming two dissimilar sets;

Figure 17 shows an individual person wearing two respective watches displaying different time functions;

Figure 18 shows two individual persons constituting a couple wearing two separate watches between them displaying different time functions;

Figure 19 shows a group of five individual persons wearing ten separate watches between them displaying varying time functions and forming four dissimilar sets;

Figure 20 is a perspective view of one form of packaging for supplying the separate watches; and

Figure 21 shows another individual associated with two pairs of respective watches displaying different time functions.

It should be appreciated that in the drawings it is implicit that the combinations of watch face and location of the watch on or about the wearer are not limited to the examples illustrated: the examples are provided for ease of comprehension of the system concept only. Variations in the examples provided also include the omission or duplication of one (or more) watches having faces displaying hours, minutes and seconds, i.e. having an hour-face, a minute-face and a second-face respectively, or a set of such hour-face, minute-face and second-face watches identified as a set in the manner previously described. In each of Figures 1 to 21 of the drawings there is shown a plurality of separate watches having respective faces of which each respective face displays one

time function only, the sole time functions displayed by the faces of at least two of said separate watches being different and enabling the separate watches to be recognised as being associated with one another without such association necessarily enabling telling of the time.

Sn Figures 1 to 21 of the drawings, the separate watches shown have at least two of an hour-face H, a minute-face M and a second-face S which represent the hour, minute and second hands respectively of an analogue watch or their digital equivalents. Moreover, in the drawings, the same reference characters designate the same or similar items.

Referring to Figure 1 , the individual person is a woman 10 who is wearing on her lower arm 12 of her right upper limb, from the wrist upwards, three separate watches 14 of generally rectangular configuration, carried by respective straps 16 secured around the lower arm 12. The three separate watches 14 have generally rectangular faces displaying different time functions, namely a respective hour-face H, a minute-face M and a second-face S, Thus, the separate watches displaying different time functions are emblematically associated with one another by being worn by the same person, in this case on her right lower arm 12. The lower arm 18 of the woman's left upper limb is watch-free.

The woman 10 in Figure 2, is wearing two separate watches 14 on the right wrist of the lower arm 12 and another, third, separate watch 14 on the wrist of the left lower arm 18. In this case, the watches 14 on the woman's right arm each have a respective hour-face H and a second-face S and the watch 14 on the wrist of the left lower arm 18 has a minute face M. Again, the separate watches displaying different time functions are emblematically associated with one another by being worn on different lower arms 12 and 18 of the same person.

In Figure 3, the woman 10, wears one minute-face M watch 14 on the wrist of her right lower arm 12, a second-face S watch 14 on the wrist of her left lower arm 18 and a third, hour-face H watch is attached by a clip 17 as a brooch 14 to an article of clothing worn by the woman 10, namely the bodice of a dress 20. In this instance, the separate watches 14 displaying different time functions are emblematically associated with one

another by being worn on the two lower arms 12 and 18 of, and attached to an article of clothing worn by, the same person.

The embodiment of Figure 4 differs from that of Figure 3 in that the two minute-face M and second-face S watches 14 are worn on the wrist of the right lower arm 12.

Sn Figure 5, the woman 10 is wearing two, hour-face H and minute-face M, watches on the one wrist of her right lower arm 12 and one second-face S watch as a pendant 14 on a necklace 21 to obtain the emblematic association of three separate watches 14 displaying different time functions.

The embodiment of Figure 6 differs from that of Figure 5 in that the woman 10 wears the minute-face M watch 14 on the wrist of the left lower arm 18.

Figure 7 brings in the concept of at least one of the separate watches 14 not being worn by the individual person but being supported on an article carried by the person. In this embodiment, the supporting article is a handbag 22 which is carried over the right lower arm 12 of the woman 10 and to which an hour-face H watch is connected by a tie 23 as a handbag-charm 14. To obtain the emblematic association of at least two separate watches 14 displaying different time functions, the woman 10 wears two, minute-face M ₁ and second-face S ₁ watches 14 respectively on the wrist of her left Sower arm 18.

The embodiment of Figure 8 differs from that of Figure 7 in that the minute-face M, watch 14 is worn by the woman 10 on the wrist of her right lower arm 12.

