Abstract:
A rotating-type bezel apparatus has a case body and a bezel rotatably mounted on the case body and having alternately spaced recesses and projections. A first member is mounted on the case body and has an end portion elastically engageable with surface portions of the recesses and projections of the bezel to impart a click feel to the bezel during rotational movement thereof. A second member is movably mounted on the case body for movement between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the second member engages the first member to prevent a release of an elastic engagement between the front end portion of the main body of the first member and the surface portions of one recess and the two projections on either side of the one recess of the bezel. In the second position, the second member does not engage the first member and thereby permits the release of the elastic ingagement between the front end portion of the main body of the second member and the surface portions of the one recess and the two projections on either side of the one recess of the bezel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a rotating-type bezel apparatus suitable for use in a portable timepiece having a rotating bezel such as a diver&#39;s watch, and to a portable timepiece having the rotating type bezel apparatus. 
     There is known a portable timepiece having a rotating bezel such as a diver&#39;s watch having a bezel mounted to a case body rotatably around a central axis line of the case body and having recesses and projections at constant angular intervals along a peripheral direction thereof, and a leaf spring mounted to the case body elastically engageably to a recess of the recesses and projections of the bezel at a front end portion thereof to give a click feeling in rotating the bezel. According to a portable timepiece of this kind, the bezel is attached with a graduation in the peripheral direction, for example, at start of diving, the bezel is rotated to set an original point or a start point of the graduation of the bezel to a hand (for example, minute hand) position at a time point of starting to dive and the diving is started. In this case, a diving period of time can directly be recognized optically by reading the position of the minute hand of the timepiece or the like by the graduation of the bezel. 
     However, according to a conventional portable timepiece having a rotating bezel of this kind, when the bezel is exerted with an expected external force, there is a concern of rotating the bezel by releasing engagement between the recess of the bezel and the front end portion of the spring by pushing out the front end portion of the leaf spring from the recess by a side wall of the recess of the bezel. As a result, there is a concern that the diving period of time cannot accurately be known in diving. 
     The invention has been carried out in view of the above-described various points and it is an object thereof to provide a rotating type bezel apparatus and a portable timepiece having the rotating bezel apparatus in which there is not actually a concern of rotating the bezel unexpectedly after the bezel has been positioned. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to achieve the above-described object, a rotating type bezel apparatus of the invention includes a case body, a bezel mounted to the case body rotatably around a central axis line of the case body and having recesses and projections at regular angular intervals along a peripheral direction, a spring mounted to the case body to be elastically engaged with the recesses and projections of the bezel at a front end portion thereof to give a click feeling in rotating the bezel, and a stopper mounted to the case body movably between an engagement release prohibiting position for prohibiting to release engagement between the front end portion of the spring and the recesses and projections of the bezel and an engagement release permitting position for permitting to release the engagement. 
     According to the rotating type bezel apparatus of the invention, there is provided ‘a spring mounted to the case body to be elastically engaged with the recesses and projections of the bezel at a front end portion thereof’ and therefore, in rotating the bezel, a click feeling can naturally be given, particularly, there is provided ‘a stopper mounted to the case body movably between an engagement release prohibiting position for prohibiting to release engagement between the front end portion of the spring and the recesses and projections of the bezel and an engagement release permitting position for permitting to release the engagement’ and therefore, by setting the stopper to the engagement release permitting position, rotating the bezel to a desired position while giving the click feeling by the leaf spring, and setting the stopper to the engagement release prohibiting position to thereby prohibit to release the engagement between the recesses and projections of the bezel and the front end portion of the leaf spring when the position of the bezel finishes designating, the front end portion of the leaf spring can be maintained in a state of being engaged with the recesses and projections of the bezel and therefore, even when unprepared external force is exerted to the bezel, rotation of the bezel is always restrained by the front end portion of the leaf spring engaged with the recesses and projections of the bezel and therefore, there is not actually a concern of erroneously rotating the bezel. Therefore, when the bezel apparatus of the invention is integrated to, for example, a diver&#39;s watch, even when unprepared external force is exerted to the bezel positioned to a desired time position before diving, there is not actually a concern that the bezel is rotated in diving and a diving period of time is not known. 
