Title: "Improvements in or relating to timepieces"

THIS INVENTION relates to timepieces and it is an object of the invention to provide an improved timepiece.

The conventional wrist watch has reached a high stage of development, but has various disadvantages. Thus, for example, its location on the wrist of the wearer, although minimising the risk of damage to the watch, makes it difficult to view the face of a wrist-watch unobtrusively, as the wearer might wish to do in order to check the time without giving offence to someone with whom the wearer is in conversation.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved timepiece whereby the above disadvantages of the conventional wrist watch may be avoided.

According to the invention there is provided a watch mounted on, or incorporated in a finger ring.

.. Preferably, the watch is fully waterproofed.

Preferably the watch is also shock and abrasion resistant and anti-magnetic.

In some embodiments, a unit comprising a watch movement, watch face, glass and casing or the equivalent parts, including casing and glass for an electronic watch may be mounted, for example releasably, in a bezel provided on a finger ring, whereas in other embodiments the ring itself may form the casing for a watch "movement" of less conventional layout.

It is envisaged that where a unit comprising a watch movement, watch face, glass and casing or equivalent parts is releasably mounted on a separately formed finger ring, a variety of different rings may be provided, each with a corresponding mounting formation adapted to cooperate with the mounting formation of the watch unit, whereby said unit may be interchanged between various rings. Thus, for example, the various rings may be of different colours or styles to match or complement clothes or fashion accessories or even cosmetics worn by the wearer of the watch. Alter¬ natively, or additionally, a variety of different watch units may be provided with identical mounting formations, allowing watch units of different appearance, colour, style, etc. to be fitted at choice on a selected ring. By way of example, the or each ring may have, on a mounting region thereof, an undercut, (e.g. dovetail or T-section) slot to receive a projection, of corresponding section, on the back of a watch unit, or vice versa. Preferably a retaining catch or resilient detent may be provided to prevent acci¬ dental detachment of the watch unit from the ring. Alter¬ natively, the watch unit may have a retaining arrangement adapted for snap-engagement with a complementary arrange¬ ment on the ring, whereby the watch unit can simply be pushed onto, or pulled off, the respective ring.

The ring may comprise a band portion in the form of an open loop of flexible or resilient material with the opposing ends of the band separated by a gap which varies according to the effective size of the ring, said ends of

the band carrying outwardly projecting attachment forma¬ tions for releasable engagement with complementary recess

,, formations on the watch unit or the bezel for the watch unit, such recess formations being, for example, in the form

< of a series of spaced-apart recesses such that said projec¬ tions can be inserted in selected said recesses according to the desired ring size, or the watch part or bezel having means for adjusting the spring between recess formations for said projections. Alternatively the recess formations may be provided in the band and such projecting attachment formations, (for example, adjustable in spacing) may be provided on the watch part or bezel.

In other variants the ring may simply be resilient and have a break or gap therein so positioned as to be exposed on the palm side of the finger bearing the ring, or the ring may comprise a band of resiliently stretchable material or construction, for example of elastic material or in the form of a chain of resiliently connected elements.

The watch may comprise a conventional mechanical movement, or an electronically controlled electrical move¬ ment or may be a digital electronic watch having an LCD display. The watch face may be permanently exposed to view or may normally be concealed by an ornamental or other cover, for example incorporating a gem stone, which may be pivotally displaced to disclose the watch face.

By way of further example, such cover may bear a sign of the zodiac, a family or other crest, a monogram or the initials or an initial of the wearer, or the insignia of a club or society to which the wearer belongs or a hologram or other decoration.

The watch unit with cover may be arranged to form a locket, with a miniature portrait of a loved one being mounted in the underside of the cover or on an intermediate

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inner cover lying under the outer cover and over the watch face. Watches embodying the invention may be made in sets, sharing a style or a design feature or features, for example may be made in pairs, as a "his and hers" set, for engaged or married couples or couples "going steady".

A watch embodying the invention, can, by the use of modern techniques and materials for appropriate parts, be made rugged and highly resistant to damage so that the wearer need not remove the watch from his or her finger in order to bathe, swim or wash the hands or engage in any other activity involving wetting or immersing the hands in water, nor to indulge in vigorous, e.g. sporting, activities.

The ring part of a watch embodying the invention may be made of precious or non-precious metal or of plastics, natural or artificial ivory or any other convenient material, as may the casing, cover, etc. of the watch unit.

The wearer of such a watch may check the time very unobtrusively, for the hands and fingers are generally quite naturally exposed to view and movement of the hands such as may be required to expose the watch to view occur quite naturally and unconsciously in the course of everyday con¬ versation.

It is anticipated that a watch embodying the invention will have particular appeal for sportsmen and women and other young and active persons.