A watch winder fully winds the watch main spring of various brands of automatic watches, avoiding wear and tear caused by excessive winding caused by prior art winders. In contrast with prior art watch winders, which wind watch main springs a predetermined number of turns, the inventive watch winder precisely detects a fully winded condition of the watch main spring, and stops winding. Prior art watch winders lack that sensing feature, so they continue winding fully winded watches until the predetermined number of turns has been completed. Additionally, the inventive watch winder eliminates the need to guess the number of turns and direction of rotation for different watches. The inventive subject matter further includes methods, which employ deviations in rotation speed to determine watch main spring winding states, such as under-winded, mid-winded, and fully-winded.

An apparatus (10) for winding a horological movement of a watch (20), including an electronic module (13) configured to control a motor (14) kinematically connected to a drive member intended to rotate a winding member of the watch (20). The apparatus (10) includes a support (11) for the watch (20) formed by a body having a central element (110) and at least one side element (111) arranged at a distance from each other so as to form a recess (118) intended to receive a strand (21) of a bracelet of the watch (20), the central element (110) and the side element (111) being adapted to apply opposing forces to the strand (21) so as to ensure that it is held in the recess (118).

A measuring support for a watch movement, designed to constitute a radial support, in a radial direction, of a control member or of a support zone, which includes a watch head including a watch movement, or which includes a watch movement enclosed in a test cap, in a position of radial support under stress of the watch head or respectively of the cap on the measuring support, wherein the measuring support includes either a single contact point in the radial direction, or a pair of lateral contact points that are symmetrical with respect to the radial direction.

Described herein is a watch winder comprising a fixed assembly having a central shaft; a rotatable assembly rotatably mounted to the central shaft and comprising a housing having distal end configured to receive a watch; and a drive assembly mounted on the fixed assembly and configured to rotate the rotatable assembly about the central shaft and comprising a motor, drive gear, and a battery assembly operatively connected to the motor. The drive assembly is mounted to the fixed assembly within the housing of the rotatable assembly, and the central shaft extends proximally of the housing. The housing is axially mounted on the central shaft by means of a distal bearing plate and a spaced apart proximal bearing plate, wherein the drive assembly is fixed to the central shaft between the two spaced apart bearings plates.

The invention discloses a watch winder apparatus designed to enhance the winding process of mechanical watches through a sophisticated three-dimensional movement system. The apparatus features a housing that supports a uniquely designed gyroscope and gimbal mechanism. This mechanism incorporates a gimbal with a watch-holding chamber, and at least three segments rotatably coupled to enable motion in three distinct axes. Each segment's movement is driven by a dedicated set of actuators, allowing for precise control over the gimbal's orientation and rotation. A programmable microprocessor circuit within the apparatus orchestrates the operation of these actuators, enabling the execution of pre-programmed movement patterns tailored to optimally wind the watch. The microprocessor also tracks the rotations performed by each component, ensuring accurate and efficient energy transfer to the watch's mechanism.

A method for permanent time setting of a sympathetic watch (200) by a sympathetic clock (100) forming a sympathetic assembly (1000) with the watch (200) which includes an hour display (4) and a minute display (5), a reference position of which will be defined, and the time-setting is executed only at request by action of a user on a control means (300) included in the clock (100) or the watch (200), or automatically periodically controlled by the clock (100), and, to perform the time setting, the clock (100) drives the displays (4; 5) of the watch backwards, in the counter-clockwise direction, with a sufficiently long stroke to ensure that the displays (4; 5) pass through the reference position; or the clock controls means of the watch (200) which are disposed so as to ensure the displacement of the displays to the reference position by means of heart-pieces.

A method for acquiring data on a sympathetic clock (100) for setting the time of a sympathetic watch (200) at request. The sympathetic watch forms with the clock (100) a sympathetic assembly (1000). The watch includes an hour display (4) and a minute display (5), a reference position of which will be defined at a reference time, and the clock (100) performs the time setting of the watch (200), either when the watch (200) is placed on the clock (100), or alternatively at a predetermined time on the clock (100), or at request by action of a user on a control means (300) included in the clock (100) or the watch (200), or upon control of a horological movement (900) included in the clock (100).

A sympatique watch (30), including a horological movement to which are connected a watch hour (31) and minute display (32), including a barrel (33), a resonator (34), a time-setting mechanism, a coupling mechanism (38) to separate a display train (35) and a finishing train (36), a stop mechanism (37) of a resonator (34), and a reset mechanism to move each hour (31) and minute display (32) in a predetermined reference position. The watch includes a first and a second actuator (310, 320) cooperating with a first and a second actuator (210, 220) of the clock (20). The first actuator can occupy three successive distinct positions to act on the coupling mechanism (38), the stop mechanism (37) and the reset mechanism. The second actuator can occupy two end positions alternately to act on the time-setting mechanism, only when the first actuator (310) occupies one of its successive distinct positions.

A sympathique watch (10) including a horological movement including a going train (20), a display train (30) connected to at least one display of a time value, a sympathique hand-setting mechanism and a crown (13) operated hand-setting mechanism. The sympathique hand-setting mechanism includes a coupling device (40) interposed between the going (20) and display (30) trains, the coupling device (40) being configured to adopt an uncoupled state in which it disengages the going train (20) from the display train (30) so as to allow the hands to be set on the display by means of the sympathique hand-setting mechanism, and a coupled state in which it establishes a kinematic link between the gear trains, the link allowing for sliding enabling the hands to be set on the display by means of the crown (13) operated hand-setting mechanism.

A method for reference time setting of the displays of a sympathetic watch by a sympathetic clock forming a sympathetic assembly with the watch. At any time, the reference time setting of the watch is performed by a first phase during which the placement in the reference position is triggered, by a first displacement of an interface between the clock and the watch, the reference time setting of the displays, and the coupling mechanism is uncoupled to allow the rack to drive the display gear train of the watch in the counter-clockwise direction, over as many revolutions as necessary, until the pawl meets the ratchet tooth opening of the hour cam, then the time-setting mechanism controlled by the clock sets the time of the displays of the watch in the clockwise direction to the exact time by recoiling the rack, then the coupling mechanism is recoupled.