Figures 9 to 11 illustrate the concept of there being two individuals that wear the separate watches 14 displaying the different time functions to form the emblematic association. However, in these embodiments, one of the individuals is a pet dog 24 with the other individual being the woman 10. Thus, in Figure 9, the woman 10 is wearing the two, minute-face M, and second-face S, watches 14 on the wrists of her right lower arm 12 and left lower arm 18 respectively. The third, hour-face H watch 14 is connected by a tie 25 to a dog collar 26 worn by the dog 24.

The embodiment of Figure 10 differs from that of Figure 9 in that the hour-face H and second-face S, watches 14 are both worn on the wrist of the right lower arm 12 of the woman 10 and the third, minute-face M, watch 14 is worn by the dog 24. And the embodiment of Figure 11 differs from that of Figures 9 and 10 in that the hour-face H watch 14 is supported from the handbag 22 carried on the right lower arm 12, and second-hand S watch 14 is worn on the wrist of the left lower arm 18 of the woman 10.

Referring now to Figures 12 to 16, these illustrate some variants involving the concept of sharing watches or watch sets with two or more individual persons.

Thus, in Figures 12 and 13, there is one set of watches 14 shared by a group of two women 30 and 32. In Figure 12, the woman 30 is wearing one, hour-face H, watch 14 on the wrist of her right lower arm 12 and one second-face S, watch 14 on the wrist of her left lower arm 18 with the second woman 32 wearing one minute-face IVS watch 14 of the same set on the wrist of her lower left arm 18. The rectangular configuration of the watches 14 and their faces H, M and S provide the characteristic that identifies the three watches as a set and the hour-face H ₁ minute-face M and second-face S of the watches 14 provide the emblematic association.

The embodiment of Figure 13 differs from that of Figure 12 in that the woman 30 of the group is wearing two, hour-face H and minute-face M, watches respectively on the wrist of her left lower arm 18 and the other woman 32 of the group is wearing a second-face S watch of the same set on the wrist of her left lower arm 18.

By way of contrast, in Figure 14, the two women 30 and 32 of the group share two dissimilar sets of watches. The rectangular configuration of the watches 14 and their faces H, M and S provide the characteristic that identifies the three watches 14 as one set and the elliptical configuration of the watches 36 and their faces H, M and S provide the characteristic that identifies the three watches 36 as a second dissimilar set.

The woman 30 is wearing one hour-face H ₁ watch 14 of the first set on the wrist of her right lower arm 12 and two, hour-face H and minute-face M, watches 36 respectively of the second set on the wrist of her left lower arm 18. On the other hand, the woman 32 is wearing one second-face S ₁ watch 36 of the second set on the wrist of her right lower

arm 12 and two, minute-face M, and second-face S, watches 14 respectively of the first set on the wrist of her left lower arm 18. The first and second dissimilar sets of watches comprising watches displaying various time functions provides an embiematic association.

The embodiments of Figures 15 and 16 differ from those of Figures 12 to 14 in showing three women 30, 32 and 34 sharing respectively the first set of watches 14 and the second dissimilar set of watches 36 referred to above.

Thus, in Figure 15, the woman 30 is wearing one, hour-face H, watch 14 on the wrist of her left lower arm 18, the second woman 32 is wearing one, second-face S, watch 14 on the wrist of her left lower arm 18 and the third woman 34 is wearing one minute-face M, watch 14 on the wrist of her left lower arm 18.

And in Figure 16, the women 30, 32 and 34 each wear two watches 14 and 36 of the first and second dissimilar sets respectively as follows. The woman 30 wears a minute-face M watch 36 and an hour-face H watch 14 on the wrists of her right lower arm 12 and left lower arm 18 respectively, the second woman 32 wears an hour-face H watch 36 and a minute-face IVi watch 14 on the wrists of her right lower arm 12 and left lower arm 18 respectively and the woman 34 wears a second-face S watch 14 and a second-face S watch 36 on the wrists of her right lower arm 12 and left lower arm 18 respectively.

Referring to Figure 17, there is shown a woman 38 wearing on the wrist of her right lower arm 12 a bangle 40 incorporating two D-shaped hour-face H and minute-face IVt, watches 42 to be recognised as being associated with each other and form the emblematic association on a solid curved carrier bar 44 extending around the woman's wrist leaving a gap between the curved portions of the D's of the two watches 42. Alternatively, either the minute-face M watch 42 or the hour-face H watch 42 could be replaced by a second-face S watch to form the emblematic association. The detailed design of the two watches 42 can be appreciated from the enlarged view at the top left of the drawing which shows that the hour-face H and minute-face M of the two watches 42 respectively have matching bejewelled bezels 46. The enlarged view also shows the hour and minute hands of the two watches 42 and that the two watches 42 are alternatively mounted on a rigid band 41 instead of a bangle 40. Around her waist the

woman 38 wears a wide belt 48 with a bejewelied brooch or clasp 50 whose jewels may match or complement those of the two watches 42. The bejewelied brooch or clasp 50 may be formed as a third watch having an hour-face H, a minute-face M or a second face S. As with the previous embodiments, the hour-face H and minute-face M of the two watches 42 and the optional brooch or clasp watch 50 displaying different time functions form an emblematic association.