     The ‘recesses and projections’ of the bezel to be engaged with the front end portion of the leaf spring may be a ‘recess portion’, that is, a recess or may be a ‘projected portion’, that is, a projection or may be provided with shape mixed with both of them. 
     According to the rotating type bezel apparatus of the invention, typically, when the stopper is disposed at the engagement release prohibiting position, the front end portion is supported from a back face to make the front end portion of the leaf spring stay in the recesses and projections of the bezel and when the stopper is disposed at the engagement release permitting position, the stopper is disposed at a location remote from the front end portion to permit to detach the front end portion from the recesses and projections of the bezel. In this case, the stopper may be formed simply reciprocably between the engagement release prohibiting position and the engagement release permitting position to thereby prohibit the stopper from being brought into contact with the back face of the front end portion of the leaf spring at the engagement release prohibiting position to elastically escape the front end portion of the leaf spring. However, when desired, at least either one of the stopper and the leaf spring may be provided with a more complicated shape or structure to support a portion of the leaf spring other than the back face when, for example, the stopper is disposed at the engagement release prohibiting position. 
     Further, not only in rotating the bezel but also in changing the position of the stopper, the click feeling may be given. In that case, finish of positioning of the stopper to the engagement release prohibiting position or the engagement release permitting position, or start of changing the position of the stopper from the above-described position, can be felt as an actual feeling and therefore not only there is less concern of setting or bringing the setting erroneously but also a mechanism of forming the click feeling is necessarily accompanied by provision of more less moving resistance at the two positions and therefore, there can be minimized also a concern of positional shifting of the stopper per se erroneously. 
     At any rate, when the click feeling is given in positioning the stopper or in changing the set position in the rotating type bezel apparatus of the invention, typically, there is provided a resistance providing means for providing a resistance to detachment of the stopper from at least either one position of the engagement release prohibiting position and the engagement release permitting position, or arrival thereof to the either one position. 
     Here, the resistance providing means may be a combination of a projected portion formed at the stopper and a recessed portion form at the case body portion at a position of engaging with the projected portion of the stopper when the stopper is disposed at at least either one position of the engagement release prohibiting position and the engagement release permitting position, further, when desired, the resistance providing means may use a combination of a recessed portion formed at the stopper and a projected portion arranged to the case body portion at a position of engaging with the recessed portion of the stopper and elastically deviated to a face of the recessed portion of the stopper having an opening when the stopper is disposed at at least either one position of the engagement release prohibiting position and the engagement release permitting position. 
     According to the rotating type bezel apparatus of the invention, when rotation of the bezel is permitted by the stopper, the bezel may be rotated only in one direction or may be rotated in two directions. 
     In the former case, typically, the recesses and projections of the bezel comprises a recess and the leaf spring and the bezel are constituted such that when the stopper is disposed at the engagement release permitting position and the front end portion of the leaf spring is engaged with inside of the recess of the bezel, a force exerted from the recess of the bezel to the front end portion of the leaf spring by rotating the bezel in the opposed direction, bends the leaf spring in a direction of pressing the front end portion to the recess of the bezel to thereby prohibit rotation of the bezel in the opposed direction. Further in details, typically, the front end portion of the leaf spring is provided with an inclined portion in which the more frontward in the direction of rotating the bezel, the more inclined in a direction of being fitted deeply in the recess, and when the bezel is going to be rotated in the opposed direction, a force in a direction of raising (direction of erecting) the leaf spring, is exerted from a wall portion of the recess of the bezel to a front end of the inclined portion of the front end portion of the leaf spring, the inclined portion of the front end portion of the leaf spring is pushed into the recess of the bezel to thereby prohibit rotation of the bezel in the opposed direction. However, when desired, there may be provided other one direction rotating mechanism for prohibiting rotation in the reverse direction. Further, the direction of permitting rotation may be a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction. 
