Bottle cap timepiece

A crown seal cap blank (22) (when a crown seal cap blank is swaged on a bottle it is commonly called a bottle cap), which may have a trademark (30) thereon, is provided for the face of a timepiece (100) and, in particular, a wrist watch (20). A timepiece (100) utilizing the crown seal cap blank (22) as a face is provided in which colors of other timepiece elements may be used to augment and enhance the appearance of the crown seal cap blank (22) and its trademark (30).

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present ivnention pertains to timepieces, and more particularly, to 
novelty timepieces. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Timepieces are used primarily to know the time. However, they may also give 
pleasure to their owner by their appearance. Those characteristics of 
appearance that will please an owner are a complex function of the owner's 
age and background, the time of day, the occasion, the mood of the moment 
and many other diverse factors. In the case of a timepiece worn on the 
body, such as a wrist watch, the clothes the owner is wearing are also a 
factor. Consequently, many people possess more than one timepiece and, in 
the case of wrist watches particularly, select from them to meet their 
immediate need. 
The timepiece face is unusually important in meeting these needs since it 
is the most visible element of the timepiece. Color, humor and a pleasing 
shape are among the appearance characteristics of a timepiece face that 
can give pleasure to the owner under certain combinations of the factors 
mentioned above. Therefore, a timepiece, and particularly a timepiece 
face, that could combine color, humor and a pleasing shape would be of 
considerable utility. 
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
In accordance, therefore, with an embodiment of the present invention, a 
face for a timepiece is provided that comprises a crown seal cap blank. 
Crown seal cap blank is the industry term for a crown seal closure (the 
common term for crown seal closure is bottle cap) prior to the capping 
operation in which the skirt of the blank is swaged inward to contact the 
bottle rim; after the swaging operation the altered blank is called a 
crown seal closure. The crown seal cap blank, therefore, has a skirt that 
flares downward and outward in an attractive manner which is particularly 
appropriate and pleasing for the face and margin of a timepiece. 
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the crown seal cap 
blank may have a design on its upper surface. This adds color to the 
attractive form of the crown seal cap blank and enhances its appearance as 
a timepiece face. 
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the crown seal cap 
blank may have a trademark on its upper surface. This adds color, humor 
and a sense of wearer identification to the attractive form of the crown 
seal cap blank and further enhances its appearance as a timepiece face. 
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a crown seal cap 
blank, which may have colorful design or trademark thereon, is placed over 
a battery operated timepiece movement. A hole in the center of the crown 
seal cap blank accommodates the concentric time indication shafts (cannon 
pinon, hour wheel and second wheel) of the movement. Another hole in the 
skirt of the crown seal cap blank accommodates the stem used for adjusting 
the radial position of the concentric shafts. Appropriate time indication 
hands may be fixed to the concentric shafts after the blank is in place. 
A crystal, at least partially transparent and having a downwardly and 
outwardly flaring skirt matching, in form, that of the crown seal cap 
blank, protects the blanks, hands and movement, while making the hands and 
the design or trademark, if present, visible. Means are provided for 
integrating the crystal, crown seal cap blank and movement with a 
timepiece case. A crown (adjustment knob) may be attached to the stem 
exterior to the crystal. 
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the case, the 
integration means, the crown, and the crystal may each have colors that 
further augment and enhance the appearance of the crown seal cap blank and 
the timepiece. 
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a timepiece is 
provided for wearing on the owner's body as a wrist watch, in which 
instance the watch band may also have color to further augment and enhance 
the appearance of the crown seal cap blank and the wrist watch. 
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the 
appended claims. The invention will be best understand from the following 
description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 is a plan view, in accordance with one embodiment of the present 
timepiece invention, illustrating the crown seal cap blank 22 and a wrist 
watch 20 having a crown seal cap blank 22 as a face. The downwardly 
extending skirt 26 of the blank 22 terminates in an outwardly flared and 
ribbed margin 28. The roof 24 of the crown seal cap blank 22 may bear a 
design or trademark 30. A radial hand or hands, which may include a minute 
hand 80, an hour hand 82 and a second hand 84, are fixed to the time 
indication shafts, which may include a cannon pinon 74, hour wheel 76 and 
second wheel 78, that protrude through the crown seal cap blank roof 24. A 
crystal 34, covering the crown seal cap blank 22, is at least partially 
transparent so that the crown seal cap blank roof 24, design or trademark 
30 and the hands 80, 82 and 84 are visible. A crown 64 is mounted on the 
stem 58 of the watch movement 52 (as seen in FIG. 2) for adjustment of the 
radial position of the hands 80, 82 and 84. The wrist watch 20 includes a 
band 62 for attachment of the wrist watch 20 to a wrist. 