The woman 52 and man 54 in Figure 18 constitute an embracing couple which provides the interconnection and each wear matching watches 56 around the wrists of their left lower arms 18. The watches 56, the hour-face H and minute-face M and the watch bezels 58 are of rectangular configuration as will be apparent from the enlarged detai! view to the right of the embracing couple. Alternatively, either or both of the watches 56 couid be worn by either the woman 52 or man 54 on their right lower arm 12. Again the two watches 56 displaying different time functions, i.e. their hour-face H and minute-face IvI to be recognised as being associated with each other and form an emblematic association. As with Figure 17, either the hour-face H or minute-face M watch 56 could be replaced by a second-face S watch.

In Figure 19, there are five individual persons, all girls and interconnected by being school girls, with there being two taller girls standing by a park-type bench 59 on the left- hand and right-hand sides respectively, as illustrated, of the drawing and three shorter girls in the middle sitting on the park-type bench 59 between the two taller giris. The girls are designated from left to right by the reference characters 60, 62, 64, 66 and 68 and share ten separate watches 14 of rectangular configuration between them displaying varying time functions and forming four dissimilar sets. The sets are distinguished from each other by the use of different colours which provide characteristics that identify the four dissimilar sets from one another.

Looking from left to right, the first girl 60 wears three watches 14, one from each of three dissimilar sets, two watches 14 with red and purple straps 16 respectively on the wrist of her ieft lower arm 18 and one watch 14 with a grey strap 16 on the wrist of her right lower arm 12. The second girl 62 wears two watches 14 from two dissimilar sets, one on watch 14 with a red strap 16 on the wrist of her right lower arm 12 and the other watch as a hand-bag charm 14 attached to the handbag 22 by a grey tie 23. The third girl 64

wears two watches 14, one from each of two dissimilar sets on the wrist of her left lower arm 18, with one watch 14 having a purple strap 16 and the other watch 14 having a blue strap 16. The fourth girl 66 wears two watches 14, one from each of two dissimilar sets, on the wrists of her right and left lower arms 12 and 18 respectively, with the watch 14 on the left lower arm 18 having a grey strap 16 and the watch 14 on the right lower arm 18 having a blue strap 16. And, the fifth girl 68 wears one watch 14 having a blue strap 16 from one set on the wrist of her right lower arm 12.

So, in this embodiment, the colours red, purple, grey and blue constitute the identifying characteristics of the four dissimilar sets. The watches 14 of the respective sets have faces displaying sole time functions that may vary as desired to be recognised as being associated with each other form the emblematic association.

Thus, the three watches 14 of the first set identified by the colour grey (the grey set), worn by the girl 60 (right lower arm 12, strap 16), the girl 62 (handbag 22, handbag tie 23) and girl 66 (left lower arm 18) could be any of an hour-face H watch 14, a minute- face M watch 14 and second-face S watch 14. For example, three hour-face watches 14, three minute face watches 14 or three second face watches 14, two hour-face and either one minute-face M watch or one second-face S watch, two minute-face M watches and either one hour-face H or one second-face S watch, two second-face S watches and either one hour-face H watch or one minute-face M watch or one hour-face H, one minute-face M and one second-face S watch.

The two watches 14 of the second set identified by the colour red (the red set) are being worn by the girl 60 (left lower arm, red strap16) and girl 62 (right lower arm 12, red strap16). The red set of watches 14 could be an hour-face H watch and a minute-face M watch or an hour-face H watch and a second-face S watch or a minute-face IVl watch, two hour-face H watches, two minute-face M watches or two second-face S watches. The same could apply to the third set of watches 14 identified by the colour purple (the purple set) and worn by the girl 60 (left lower arm 18, purple strap 16) and the girl 64 (left lower arm 18, purple strap 16).