     In the latter case, typically, the recesses and projections of the bezel comprise a recess and the leaf spring and the bezel are constituted such that when the stopper is disposed at the engagement release permitting position and the front end portion of the leaf spring is engaged with inside of the recess of the bezel, a force exerted from the recess of the bezel to the front end portion of the leaf spring by rotating the bezel in respective directions, bends the leaf spring in a direction of pushing out the front end portion from the recess of the bezel to thereby permit rotation of the bezel in the two directions. Further in details, typically, the front end portion of the leaf spring is provided with a first inclined portion inclined in a direction in which the more frontward in one rotating direction of two rotating directions of the bezel, the more deeply the front end portion of the leaf spring is fitted into the recess, and a second inclined portion extended to incline relative to the first inclined portion from a front end of the first inclined portion in a direction of being remote from the depth of the recess. The first and second inclined portions of the leaf spring as well as a wall portion of the recess of the bezel are respectively provided with shapes by which when the front end portion is engaged with the recess of the bezel and the stopper is disposed at the engagement release permitting position, in order to bend the leaf spring to draw the first or the second inclined portion of the leaf spring from the recess of the bezel in accordance with rotation of the bezel in the one or the opposed direction, corresponding inclined portions are guided by wall portions of the recess. However, other rotation permitting or rotation prohibiting mechanism may be provided to permit rotation of the bezel in the two directions while giving the click feeling. 
     The rotating type bezel apparatus of the invention is typically used by being integrated to a portable timepiece such as a watch. However, when desired, the rotating type bezel apparatus may be integrated to other apparatus. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional explanatory view of the portable timepiece having a rotating type bezel apparatus of a preferable embodiment according to the invention and is a sectional explanatory view taken substantially along a line I—I of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 2 is a plane explanatory view of a state of permitting rotation of a bezel in the portable timepiece of FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 3A-3B show a positional relationship among a bezel, a click spring and a stopper in the rotating type bezel apparatus of the portable timepiece in the rotating permitting state, where FIG. 3A is a sectional explanatory view and FIG. 3B is a perspective explanatory view of a state of removing the bezel; 
     FIG. 4 is a plane explanatory view similar to FIG. 2 in a state of prohibiting rotation of the bezel in the portable timepiece of FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 5A-5B show a positional relationship among the bezel, the click spring and the stopper in the rotating type bezel apparatus of the portable timepiece in the rotating prohibiting state, where FIG. 5A is a sectional explanatory view similar to FIG.  3 A and FIG. 5B is a perspective explanatory view of a state of removing the bezel similar to FIG. 3B; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional explanatory view similar to FIG. 1 of a portable timepiece having a rotating type bezel apparatus according to a modified example; 
     FIGS. 7A-7B show a rotating permitting state of a modified example of the invention, where FIG. 7A is a sectional explanatory view of a rotating permitting state similar to FIG. 3A of an example of a rotating type bezel apparatus in which a bezel can be rotated only in one direction and a main body of a click spring is folded to bend at a front end portion thereof, and FIG. 7B is a perspective explanatory view of a rotation permitting state similar to FIG. 3B of an example of a rotating type bezel apparatus in which a bezel can be rotated only in one direction and a main body of a click spring is bent to warp totally; and 
     FIGS. 8A-8B show a rotation prohibiting state of a modified example shown in FIGS. 7A-7B, where FIG. 8A is a sectional explanatory view of a case in which the rotating type bezel apparatus of FIG. 7A is brought into a rotation prohibiting state similar to FIG.  5 A and FIG. 8B is a perspective explanatory view of a case in which the rotating type bezel apparatus of FIG. 7B is brought into a rotation prohibiting state similar to FIG.  5 B. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Next, an explanation will be given of several modes for carrying out the invention based on preferable embodiments shown in the attached drawings. 
     FIG.  1  through FIGS. 5A-5B show a portable timepiece  2  of a preferable embodiment according to the invention having a rotating type bezel apparatus  1  according to a preferable first embodiment of the invention. 
     The portable timepiece  2  is provided with a case body  20  in a ring-like shape. The case body  20  includes a case main body portion  21  substantially in a cylindrical shape and a thick-walled flange-like portion  23  projected from a lower end portion, that is, from a back side end portion  22  outwardly in a radius direction thereof. A front face side of the case body  20  is attachedly fitted with a glass plate  10  via a packing  11  for sealing and a back face side thereof is attachedly screwed with a case back  12 . Numeral  13  also designates a packing for sealing. At a watertight chamber  14  formed by the case body  20 , the glass plate  10  and the case back  12 , there are arranged and contained a movement  16  supported by a middle frame  15  at a central portion thereof, a dial  17  and hands  18  on a front face side thereof and a battery  19  or the like on a back face side thereof. 
