Stepping mechanism for watches

In a watch having an indicating ring, the provision of a stepping mechanism for advancing said indicating ring, said mechanism comprising

• a rotary drive element which is eccentric to said indicating ring,
• a stationary peripheral series of teeth which are disposed adjacent to said indicating ring and comprise a first tooth and a second tooth, which is peripherally spaced from said first tooth,
• a date-stepping finger, which is mounted to be rotatable and radially displaceable relative to said rotary drive element into and out of engagement with said first series of teeth and comprises a stepping pin, a forked end portion having first and second prongs, and a drive pin carried by said first prong.
• a one-way coupling element, which is in one-way coupling engagement with said drive pin and is eccentric with respect to said rotary drive element and arranged to revolve with the same in a predetermined direction of revolution and to repeatedly withdraw said stepping finger from said first tooth after respective intervals of time and subsequently from said second tooth,
• and spring means engaging said second prong and urging said stepping finger radially outwardly and in said predetermined direction of revolution,
• said spring means being arranged to impart a rotary stepping movement to said date-stepping finger in said predetermined direction of revolution and into engagement with said second tooth when said stepping finger has thus been withdrawn from said first tooth,
• said mechanism further comprising a second series of teeth, which are carried by said indicating ring and arranged to be engaged by said stepping pin during its said rotary movement,
• said rotary drive element being arranged to impart to said date-stepping finger a continued rotary movement in said predetermined direction of revolution when said stepping finger has thus been withdrawn from said second tooth and until said stepping finger reengages said first tooth under the action of said spring means,
• said second series of teeth being arranged to be clear of said stepping pin during said continued rotary movement of said stepping finger.