US 12,461,493 B2
Timepiece with localized illumination
Michel Willemin, Prêles (CH); Loïc Curchod, Lausanne (CH); Pierpasquale Tortora, Neuchâtel (CH); Simon Springer, Berne (CH); and Cédric Faure, Cortaillod (CH)
Assigned to The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd, Marin (CH)
Filed by The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd, Marin (CH)
Filed on Apr. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/717,251.
Claims priority of application No. 21178245 (EP), filed on Jun. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0390898 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. G04B 19/30 (2006.01); G04B 19/32 (2006.01); G04G 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC G04B 19/30 (2013.01) [G04B 19/32 (2013.01); G04G 9/0064 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A timepiece comprising:
a crystal (34);
a plurality of external elements including a back (2), a middle (1), and a dial (3), wherein at least one external element of the plurality of external elements includes at least one part made of an at least partially transparent or translucent ceramic material; and
at least two point light sources (10) releasing heat, each light source (10) being capable of being separately switched on/off and being disposed in or directly beneath said at least one external element comprising the ceramic material, each light source (10) producing light that passes through the ceramic material of said at least one external element,
wherein each light source (10) is configured to produce localised light on a point or quasi-point area (40) of the ceramic material of the at least one external element concerned, so as to produce localised illumination on said at least one external element, and
wherein at least one of the plurality of external elements comprises an inscription formed on a surface thereof configured to be visible when illuminated by the at least two point light sources (10) and configured to be invisible in a state in which the inscription is not illuminated by the at least two point light sources (10).