     The flange-like portion  23  of the case body  20  includes a ring-like recessed portion  24  at a front face thereof and an outer side wall  25  of the ring-like recessed portion  24  is formed with a notch  26  having a predetermined length in the peripheral direction, that is, in B 1  and B 2  directions. As shown by FIG.  3 A and FIG. 5A, a bottom wall  27  of the ring-like recessed portion  24  is further formed with shallow circular recessed portions  28 ,  28 , that is,  28   a ,  28   b  at vicinities of both end portions of the notch  26 . The bottom wall  27  of the ring-like recessed portion  24  is further formed with a spring attaching recessed portion  29  (FIG.  1 ). Further, although as if the spring attaching recessed portion  29  were present only at one location in the peripheral direction, preferably, the attaching recessed portions  29  are formed at a plurality of locations, for example, at two locations at an interval of 180 degrees in the peripheral direction or at three locations at an interval of 120 degrees in the peripheral direction. 
     The ring-like recessed portion  24  of the case body  20  is arranged with a first member in the form of a click spring  40  having a ring-like shape. The click spring  40  includes a base portion  41  in a shape of a plate having a wide width and in a ring-like shape or an annular shape, a spring attaching portion  42  folded to bend from the base portion  41  and extended to the back face side, and a spring main body portion  43  raised skewedly from the base portion  41 . The spring main body portion  43  is formed by notching a portion of the base portion  41  on an outer side thereof in the width direction along a notch line  44  (FIG. 2) over a predetermined length in the peripheral direction, continuously connected to the base portion  41  at a base end  45  thereof and supported by the base portion  41 . The spring main body portion  43  includes an inclined spring portion  46 , and a front end engaging portion or a claw portion  47  formed on a front end side of the inclined spring portion  46 . The front end engaging portion  47  includes a first projection forming inclined portion  48  raised skewedly further from a front end of the inclined spring portion  46 , and a second projection forming inclined portion  49  skewedly lowered relative to the first projection forming inclined portion  48  and a connecting portion  47   a  connecting the first and second projection forming inclined portions  48  and  49 , is bent smoothly in a projected shape. 
     Although the spring main body portion  43  may be formed at one location of the click spring  40  in the ring-like shape in the peripheral direction, preferably, for example, the spring main body portions  43  are formed at a plurality of locations, for example, at two locations at an interval of 180 degrees in the peripheral direction or three locations at an interval of 120 degrees in the peripheral direction. The spring attaching portion  42  is precisely fitted to the spring attaching recessed portion  29  to thereby specify a position thereof in the peripheral direction. Although in FIG. 1, a width of the spring attaching recessed portion  29  is far larger than a thickness of the spring attaching portion  42  of the click spring  40 , positions and lengths of the two members  29  and  42  in the peripheral direction are substantially to the same degrees. 
     The ring-like recessed portion  24  of the case body  20  is arranged with a second member in the form of a stopper  50  along the peripheral direction movably in B 1  and B 2  directions. The stopper  50  has a ring-like shape and includes a base portion  51  in a shape of a ring-like plate arranged above the ring-like base portion  41  of the click spring  40 , that is, on a front face side thereof at inside of the ring-like recessed portion  24 , an opening portion  52  extended in the peripheral direction by a predetermined length to permit projection of the spring main body portion  43  of the click spring  40 , and stopper main body portion  53  formed at one end side of the opening portion  52  in the peripheral direction. The stopper main body portion  53  includes an inclined face portion  54  substantially in parallel with the inclined spring portion  46  of the spring main body portion  43  of the click spring  40  and having a length to a degree substantially the same as the inclined spring portion  46 , and a top horizontal face portion  55  having a length in the peripheral direction to a degree substantially the same as the inclined spring portion front end engaging portion  47  of the spring main body portion  43 . 