As with the grey set, the fourth set identified by the colour blue (the blue set) comprises three watches 14. The watches 14 of the blue set are worn by three girls, namely the giri

64 (left iower arm 18, blue strap 16), the girl 66 (right lower arm 12, blue strap 16) and the girl 68 (right lower arm 12, blue strap 16). The three watches 14 of the blue set could be any of an hour-face H watch 14, a minute-face M watch 14 and second-face S watch 14, like those of the combinations mentioned above in relation to the grey set.

Figure 20, shows packaging in the form of a flip-lid box 70 having a shallow lid 71 and a deeper bottom portion 72 which accommodates on a support 73 three separate hour- face H, minute-face M and second-face S watches 14 having respective wearing straps 16. The lid 71 of the box 70 has an inside surface 74 bearing or supporting a series of printed graphic representations of individuals in the form of female stick figures 10, 30, 32, 34, as the case may be, in a grid-like 3X3 section matrix 75. The central section in the second row of the matrix 75 is not occupied by a stick figure 10, 30, 32, 34 but by the wording "How will you wear yours..." and four question marks.

The hour-face H, minute-face M and second-face S watches 14 are identified by different markings constituted by the colours blue, red and green respectively of the straps 16 and on the stick figures 10, 30, 32, 34, as the case may be, which are provided with corresponding blue, red and green coioured markings to represent where the hour- face H, minute-face M and second-face S watches 14 are worn or carried by the figures.

So, starting from the top left-hand side of the matrix 75 and moving from left to right, from section to section, in the top row of sections, the first human female stick figure 10 in the left-hand section has three watches 14 with blue, green and red straps respectively worn on the left lower arm. The second human female stick figure 10 in the middle section of the top row wears two green and blue-strapped watches 14 on the left iower arm and one red-strapped watch 14 on the right lower arm. And the third human female stick figure 10 in right-hand section of the top row wears two green and blue- strapped watches 14 on the left lower arm and right lower arm respectively and a red pendant-carried watch 14 hung around the neck.

In the first section of the second row of sections, there are two left and right-hand positioned human female and male stick figures 10 wearing respectively a blue strapped watch 14 on the left lower arm and two green and red-strapped watches 14 on the right

lower arm. The last section in the second row of sections shows a human female figure 10 wearing two red and green-strappeci watches 14 on the left and right lower arms respectively and a handbag 22 carrying a blue-tie supported watch 14.

Referring to the third row of sections, the first section has two human female figures 30 and 32 of which the left-hand figure 32 wears a green-strapped watch 14 on the left lower arm and the right-hand figure 30 wears red and blue-strapped watches 14 on the right lower arm. The middle section has three human female figures 30, 32 and 34, of which the left-hand figure 34 wears a blue-strapped watch 14 on the left lower arm, the central figure 32 wears a red-strapped watch 14 on the left lower arm and the right-hand figure 30 wears a green-strapped watch 14 on the right iower arm. And finally, the right- hand human female figure 32 of the third section wears two red and blue-strapped watches 14 on the right lower arm and a dog 24 is associated with a green-tie supported watch 14 which can be attached to a dog collar (not shown) to be worn around the dog's neck.

Referring to now to Figure 21 , there is shown a woman 80 wearing a kimono 81 against the background of city buildings at night in silhouette and falling snow. The woman 80 is associated with two pairs of separate watches 82 and 84 located artistically at a diagonal across the top left-hand and right-hand corners respectively of Figure 21. The separate watches 82 and 84 of the two pairs have faces that display different time functions to be recognised as being associated with each other and form an emblematic association.

One pair of separate watches is D-shaped and comprises hour-face H and minute-face M watches 82 supported by respective mounting straps 16. The other pair of separate watches are rectangularly shaped and comprise hour-face H and minute-face M watches 84, also having respective wearing straps 16. Alternatively, either the minute-face M watch 82, 84 or the hour-face H watch 82, 84 could be replaced by a second-face S watch. It will be appreciated that each pair of separate watches 82 and 84 can be worn on the same or separate limbs, for example, either or both of the lower arms of the woman 80. When the pair of separate D-εhaped watches 82 are worn on the same lower arm for example, the watches are conveniently worn as shown in Figure 21 with the straight sides of the Ds adjacent one another to give the impression of one watch.

Various modifications may be made to the embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Thus, any of the separate watches 14, 46, 56, 82 and 84 may be worn in different body locations or combinations of body locations and/or carried in any way other than those described and illustrated.