Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of wrist watches, and in particular to devices for the protection of watch parts.

State of the art

A particularly delicate part of watches, and particularly wrist watches, is the crown, which can be easily damaged, for example as a result of a knock, or it can be accidentally moved by the user; furthermore, the crown is also one of the weak points of a watch in terms of waterproofing.

The importance is therefore evident of a device that enables the crown to be extensively protected and, at the same time, enables the associated waterproofing system to be integrated so as to act as an alert when the crown is not tightened. Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 (a, b ,c) shows a schematic view of the two sides (a) and (b), lower and upper respectively, and a cross-section view of a detail (c) of a device according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a wrist watch to which the device shown in figure 1 has been applied.

Summary of the invention

A protection device for the crown of a watch comprising a slider is described.

Detailed description of the invention

The present invention resolves the above-mentioned problems thanks to a device firmly applied to the watch in the area of the crown and comprising a slider capable of sliding, covering and compressing the watch crown against the case. As can be seen from figure 1 , a device according to the invention comprises a body 10 which is fixed to the watch case in the area of the watch crown 11.

Said body 10 has a through hole 12 for the crown to enable it to be moved by the operator: extraction from the case, winding the watch, setting other functions (date, etc.).

If necessary, the body 10 and/or case of the watch may be suitably shaped to enable them to be fixed to each other. The body 10 also has a cavity 13 open towards the outside and positioned parallel to the edge of the case, said cavity 13 housing a slider 14 capable of sliding along said cavity 13 and protruding from said body 10 so as to enable its movement by the operator; the cavity 13 will have two strike points for said slider 14: one 15 at one end of the body 10 and the other 16 positioned such that the slider can compress the crown towards the case.

The slider 14 is shaped so as to enable, automatically and with a single translation, the compression of the crown towards the center of the case (for example the slider may be essentially wedge shaped, as shown in the figure). Preferably a safety element may also be provided, capable of holding the slider in position when it compresses the crown at the end of its travel.

Said safety element may, for example, be a ball spring 7 positioned so as to be able to engage with a corresponding cavity 8 on the slider 4 when it reaches its end of travel and compresses the crown as explained above.

Operation of the device according to the invention is self-evident.

The user can operate the crown (for example in order to wind the watch or set the various functions controlled by the crown) by turning it through the through hole 12.

Once the crown has been placed in the closed position, the user pushes the slider 14 forward until it hits the strike point 16 and at the same time the safety element 17 engages with the cavity 18, after which the slider will compress the crown against the watch case; the crown will thus be completely pressed against the watertight elements placed between it and the case and will moreover be protected from knocks or accidental movements.

To operate the crown once again, simply slide the slider in the opposite direction until it reaches the strike point 15.