Device and method for adjusting the rate of a watch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10948879-B2
Application number	US-201815957949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2018
Priority date	May 29, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A method for adjusting the rate of a watch with an oscillator arranged to generate oscillation at a nominal frequency N0, with a servo-system including a master oscillator arranged to generate excitation oscillation at an excitation frequency NE, which is approximately equal to, or equal to the nominal frequency N0, or to an integer multiple of this nominal frequency N0, the watch is subjected to excitation oscillation or to a modulated motion, generated by the master oscillator, during a transition phase after which the oscillator of the watch is stabilised at excitation frequency NE, and there is incorporated in the servo-system a winder for mechanical or automatic watches, arranged to move a support on which such a watch is fixed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for adjusting the rate of at least one watch or respectively one movement, said watch or respectively said movement comprising at least one basic oscillator arranged to generate oscillation at a nominal frequency N0, wherein there is used a servo-system comprising a master oscillator arranged to generate excitation oscillation at an excitation frequency NE which is approximately equal to, or equal to said nominal frequency N0, or to an integer multiple of said nominal frequency N0 and wherein said entire watch or respectively said entire movement is subjected to excitation oscillation generated by said master oscillator and/or to a modulated motion generated by said master oscillator, after an initial moment of actuation of said servo-system, at least during a transition phase at the end of which the frequency of the oscillator of said watch or respectively of said movement is stabilised at said excitation frequency NE, wherein there is incorporated in said servo-system a winder for mechanical or automatic watches, arranged to move at least one support on which is fixed said at least one watch or respectively said at least one movement.

2. The method for adjusting the rate of at least one watch or respectively one movement, according to claim 1 , wherein an initial variation of rate value DI of said basic oscillator is measured or evaluated, and wherein said master oscillator, which has a master variation of rate value AM with respect to a reference that is lower than said initial variation of rate value DI, is used.

3. A method for adjusting the rate of at least one watch or respectively one movement, said watch or respectively said movement comprising at least one basic oscillator arranged to generate oscillation at a nominal frequency N0, wherein there is used a servo-system comprising a master oscillator arranged to generate excitation oscillation at an excitation frequency NE which is approximately equal to, or equal to said nominal frequency N0, or to an integer multiple of said nominal frequency N0 and wherein said entire watch or respectively said entire movement is subjected to excitation oscillation generated by said master oscillator and/or to a modulated motion generated by said master oscillator, after an initial moment of actuation of said servo-system, at least during a transition phase at the end of which the frequency of the oscillator of said watch or respectively of said movement is stabilised at said excitation frequency NE, wherein there is incorporated in said servo-system a winder for mechanical or automatic watches, arranged to move at least one support on which is fixed said at least one watch or respectively said at least one movement.

4. The method for adjusting the rate of at least one watch or respectively one movement according to claim 3 , wherein an initial variation of rate value DI of said basic oscillator is measured, and wherein said master oscillator, which has a master variation of rate value AM with respect to a reference that is lower than said initial variation of rate value DI, is used.

5. A servo-system for adjusting the rate of a watch or respectively a movement, said watch or respectively said movement comprising at least one basic oscillator arranged to generate oscillation at a nominal frequency N0 with an initial variation of rate value DI, wherein said servo-system comprises a master oscillator arranged to generate excitation oscillation at an excitation frequency NE which is approximately equal to, or equal to said nominal frequency N0, or to an integer multiple of said nominal frequency N0, with a master variation of rate value AM with respect to a reference, which is lower than said initial variation of rate value DI, and wherein said servo-system is arranged to subject said entire watch or respectively said entire movement to the excitation oscillation generated by said master oscillator, and/or to a modulated motion generated by said master oscillator, at the frequency NE, wherein said servo-system includes control means arranged to control the excitation oscillation of said master oscillator and interfaced with means for measuring the variation of rate of said watch or respectively of said movement, comprised in said servo-system.

6. The servo-system according to claim 5 , wherein said servo-system comprises an automatic winder for mechanical or automatic watches with at least one support for receiving a watch or respectively a movement, in which support said servo-system comprises excitation means arranged to subject said entire watch or respectively said entire movement to excitation oscillation generated by said master oscillator, and/or drive means arranged to subject said entire watch or respectively said entire movement to a modulated motion generated by said master oscillator.

7. The interactive support device for correcting a watch or respectively a movement comprising at least one servo-system according to claim 5 , wherein said interactive correction support device comprises central rate control means for adjusting to an identical variation of rate value all the watches subjected to said servo-systems.

8. The interactive support device for correcting a watch or respectively a movement according to claim 7 , wherein said interactive correction support device comprises at least one automatic winder for mechanical or automatic watches, on which is fixed at least one support for receiving a watch or respectively a movement.

9. The interactive support device for correcting a watch or respectively a movement according to claim 7 , wherein said interactive correction support device is a display unit for displaying watches and/or movements to the public.

10. A watch comprising at least one basic oscillator arranged to generate oscillation at a nominal frequency N0, with an initial variation of rate value DI, wherein said watch comprises a watch band comprising at least one servo-system according to claim 5 .

11. The watch according to claim 10 , wherein said watch comprises means for resonating its plate at said nominal frequency N0, or at an integer multiple of said nominal frequency N0.

12. A use of a servo-system according to claim 5 , comprising a master oscillator arranged to generate excitation oscillation at an excitation frequency NE which is approximately equal to, or equal to a nominal frequency N0, or to an integer multiple of said nominal frequency N0, with a master variation of rate value AM with respect to a reference, for adjusting the rate of a watch or respectively a movement, said watch or respectively said movement comprising at least one basic oscillator arranged to generate oscillation at said nominal frequency N0, with an initial variation of rate value DI higher than said master value AM, by subjecting said entire watch or respectively said entire movement to excitation oscillation generated by said master oscillator, and/or to a modulated motion generated by said master oscillator, for a sufficient duration to stabilise the variation of rate of the oscillator of said watch at a variation of rate value lower than or approximately equal to, or equal to said master value AM.

13. An interactive support device for correction of a watch or respectively a movement comprising at least one servo-system, for adjusting the rate of a watch or respectively of a movement, said watch or respectively said movement comprising at least one basic oscillator arranged to generate oscillation at a nominal frequency N0 with an initial variation of rate value DI, wherein said servo-system comprises a master oscillator arranged to generate excitation oscillation at an excitation frequency NE which is app

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Favre Jerome
• Willemin Michel
• Born Jean-Jacques
• Lechot Dominique
• Di Domenico Gianni

Classifications

• G04D7/1278

  whereby the adjustment device works on the compass · CPC title

• G04D7/1264 Primary

  for complete clockworks · CPC title

• G04B18/021 Primary

  adjusting the indexing device from the outside · CPC title

• G04D7/087

  Automatic devices therefor (balancing and loading or removing carried out automatically) · CPC title

• G04D7/084

  by setting adjustable elements, e.g. balance wheel screws · CPC title