     The opening portions  52  and the stopper main body portions  53  are formed at positions and by a number in correspondence with positions and a number of the spring main body portion  43  of the click spring  40 . The stopper  50  is provided with an operating projected portion  56  projected outwardly in the radius direction from an outer peripheral wall of the stopper main body portion (when a plurality of pieces of the stopper main body portions  53  are provided, one of them)  53 , and the operating projected portion  56  is projected outwardly in the radius direction precisely at the notch portion  26  of the outer side wall portion  25  of the ring-like recessed portion  24 . As is known from FIG. 1, the stopper main body portion  53  is projected in a width direction (radius direction) up to an outer side of the ring-like base portion  41  of the click spring  40  in the radius direction and at an outer side portion  57  thereof in the radius direction, the stopper main body portion  53  is brought into direct contact with the bottom wall  27  of the ring-like recessed portion  24  of the case body  20  and is supported by the bottom wall  27 . A bottom face of an outer end of the stopper main body portion  53  in the radius direction, is formed with a projection  58  projected in a lower direction (back direction) in a partially spherical shape or a dome-like shape. 
     Therefore, the stopper  50  is movable in B 1  and B 2  directions between an engagement release permitting position or an unlock position E 1  (FIG.  2  and FIG. 3) at which a side face  56   a  of the operating projected portion  56  is brought into contact with an end wall  26   a  on one side of the notch portion  26  of the outer side wall portion  25  of the ring-like recessed portion  24 , and an engagement release prohibiting position or a lock position E 2  (FIG.  4  and FIG. 5) at which the side face  56   b  of the operating projected portion  56  is brought into contact with an end wall  26   b  on other side of the notch portion  26 . 
     When the stopper  50  is disposed at position E 1 , the dome-like projection  58  at the bottom face of the stopper  50  is precisely engaged with one hole  28   a  in the shallow holes (the shallow circular recessed portions)  28 ,  28  (that is,  28   a ,  28   b ) of the ring-like recessed portion  24  of the case body  20 . When the stopper  50  is disposed at position E 1 , the inclined face portion  54  and the horizontal face portion  55  of the stopper main body portion  53  are positioned remotely from the spring main body portion  43  in the peripheral direction B 2  and the spring main body portion  43  is deformable in F 1  direction owing to the bending elasticity (further, when there is an allowance (space) in deformation, naturally, deformable also in an opposed direction F 2 ). 
     Meanwhile, when the stopper  50  is disposed at position E 2 , the dome-like projection  58  at the bottom face of the stopper  50  is precisely engaged with one hole  28   b  in the shallow holes (the shallow circular recessed portions)  28 ,  28  (that is,  28   a ,  28   b ) of the ring-like recessed portion  24  of the case body  20  (FIG.  5 A). When the stopper  50  is disposed at position E 2 , the inclined face portion  54  and horizontal face portion  55  of the stopper main body portion  53  are brought into contact with the spring main body portion  43  from a back face (rear face) side or a position proximate to the back face of the spring main body portion  43  to thereby restrict or substantially prohibit deformation or displacement of the spring main body portion  43  in F 1  direction. 
     The cylindrical portion (case main body portion)  21  of the case body  20  is fitted with a bezel  60  rotatably in B 1  and B 2  directions relative to the case body  20 . The bezel  60  is prevented from being drawn by engaging with a projection  21   a  of the cylindrical portion  21  of the case body  20  at a projection  61  of an inner peripheral edge thereof. Numeral  62  designates a ring for preventing play of the bezel  60 . The bezel  60  is provided with a ring-like recessed portion  64  constituting recesses and projections at a bottom wall  63  thereof and a bottom face  65  of the recessed portion  64  includes horizontal faces  65   a  and  65   b  at a ridge portion  64   a  and a valley portion  64   b  and includes inclined faces  65   c  and  65   d  for connecting the ridge portion horizontal faces  65   a  and the valley portion horizontal faces  65   b . Further, in the illustrated example, the top portion horizontal face  65   a  is actually flush with a horizontal face  63   a  of the bottom wall  63  and in this case, a number of recesses  66  are aligned in a circular shape at equal intervals to form the ring-like recessed portion  64  as a whole. However, the ridge portion horizontal face  65   a  may not be flush with the horizontal face  63   a  of the bottom wall  63  and in that case, preferably, the top portion horizontal face  65   a  is disposed on the depth side of the horizontal face  63   a.    
