DESCRIPTION

The present device concerns the technical field of mechanical watches.

More in detail, the present device concerns a mechanical watch with improved reading of the time.

The known mechanical watches usually comprise at least the following main elements: a set of three hands for showing the hours, the minutes and the seconds; a graduated quadrant with graphic and/or numerical markers under the hands for reading hours, minutes and seconds shown by said hands; a mechanism below the quadrant and hinged on the hands for generating the rotating motion of said hands; a case for housing above mentioned elements; a crystal, for closing the watch case.

Furthermore, the conventional mechanic watches may be enriched with accessories like daters, chronographs, AM / PM indicators, moon phase indicators, etc.

The abundance of accessories on the graduated quadrant below the hands may imply hour and minutes graduations and/or markers of rather small dimensions which may have a negative impact on a clear time reading.

It is the aim of the present invention to overcome above mentioned disadvantages.

The aim set forth is obtained by means of a mechanical watch with improved time reading according to the main independent claim 1. Further features of the watch according to the present invention will be described in the independent claims.

The watch according to the present invention has the relevant advantage to allow an easy and clear reading of the time from any angle both analogically by special indicators as well as visually by a special graphic effect, simulating the emptying / filling cycle of an hourglass.

Further features and advantages of the object of the present invention will be more evident according to the following detailed description and the enclosed drawings showing a preferred embodiment, in which: - figures 1-2 respectively show a complete perspective and exploded view of the outer and inner structure of a mechanic watch with improved time reading according to the present invention;

- figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 with plane sections and views, realization details of the watch according to the present invention.

Relating to the details shown in figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, a mechanic watch with improved time reading according to the present invention mainly comprises: a slide 1; a couple of slides 2, 3; a plaque 4 that houses slides 1, 2, 3; a quadrant 5, that may house said plaque 4; a disk 6 showing the minutes; a disk 7 showing the hours; adapters 8', 8”.

Relating to the details shown in figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 the described watch further comprises: a case CA for housing above mentioned elements; a crystal CR that closes said case CA.

The slide 1 has an approximately circular shape and has a graduated scale on its lower surface for reading the minutes.

The slide 2 has an approximately trapezoidal shape and has a group of numerical markers 10 on its lower surface, said markers indicating the hours "1-2-3" and placed on the outermost portion along a 90° arch; a group of numerical markers 11 indicating the hours "4-5-6" and placed on the innermost portion along a 90° arch, and a graduated scale 12 for reading the minutes, placed between said groups of numerical markers along a 90° arch:

Slide 3 also has an approximately trapezoidal shape and has, on its lower surface, a group of numerical markers 13 showing the hours "7-8-9", placed along the outermost portion along a 90° arch; a group of numerical markers 14, showing the hours "10-11- 12" placed on the innermost portion along a 90° arch, and a graduated scale 15 for reading the minutes, placed between, said numerical groups along a 90° arch.

Said numerical marker groups 10, 11 and 13,14 and the graduated scales 12,15 of said slides 2,3 are shown on the respective lower surfaces with reciprocally specular and opposite arrangements. Said plaque 4 comprises a window 16 of approximately circular shape for receiving said slide 1, enclosed between a couple of windows 17, 18 of approximately trapezoidal shape for receiving said slides 2, 3 so that the assembly defined by said windows and said slides depict the stylized contours of the ampoules of an hourglass.

Said quadrant 5 comprises a seat 19 for receiving said plaque 4.

Said disk 6 showing the minutes has, on its upper surface, an indicator 20 with an approximately wedge shape that allows to read the minutes on said graduated scale 9 of said slide 1.

Said disk 7 comprises a seat 21 for receiving said disk 6.

Said disk 7 showing the hours has, on its upper surface, an arched sector 22 placed on the outermost portion along a 180° arch, and an arched sector 23 placed on the outermost portion along a 180° arch and rotated by 90° with respect to said arched sector 22, realized in a colour different from the colour of said disk 7.

Said arched sectors 22, 23 reproduce an effect of progressive and opposed colouring of spaces SI, S2 defined by said windows 17, 18 of said plaque 4, thus visually representing the passing of time by a simulation of the emptying/refilling cycle of the stylized profiles of the ampoules of an hourglass, shown by said windows 17, 18 of said plaque 4.

More in detail, during their rotation, said arched sectors 22, 23 cross said spaced SI, S2 from the outermost to the innermost portion and viceversa and so they revive- with the different colours - an emptying/refilling effect of the stylized profiles of said ampoules of said hourglass, represented by said windows 17, 18 of said plaque 4.

Said arched sectors 22, 23 comprise respective approximately trapezoidal indicators 24, 25, that allow the reading of the hours on the groups of numerical markers 10, 11 and 13, 14 of said slides 2, 3. Said indicators 24, 25 in turn comprise respective approximately scissor-shaped indicators 26, 27, that allow the reading of the minutes on said graduated scales 12, 15 of said slides 2, 3.

