Patent ID: 7520664

Claim:
A timepiece apparatus comprising: a casing having a cut-out portion defining a void in the casing along a portion of the peripheral edge of the casing and through a top surface of the casing substantially towards a bottom surface of the casing; an elongate rotatable shaft mounted across the cut-out portion to rotate relative to the casing, the shaft having a portion of a first end held within the casing and a portion of a second end of the shaft opposite to the first end is held within the casing; a magnet having a length at least the diameter of the shaft and operatively connected to the shaft such that the magnetic axis of the magnet is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis and longitudinal axis of the shift, where manual rotation of the shaft by the user causes the magnetic axis of the magnetic to rotate relative to the casing; and a magnetic detection device to detect the magnetic fields of the magnet that is proximal to the magnetic detection device; wherein if a predetermined sequence of magnetic fields is detected by the magnetic detection device, a predetermined operation is performed; and wherein the position of the magnet relative to the magnetic detection device is fixed such that there is a one-to-one relationship between the magnet and the magnetic detection device.