Watch with removable bracelet

A bracelet watch comprises a removable flexible bracelet (2), the ends (5) of which are reinforced by an elastic tubular blade (6) or a cylindrical jaw inserted into a sleeve (7) removably fitting into a drilling (13) made in one side (1a) of the case (1) of the watch. A pawl mechanism (11, 16) is fitted for this assembly system.

The present invention relates to a bracelet watch comprising a watch of 
which the case has at least two parallel opposite sides each provided with 
assembly means removably fitting into a metallic element reinforcing a 
free end of a flexible bracelet. 
Bracelet watches of this type are known, in which the removable assembling 
of the bracelet and the watch makes it possible to fit different types of 
bracelets to a given watch. The interchangeability of the bracelets 
enhances the appearance of the bracelet watch and enables the user to vary 
the color, particularly, of the bracelet fitted to the watch. 
In order to provide interchangeability of bracelets, the conventional 
technique consists in securing each free end of the bracelet to a metallic 
element in the form of a short rod provided with an axial depression in 
which the free end of the bracelet is folded into a loop around an 
assembly screw. The free end of the bracelet reemerges from the depression 
of the metallic short rod in order to be sewn on the non-exposed face of 
the bracelet. 
The metallic short rod also has a longitudinal leaf on its outer face, 
provided with a protuberance at its free end which can be retracted into 
the short rod so as to be capable of providing a pawl link with a 
longitudinal groove made in a drilling on one side of the case of the 
watch. 
The bracelet thus obtained has, in the vicinity of the metallic short rod 
at the end, an excess thickness due to the end loop for the assembly. This 
excess thickness may be uncomfortable on the wrist of the user. The 
metallic short rods are made from solid metal, for example solid gold, the 
manufacture and the fitting of which on an end of the bracelet are 
relatively complicated to achieve. 
Moreover, the assembling of a metallic short rod and the watch prevents the 
free rotation of the short rod and thus of the bracelet inside the 
corresponding drilling of the watch, due to the design of the pawl means. 
The object of the present invention is to remedy the abovementioned 
disadvantages by producing a watch with removable bracelet, the system of 
assembling the watch and the bracelet being designed in a simple and 
original manner. 
The bracelet watch according to the invention comprises a watch of which 
the case has at least two parallel opposite sides in order seen each [sic] 
with an assembly means removably fitting into a rigid element reinforcing 
a free end of a flexible bracelet. The rigid element may be metallic and 
comprises an elastic tubular blade and a sleeve, one end of which is 
closed. The tubular blade has a toothed axial slot in which one free end 
of the flexible bracelet is inserted. The sleeve has an axial slot 
emerging at the open end of the sleeve and the opening of which is larger 
than the thickness of the bracelet in order to permit the passage of the 
latter. The internal diameter of the sleeve is smaller than the external 
diameter of the tubular blade, such that the axial insertion of the 
tubular blade into the sleeve requires an elastic deformation of the 
blade, giving rise to blocking of the free end of the bracelet by pinching 
of the toothed slot. 
The elastic tubular blade may be replaced by a jaw of substantially 
cylindrical form, the opening of which is longitudinal. The two toothed 
elements of the jaw preferably form a single assembly and are connected to 
each other by means of a flexible longitudinal tab opposite the opening of 
the jaw. For assembly, one free end of the bracelet is inserted into the 
jaw via the longitudinal opening, the toothed elements making it possible 
to retain the end of the bracelet. The closed jaw is inserted axially in 
the sleeve in the same manner as the tubular blade. 
The assembly means of the watch case comprises a drilling with a diameter 
which is substantially identical to that of the sleeve. The wall of the 
drilling has an axial slot passing through it, the opening of which is 
larger than the thickness of the bracelet in order to permit its passage 
when the sleeve is fitted into the drilling of the case.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the bracelet watch according to the invention 
comprises a watch case 1 and a removable flexible bracelet 2, preferably 
made from leather. The case 1 has a substantially parallelepipedal form, 
two opposite and parallel sides 1a and 1b of which are rounded. The free 
ends of the bracelet 2 are reinforced by cylindrical rigid elements 2a and 
2b each capable of removably fitting into a drilling made in the sides 1a 
and 1b of the case 1, in the direction of the arrows 3 and 4. 