Above mentioned elements may be shaped and dimensioned so as to define wrist, table, wall timepieces, etc., indifferently of mechanical, quartz, etc. type. Relating to the details of figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the assembling of a watch according to the present invention provides that: said adapters 8', 8''are inserted in said case CA, whereby said adapter 8' is placed above said adapter 8";

- the mechanism M for moving said disk 6 for reading the minutes and said disk 7 for reading the hours is comprised between a lower notch G of said adapter 8' and an upper notch S" of said adapter 8"; said disk 6 for reading the minutes is inserted in said seat 21 of said disk 7 for reading the hours and connected to said shaft AM of the minutes of the moving mechanism M; said disk 7 for reading the hours is inserted in an upper notch S' of said adapter 8' and connected to a shaft AO of the hours of the moving mechanism M; said quadrant 5 is inserted, above, in an inner step G of said case CA and below resting on the top of said adapter 8', placed above said disks 6, 7; said plaque 4 is inserted in said seat 19 of said quadrant 5, placed above said disks 6, 7; said slides 1, 2, 3 are inserted in said windows 16, 17, 18 of said plaque 4; said crystal CR closes said case CA.

And so, following to above mentioned assembling: said disk 6 for reading the minutes and said disk 7 for reading the hours are on the same plane, below said watch face 5 and said plaque 4 comprised therein; said disk 6 for reading the minutes is visible through said window 16 of said plaque 4 and said slide comprised therein; said disk 7 for reading the hours is visible through said windows 17, 18 of said plaque 4 and said slides 2, 3 comprised therein; said disk 6 for reading the minutes and said disk 7 for reading the hours are placed, preferably but not exclusively, ad a distance of 0,2 mm from said slides 1, 2, 3 comprised in said windows 16, 17, 18 of said plaque 4, so as to allow an optimal reading of the minutes and of the hours on said graduated scales 9, 12, 15 of said slides 1, 2, 3, regardless of the inclination imposed to the watch; said quadrant 5 and said plaque 4 comprised therein cooperate with said upper notch S' of said adapter 8' for defining a cage that prevents disk 6 for reading the minutes and/or disk 7 for reading the hours from oscillating and consequently possible damages to shafts AM, AO of the moving mechanism connected thereto, due to accidental falls or bumps of the watch.

The working of the mechanical watch with improved time reading according to the present invention can be described as follows. The movement mechanism M puts into rotation said disk 6 for reading the minutes in said seat 21 of said disk 7 for reading the hours by means of the respective connection shaft AM, and said disk 7 for reading the hours in the upper notch S' of said adapter 8', by means of the respective connection shaft AO.

Said disk 6, visible through said slide 1 comprised in said window 16 of said plaque, shows the minutes by means of said indicator 20 and allows the reading thereof on said graduated scale 9 on said slide 1, placed above said disk 6.

Said disk 7, visible through said slides 2, 3 comprised in windows 17, 18 of said plaque 4 shows the hours by means of said indicators 24, 25, highlighting the numerical marker corresponding to the hour indicated between the groups of numerical markers 10, 11 and 13, 14 shown on said slides 2, 3 placed above said disk 7.

Finally, said disk 7 produces, through said arched sectors 22, 23, an effect of progressive and opposite colouring of said spaces SI, S2 defined by said windows 17, 18 of said plaque 4, that does visualize the passing of the time simulating the emptying/refilling cycle of the stylized profiles of the ampoules of an hourglass, represented by said windows 17, 18 of said plaque 4.

The watch according to the present invention comprises a group for manual recharge and adjustment that allows to recharge the movement mechanism M associated to said disks 6, 7 and/or the adjusting of the minutes and of the hours shown.

Relating to the details shown in figures 1, 2, 6 and 7, above mentioned recharge and adjustment group comprises: a crank 28 with a curved shape provided on the right profile of said case CA; a shaft 29 for operating said crank 28 provided with a threaded end 30 placed on the distal end of said crank 28 and sliding through it; a knob 31 for gripping and guiding said shaft 29; a crown 32 placed at the proximal end of said crank 28, connected by means of a small tube 33 to a shaft AR for recharging and adjusting the movement mechanism M; a seat 34 for receiving said shaft 29 in resting condition, comprised in said case CA.

Above mentioned elements can be shaped and dimensioned in such a way as to define the groups for recharge and adjusting to be associated to wrist, table, wall timepieces, etc., according to the present invention, indifferently of mechanical, quartz, etc. type. Above mentioned group for recharge and adjusting produces the following advantages:

- through the decentralized rotation of said crank 28 it allows an easy operating of the crown 32 of the watch and consequently an easy performance of the recharging and/or adjusting operations of the watch, even if performed by people with particularly large fingers; by means of the decentralized rotation of said crank 28 it allows to reduce the rotation forces impressed on the same;

- through said small tube 33, placed between said crown 32 and said recharge and adjusting shaft AR of said movement mechanism M, it allows to reduce the mechanical stress transmitted by the movement of said crank 28 to said shaft AR through said crown 32.

The working of said recharge and adjusting group may be described as follows.

The anticlockwise rotation of knob 31 allows the disengagement of threaded end 30 of shaft 29 from its housing seat 34, the extraction of shaft 29 from said case CA and its positioning on the external side of said crank 28.

The extraction of one click of said crown 32 from said case CA prepares said shaft AR for the recharge of said movement mechanism, while its extraction of two clicks from said case CA prepares said shaft AR for adjusting minutes and hours shown by said disks 6, 7.

The rotation of said crank 28, operated by means of said shaft 29 guided by said knob

31, determined the rotation of said crown 32 and of said shaft AR, through said small tube 33, thus effecting the recharge of said movement mechanism M or the adjusting of minutes and hours shown by said disks 6, 7, according to the position of said crown

32.

As soon as the recharge and/or adjusting operations are completed, said crank 28, shaft 29 and crown 32 are returned int their respective resting positions, thus restoring the usual operating mode of the watch.