Breitling Ag

Societe Anonyme De La Manufacture D'horlogerie Audemars Piguet & Cie

Jacques Gabathuler

Trung Thanh Nguyen

Serge Nicollin

Florent Zufferey

Cedric Jacot

Thibaut Philippine

Johan Montet

A zero-rest device for a timepiece, including first and second control mechanisms, two zero-reset cams, and two corresponding zero-reset hammers configured to cooperate with the cams. The device also includes two hammer springs exerting a pre-stress force causing a hammer to pivot in the direction of its corresponding cam, a winding and release mechanism and a locking mechanism. The winding and release mechanism is configured to wind the hammer springs during a first phase of an actuation of the first control mechanism and to cooperate, during a second phase of this actuation, with the locking means, such that the locking means passes from a rest position in which the locking means holds the hammers to a release position in which the locking means releases the hammers, which come, in each case under the action of the corresponding hammer spring, into the positions thereof of cooperation with the corresponding cam.

Zero-reset device with independent hammers

A mechanism for driving an indicator for a timepiece includes: a mobile for driving the indicator; a first lever mounted about a first pivot and including a beak to cooperate with a toothing of the mobile; a first cam arranged to rotate the first lever about the first pivot; a second lever mounted about a second pivot and to which the first pivot is rigidly connected; a second cam arranged to rotate the second lever about the second pivot; and elastic elements for maintaining the cooperation between the levers and cams; the levers and the cams being arranged so that the beak of the first lever cyclically describes a closed curve, each cycle including a first motion during which the beak leaves the toothing of the mobile without changing the angular position thereof and a second motion during which the beak re-enters the toothing to move the mobile.

Mechanism for driving an indicator for a timepiece

A backlash-compensating mechanism includes a cam, an actuating member bearing against the cam and a wheel coaxial to the cam and intended to be driven by a gear train of the movement. The cam and the wheel are connected to each other such that one revolution of the wheel includes a sequence of a first phase in which the wheel drives the cam whilst the co-operation between the cam and the actuating member cocks the latter, a second phase in which the actuating member uncocks and causes the cam to effect an instantaneous jump, and a third phase in which the cam is immobilized and the wheel continues to advance until it catches up with the cam to once again drive it during the first phase of the following revolution. This mechanism includes a resilient element acting between the cam and the wheel and applying a return torque to the wheel during the third phase to compensate the backlash in the gear train.

Backlash-compensating mechanism for a timepiece movement

Calendar mechanism for a timepiece, includes:

Calendar mechanism

This device for the simultaneous zero-resetting of two counters, the pivot axes of which are fixedly connected to respective heart-shaped zero-resetting cams (), comprises a zero-resetting lever () containing two hammers (), means () for exerting upon this lever () a torque for pressing the two hammers () against the zero-resetting cams (), and articulation means () for articulating these hammers relative to the lever (). These articulation means comprise two pins (), one of which () is engaged in a guide slot with limited amplitude (), orientated in order that the direction of the perpendicular, dropped from the axis of the pin () onto this guide slot (), intersects the straight line joining the axes () of the zero-resetting cams () at a point capable of improving the distribution of the torque transmitted to these cams ().

Zero-resetting device for two time counters

This date mechanism comprises a calendar mobile (), a driving mobile () an instantaneous-jump cam (), a finger () kinematically connected to this cam () in order to drive the calendar mobile (). The driving finger () is borne by a release member () which is mounted pivotably about two axes (), one () of which is that of the driving mobile (), this release member () having an opening () configured to allow an angular displacement about the second of these two axes (), whereby the driving finger () can be released from the toothing () of the calendar ring while the calendar is corrected. A return spring () tends to rotate the driving finger () about the second pivot axis () in order to bring it to butt against an edge of the opening (), a position in which the driving finger is engaged with the toothing of the calendar ring ().

Growing community of inventors

Chene Bougeries, Switzerland

Jacques Gabathuler