     The recess  66  specified by the inclined faces  65   c  and  65   d  and the valley portion  64   b  therebetween is provided with a substantially complementary shape by which the front end engaging portion  47  of the click spring  40  is substantially fitted thereto as shown by, for example, FIG.  3 A. The recess  66  of the bezel  60  is provided with the inclined faces  65   c  and  65   d  which are expanded to the opening side and the front end engaging portion  47  of the click spring  40  is provided with the inclined faces  48  (the first projection forming inclined portion  48 ) and  49  (the second projection forming inclined portion  49 ) expanded in B 1  and B 2  directions by being remote from the projected connecting portion  47   a  and therefore, as shown by FIGS. 3A and 3B, in the case in which the stopper main body portion  53  is disposed at the engagement release permitting position, that is, the unlock position E 1  remote from the click spring main body position  43 , when the bezel  60  is rotated in B 1  direction, the inclined face  65   d  of the recess  66  pushes the inclined portion (the second projection forming inclined portion)  49  of the front end engaging portion  47  of the click spring  40  substantially in G 1  direction and when the bezel  60  is rotated in B 2  direction, the inclined face  65   c  of the recess  66  pushes the inclined portion (the first projection forming inclined projection)  48  of the front end engaging portion  47  of the click spring  40  substantially in G 1  direction and in either of the cases, the click spring main body portion  43  is pivoted to bend in F 1  direction to push out the front end engaging portion  47  to outside of the recess  66 . Meanwhile, when the ridge connecting portion  47   a  of the front end engaging portion  47  of the click spring  40  elastically deviated in F 2  direction, rides over the ridge portion (the ridge portion horizontal face)  65   a  in a sawtooth-like shape of the bezel  60 , by elasticity of the spring  40 , the front end engaging portion  47  is fitted to a successive one of the recess  66  of the bezel  60 . 
     Further, a surface  67  of the bezel  60  is attached with a graduation  68  and by rotating an original point position  68   a  to set to time of, for example, a diving start time point (position of minute hand in the illustrated example), a time period after start diving is known. Further, instead of a diving continuation time period, a remaining allowable diving time period may be made optically recognizable directly from the position of the hand of the timepiece. Numeral  69  designates a decorative bezel comprising recesses and projections serving also as an anti-slip portion touched with the finger tip when the bezel  60  is rotated and the decorative bezel is formed by knurling or knurling cutting. 
     When the portable timepiece  2  having the rotating type bezel apparatus  1  according to the preferable first embodiment of the invention constituted as described above, is constituted by a diver&#39;s watch, before starting to dive, the bezel  60  of the rotating type bezel apparatus  1  is set to current time or time scheduled to start diving. 
     For that purpose, first, the operating knob portion (the operating projected portion)  56  is rotated by the finger tip in B 2  direction until the end face  56   a  of the operating projected portion 56  constituting the operating knob portion is brought into contact with the end face  26   a  of the notch  26  of the case body  20  to thereby set the stopper  50  to the engagement release permitting position or the unlock position E 1 . At this occasion, the projection  58  of the bottom portion of the stopper  50  is fitted to the recess (the shallow circular recessed portion)  28   a  of the bottom wall  27  of the ring-like recessed portion  24  of the case body  20 . 
