Timepiece with a calendar display
A timepiece, includes a Chinese calendar display device indicating lunar date and lunar month, taking account of bissextile months, and: a control lever actuated each day by a drive wheel of the timepiece movement; a lunar month indicator associated with a month star-wheel; a lunar date indicator associated with a date wheel set including a date wheel moved forward one step each day by the control lever, a lunar month length indicator coupled to a selector, having two positions manually controlled and alternately defining two different stop positions for the lever, respectively corresponding to a long month and to a short month, the control lever moves the date wheel forward one extra step at the end of short months; and a month indicator coupled to a bissextile month selector, having two positions manually controlled and that moves the month star—wheel back one step at the start of bissextile months.
1. A timepiece including a timepiece movement and a Chinese calendar display device, wherein the Chinese calendar display device includes:
(a) a calendar mechanism including a first control lever actuated each day by a drive wheel of the timepiece movement;
(b) a lunar month indicator associated with a month star-wheel having twelve teeth;
(c) a lunar date indicator associated with a date wheel set including a date wheel with thirty teeth that is moved forward one step each day by a beak of the first control lever, the date wheel set further including a drive finger arranged to move the month star-wheel forward one step at the end of each revolution of the date wheel set;
(d) a lunar month length selector, having at least two positions and cam surfaces acting as a support for the first control lever, to define alternately two different stop positions for the first control lever, respectively corresponding to a month of thirty days and to a month of twenty-nine days, wherein the first control lever is provided with a click cooperating with the date wheel set in order to move the date wheel set one extra step via movement of the first control lever at the end of a month of twenty nine days;
(e) a first manual control member arranged for changing position of the lunar month length selector;
(f) a bissextile month selector, having a normal position and a bissextile position and provided with a finger arranged for making the month star-wheel move back one step when the selector passes from the normal position to the bissextile position; and
(g) a second manual control member arranged for making the bissextile month selector pass from the normal position to the bissextile position.
2. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the lunar month length selector is coupled to a month length indicator visible on a dial of the timepiece.
3. The timepiece according to claim 2 , wherein the lunar month length selector is a pivoting element having said cam surfaces and two positions that are stabilised by a jumper spring, and said pivoting element is secured to the month length indicator.
4. The timepiece according to claim 3 , wherein the first manual control member is a push button arranged for moving the lunar month length selector alternately from one position to another position via a shuttle transmission.
5. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the bissextile month selector is coupled to a month type indicator visible on a dial of the timepiece.
6. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the lunar month length selector is formed by a colunm wheel whose columns form said cam surfaces, the column wheel further including a toothing, the number of teeth of the toothing is twice the number of columns and is held in position by a jumper spring.
7. The timepiece according to claim 6 , wherein the first manual control member is a push button activating a second lever having a flexible arm provided with one tooth arranged for moving said tooth forward step by step.
8. The timepiece according to claim 6 , wherein the month length indicator is secured to a second lever that is held pressed against said columns by a spring.
9. The timepiece according to claim 1 in the form of a wristwatch.