Preferably, respective openings for the two drillings of the case 1 are 
located diametrically opposite each other. 
The bracelet 2 is made in the form of an elongated strap. FIGS. 2 and 3 
show the manner in which the rigid element 2a is fitted to the 
corresponding end 5 of the bracelet 2. The rigid element 2a consists of an 
elastic tubular blade 6 and of a tubular sleeve 7. The tubular blade 6 
comprises a toothed longitudinal slot 8 permitting, in the free state, the 
insertion of the free end 5 of the bracelet 2. The sleeve 7 has an axial 
slot 9, a closed end 10 and a circumferential groove 11. The opening of 
the axial slot 9 of the sleeve 7 is larger than the thickness of the free 
end 5 of the bracelet 2 in order to permit its passage. 
The internal diameter of the sleeve 7 must be smaller than the external 
diameter of the elastic tubular blade 6 when it is in the free state. This 
requirement is necessary to impose an elastic deformation on the blade 6, 
which is reflected in a reduction in its cross-section upon its assembly 
inside the sleeve 7. This elastic deformation of the tubular blade 6 is 
reflected in a pinching of the toothed slot 8 on the two faces of the end 
part 5 of the bracelet 2, thus enabling the corresponding end part 5 to be 
held in the rigid element 2a. 
Assembly of the rigid element 2a on the free end 5 of the bracelet 2 is 
relatively simple. Firstly, the free end 5 of the bracelet 2 is inserted 
into the toothed slot 8 of the elastic tubular blade 6. An elastic 
deformation is then imposed on the blade 6 in order to reduce its section 
by means of an external force. The tubular blade 6 with the end part 5 of 
the bracelet pinched in the toothed slot 8 is inserted axially inside the 
tubular sleeve 7 via its open end opposite the end 10. When fitting the 
tubular blade 6 in the sleeve 7, the end part 5 of the bracelet 2 slides 
in the axial slot 9 of the sleeve 7. The elastic deformation of the 
tubular blade 6 is then maintained by the inner wall of the sleeve 7, as 
shown in FIG. 3. 
Once the rigid element 2a has been fitted on the free end 5 of the bracelet 
2, it is possible to insert the rigid element 2a axially in the drilling 
13 made on the corresponding side 1a of the case 1 of the watch. As with 
the sleeve 7, the wall of the drilling 13 has a longitudinal slot 14 
passing through it on the side permitting the passage of the end part 5 of 
the bracelet 2. The drilling 13 ends in a bottom 15 integral with one side 
of the case 1. The bracelet 2, provided with the rigid element 2a, and the 
case 1 are then assembled by inserting the open end of the sleeve 7 in the 
opening of the drilling 13 of the case 1. 
Moreover, the invention provides a pawl mechanism for the said assembling 
of the case 1 of the watch and the bracelet 2. This pawl mechanism 
consists, on the one hand, of the circumferential groove 11 of the sleeve 
7 and, on the other hand, of a retractable protuberance 16 on the inner 
wall of the drilling 13. As shown in FIG. 4, the retractable protuberance 
16 may consist of a ball located in a cavity 17 made in the inner wall of 
the drilling 13. A compression spring 18 inserted in the cavity 17 exerts 
a radial force, forcing the ball 16 towards the inside of the drilling 13, 
the position of the ball 16 on the inner wall of the drilling 13 being 
such that the circumferential groove 11 of the sleeve 7 is located 
opposite the ball in the assembled position of the bracelet 2 on the case 
1. 