     Next, by pinching the decorative bezel (knurled portion)  69  having the anti-slip portion of the bezel  60  by the finger tips, the bezel  60  is rotated in B 1  direction or B 2  direction until the start point  68   a  of the graduation  68  of the bezel  60  coincides with the position of the minute hand at current time or time scheduled to start diving. As a rotating direction thereof, for example, there may be selected a direction easy to rotate or a direction having a smaller angle from the position of the start point  68   a  to a position to be designated at that occasion. When the bezel is accidentally rotated excessively to exceed the predetermined position, the bezel may be set to the predetermined position by slightly rotating the bezel in the reverse direction. When the stopper  50  is disposed at position E 1 , there is a gap between the spring main body portion  43  of the click spring  40  and the stopper main body portion  53  of the stopper  50  and therefore, the spring main body portion  43  of the click spring  40  can be bent in F 1  direction and therefore, the bezel  60  can be rotated in B 1  or B 2  direction while bending the spring main body portion  43  in F 1  direction by pushing a corresponding one of the inclined portion (the second projection forming inclined portion  49 )  49  or  48  (the first projection forming inclined portion  48 ) of the front end engaging portion  47  of the click spring  40  substantially in G 1  direction by the inclined face  65   d  or  65   c  of the recess  66 . In rotating the bezel, at each rotation of the bezel  60  at a predetermined pitch (angle), the front end engaging portion  47  of the click spring  40  is brought to and from the recess  66  of the bottom face (bottom wall)  63  of the bezel  60  and therefore, in rotating the bezel  60  in B 1  or B 2  direction, a desired click feeling is given. In this way, rotation or positioning of the bezel  60  to a desired, position is finished at a position at which the front end engaging portion  47  of the click spring  40  is precisely fitted to the recess  66  of the bezel  60 . 
     Next, by pinching the front end of the operating projected portion  56  by the fingers and moving the operating projected portion  56  in B 2  direction relative to the case body  20  until the side face  56   b  of the operating projected portion  56  of the stopper  50  is brought into contact with the end face  26   b  of the notch  26  of the face body  10 , the stopper  50  is moved from the engagement release permitting position (unlock position) E 1  to the engagement release prohibiting position (lock position) E 2 . Thereby, the stopper  50  is positioned by precisely fitting the dome-like projection  58  of the bottom portion to the recess  28   b  to the bottom wall  27  of the ring-like recessed portion  24  of the case body  20 . 
     When the stopper  50  reaches position E 2 , as is known from FIG.  4  and FIG. 5, a surface (inclined face)  54   a  of the inclined face portion  54  of the stopper main body portion  53  of the stopper  50  is substantially brought into contact with a back face  46   a  of the inclined spring portion  46  of the spring main body portion  43  of the click spring  40  and further, a surface (horizontal face)  55   a  of the horizontal face portion  55  is disposed at a vicinity of the front end engaging portion  47  of the click spring  40 . As a result, bending deformation or pivoting movement of the stopper main body portion  53  of the click spring  40  in F 1  direction is prohibited by the stopper  50 . Therefore, in a state of setting the stopper  50  to position E 2 , even when the bezel  60  is intended to rotate in B 1  direction, or intended to rotate in B 2  direction, there is not an allowance of escaping the click spring  40  supported by the back face  46   a  by the stopper  50  and therefore, the click spring  40  fitted to the recess  66  of the bezel  60  at the front end engaging portion  47 , restricts or prohibits rotation of the bezel  60 . That is, there is not actually a concern of rotating the bezel  60  unpreparedly. 
     Further, in order to position the stopper  50 , instead of forming the dome-like projected portion  58  as the bottom portion of the stopper  50  and providing the recesses (the shallow circular recessed portions)  28 ,  28 , that is,  28   a ,  28   b  at the bottom portion (bottom wall)  27  of the ring-like recessed portion  24  of the case body  20 , as shown by FIG. 6, there may be constructed a constitution in which a recess or a recessed portion  58 A in a partially spherical shape or a dome-like shape, is formed at, for example, a position of the bottom portion of the stopper  50  at which the projection  58  has been present, a hole  28 A 1  is formed at the bottom portion  27  of the ring-like recessed portion  24  of the case body  20  at, for example, a position at which each of the recesses  28   a  and  28   b  has been present, a compression spring  28 A 2  is fitted into the hole  28 A 1  and a small ball  28 A 3  is pushed up in G 2  direction by other end of the compression spring  28 A 2  one end of which is supported by a bottom wall of the hole  28 A 1 . 