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the wrist watch 20 embodiment of the present 
timepiece invention along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1. The crown seal cap 
blank 22 is shown with its roof 24 and downwardly extending skirt 26. The 
crown seal cap blank skirt 26 terminates in an outwardly flared and ribbed 
margin 28. The crystal 34 has a similar downwardly extending skirt 38 
terminating in an outwardly flared and ribbed margin 40. The crown seal 
cap blank roof 24 may carry a design or trademark 30. 
The watch movement 52, which may be battery operated, sits in the top 46 of 
the case 42. The crown seal cap blank 22 fits over the movement 52 and the 
top 46 of the case 42. The hands 80, 82 and 84 are mounted on the time 
indication shafts 74, 76 and 78 which protrude through the crown seal cap 
blank roof hole 68. The crystal 34 lies on top of the crown seal cap blank 
22. The stem 58 protrudes through the crown seal cap blank skirt hole 70 
and the crystal skirt hole 72. The crown 64 mounts on the stem 58. 
A means 32 for integrating the case 42, crown seal cap blank 22, and 
crystal 34 is provided. One embodiment of the integration means 32 is 
shown in FIG. 2 in the form of a resilient ring 66 which envelopes the 
case perimeter 48, the crown seal cap blank margin 28 and the crystal 
margin 40. The ring 66 may be at least partially transparent so as not to 
obscure the crown seal cap blank margin 28 and the crystal margin 40. A 
clip 50 is an integral part of the bottom 44 of the case 42. The clip 50 
is open on one side and resilient, allowing the band 62 to be removed from 
the clip 50 and replaced by another band. 
FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the wrist watch 20 embodiment and crown seal 
cap blank 22 with the band not shown for clarity. The hands 80, 82 and 84 
are visible through the crystal 34. The crystal 34 sits upon the crown 
seal cap blank 22. The crystal margin 40 and the crown seal cap blank 
margin 28 are contained in the resilient ring 66. The clip 50, part of the 
bottom 44, is visible beneath the ring 66. 
FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the wrist watch 20 embodiment and crown seal 
cap blank 22 looking directly at the crown 64. The hands 80, 82 and 84 are 
visible through the crystal 34 which sits upon the crown seal cap blank 
22. The resilient ring 66 envelopes the crystal margin 40 and the crown 
seal cap blank margin 28. The band 62 is slipped within the clip 50. In 
the embodiment shown, the band 62 is an endless resilient band which can 
be slipped upon a wrist. 
FIG. 5 is a partial view of the band 62' illustrating another embodiment in 
which the band 62' has a first end 86, a second end 88. Means for joining 
the two ends may be a buckle 92 on the first end 86. 
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the bottom 44 of the wrist watch 20 
embodiment. The clip 50 is shown without the band for clarity. 
It may be appreciated from the figures that particular colors may be used 
for the case 42, integration means 66, crystal 34, crown 64, and band 62 
to augment and enhance the appearance of the design or trademark 30 and 
the crown seal cap blank 22. In addition, the ease of assembly of the 
wrist watch 20 allows the band 62 and the resilient ring 66 to be changed 
in order to select colors appropriate for the occasion of the moment. 
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention 
in which a timepiece 100, as described above for the particular embodiment 
of a wrist watch 20, is mounted to items, as may be desired by the owner, 
with attachment means 102. Examples of such items are in automobile 
instrument panel, an automobile sunvisor, a desk top, a mantle, a 
motorcycle, a boat and a well. Examples of the attachment means are double 
backed tape, hook and eye fasteners, magnets, brackets and stands. 
It may be seen that a timepiece has been provided that can be suitable for 
a variety of uses and occasions. Although the present invention has been 
described with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications 
and rearrangements can be made, and still the result will come within the 
scope of the invention.