During insertion of the sleeve 7 in the drilling 13, the ball 16 firstly 
encounters the open end of the sleeve 7 and the outer wall of the 
corresponding end part of the sleeve 7, which forces the ball 16 to enter 
towards the inside of the cavity 17 due to the slight play between the 
sleeve 7 and the drilling 13. The circumferential groove 11 of the sleeve 
7 then encounters the ball 16 which, through the thrust of the spring 18, 
comes into contact with the bottom of the groove 11, thus forming a means 
blocking the axial movement of the sleeve 7 inside the drilling 13. This 
results in the user being able to wear the bracelet watch of the invention 
securely on his/her wrist. The circumferential groove 11 interacts with 
the ball 16 in order to permit a free rotation of the sleeve 7 in the 
drilling 13. 
In order to dismantle the bracelet 2 from the case 1 of the watch, it 
suffices to impose a force along the sleeve 7, which is sufficiently large 
to release the ball 16 from the circumferential groove 11 of the sleeve 7. 
Preferably, the sleeve 7 and the elastic tubular blade 6 are made from 
metallic material in order to improve the mechanical performance of the 
rigid element 2a. The closed end 10 of the sleeve 7 preferable consists of 
the same metal as that on the corresponding lateral side of the case 1 of 
the watch, so as to form a uniform surface on the said side of the case 
when the metallic element 2a is in the assembled position relative to the 
corresponding side 1a of the case. Generally, the visible external surface 
of the case 1 of the watch is advantageously made from a precious metal, 
such as gold. 
The present invention makes it possible to produce the sleeve 7 and the 
tubular blade 6 in a less precious metal having superior mechanical 
properties, for example from stainless steel, which also permits a 
reduction in the manufacturing cost. The closed end 10 of the sleeve 7 may 
comprise a layer of plated gold. 
The structure of the metallic element 2a, 2b is quick and simple to fit on 
the end parts of the bracelet 2, which may be of varied length, thickness, 
color and appearance. 
The second embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, 
differs from the first embodiment described above only in that the elastic 
tubular blade 6 is replaced by a cylindrical jaw 20 in the rigid element 
2a. 
The jaw 20 comprises two toothed elements 21, 22 connected to each other by 
means of a longitudinal flexible tab 23. In the assembled position of the 
bracelet 2 in the rigid element 2a, the free end part 5 of the bracelet 2 
is sandwiched between the teeth 21a and 22a of the toothed elements 21 and 
22 of the jaw 20. The teeth 21a and 22a penetrate into the opposite faces 
of the free end part 5 of the bracelet 2 in order to hold it in position. 
The jaw 20 thus closed is then inserted axially into the sleeve 7, allowing 
the bracelet to slide in the longitudinal slot 9 of the sleeve 7. The 
elasticity of the bracelet 2 tends to separate the toothed elements 21 and 
22 of the jaw 20, pressing them against the inner wall of the sleeve 7 
which then holds the jaw in the same manner as for the elastic blade 6. 
In order to improve the holding of the bracelet in the rigid element 2a, 
the jaw 20 may have at least one stud 24 on the toothed face of the 
toothed element 21 and at least one receiving hole 25 for the stud 24 made 
in the other toothed element 22. As a result, the free end part 5 of the 
bracelet must have perforations which correspond in number to those of the 
stud 24/receiving hole 25 pairs of the jaw 20. 
In this manner, on closing of the jaw 20 on the free end 5 of the bracelet 
2, the stud or studs 24 passes or pass through the perforation or 
perforations of the free end 5 and penetrates or penetrate into the 
corresponding receiving hole or holes 25 and is or are locked therein. 
Holding of the bracelet 2 by the rigid element 2a is thus improved. In 
practice, two studs 24 are used in the jaw 20. 
The jaw 20 is preferably made in a single piece. It must have good 
mechanical strength to carry out its function. To this end, it may be 
produced from metallic material or from rigid plastic material. The jaw 20 
may, for example, be made in one piece from molded plastic material.