     In this case, at each time that the stopper  50  reaches the engagement release permitting position E 1  or the engagement release prohibiting position E 2 , the small ball  28 A 3  deviated in G 2  direction by the compression spring  28 A 2  is fitted to the recessed portion  58 A of the bottom portion of the stopper  50  and therefore, when the stopper  50  is moved in B 1  or B 2  direction between positions E 1  and E 2 , at each time of reaching positions E 1  and E 2 , the click feeling is given and the stopper  50  can further stably be held at positions E 1 , E 2 . 
     Further, in the rotating bezel apparatus  1 , instead of being capable of rotating the bezel  60  in two directions B 1  and B 2 , the rotating bezel apparatus  1  may be constituted to be rotatable only in, for example, the B 2  direction. 
     Instead of providing the front end engaging portion or the claw portion  47  having the inclined portion  48  and the incline portion  49  connected by being folded to bend at the connecting portion  47   a  by the click spring  40 , for example, as shown by FIG.  7 A and FIG. 8A, there may be constructed a constitution in which there is provided a front end engaging portion or claw portion  47 A having only an inclined portion  48 A longer measurements than the inclined portion  48 , the inclined portion  48 A is brought into contact with the recess  66  of the bezel  60  at a front end  48 A 1  thereof and an angle of inclination of an inclined face  65   d A directed frontward in B 1  direction is made larger than that of an inclined face  65   c A directed frontward in B 2  direction in the two inclined faces forming the recess 
     According to a rotating bezel apparatus  1 A of a modified example shown in FIG.  7 A and FIG. 8A, in the case in which the stopper  50  is disposed at the engagement release permitting position E 1  (FIG.  7 A), when the bezel  60  is exerted with rotational force in B 2  direction, the inclined face  65   c A of the recess  66  of the bezel  60  pushes the inclined portion  48 A of the front end engaging portion or claw portion  47 A of the click spring  40  in B 2  direction to thereby bend the inclined spring portion  46  to pivot in F 1  direction and therefore, the bezel  60  can be rotated in B 2  direction. Meanwhile, when the bezel  60  is exerted with rotational force in B 1  direction, the inclined face  65   d A of the recess  66  of the bezel  60  is butted to the front end  48 A 1  of the inclined portion  48 A of the front end engaging portion or claw portion  47 A of the click spring  40  in B 1  direction, however, the force exerted to the click spring  40 , exerts a torque of bending the inclined spring portion  46  to pivot in F 2  direction and therefore, rotation of the bezel  60  is hampered by the front end engaging portion or claw portion  47 A of the click spring  40  and therefore, the bezel  60  cannot be rotated in B 1  direction. That is, the bezel  60  can be rotated only in B 2  direction. The other point is operated similarly to the rotating type bezel apparatus  1  and the portable timepiece  2  having the same shown in FIG.  1  through FIG.  5 . 
     Further, even in the case of the click spring  40  having the engaging portion  47  provided with the inclined portion  49  in addition to the inclined portion  48  as shown by FIG. 3 or the like, when the inclined face  65   d  or the inclined portion  49  is provided with a position or a shape by which a force exerted from the inclined face  65   d  of the recess  66  of the bezel  60  to the inclined portion  49  of the front end engaging portion  47  of the click spring  40 , exerts a torque in F 2  direction to the inclined spring portion  46  of the spring  40 , the bezel is operated similar to the modified example. 
     The front end engaging portion of the spring main body portion  43  may be constituted such that instead of being formed to fold to bend relative to the inclined spring portion  46  as shown by FIG. 7A or FIG. 8A, as shown by a rotating type bezel apparatus  1 B of FIG. 7B or FIG. 8B, the front end engaging portion is bent to gradually increase the angle of inclination and a front end portion thereof functions as a front end engaging portion  47 B. In that case, preferably, the inclined face portion  54  of the stopper main body portion  53  of the stopper  50  includes a bent inclined face  54   a B instead of the flat inclined face  54   a . The other point is constituted similar to the case of FIG.  7 A and FIG.  8 A. 
     According to the rotating type bezel apparatus  1 A or  1 B shown in FIG. 7A or FIG. 7B, as respectively shown by FIG. 8A or FIG. 8B, rotation of the bezel  60  in B 2  direction can be prohibited by the front end engaging portion  47 A or  47 B of the click spring  40  supported by the stopper main body portion  53  of the stopper  50  from the back face.