Electronic watch having braked stepping motor

A miniature electronic timepiece having an analog display formed by time-indicating hands, said timepiece comprising:

• A a stepping motor having a stator coil responsive to applied drive pulses to cause its rotor operatively coupled to said hands to step;
• said stator coil being wound on a core also having an auxiliary coil wound thereon which forms the primary of a transformer whose secondary is said stator coil;
• B an electronic timing circuit including a high-frequency time base and a multi-stage frequency divider coupled thereto, each intermediate stage of the divider yielding pulses whose repetition rate is a sub-multiple of said high-frequency, the output stage yielding low frequency timing pulses, said timing circuit requiring a direct energizing voltage at a predetermined level;
• C a driver stage responsive to said timing pulses and coupled to said stator coil to produce said drive pulses for stepping the rotor;
• D a d-c voltage source whose output voltage differs from said predetermined level;
• E a voltage converter coupled to said source to produce an energizing voltage for said timing circuit at said predetermined level, said converter incorporating said transformer and further including a pulse-actuated electronic voltage chopper interposed between the d-c source and said primary to supply a periodically-intercoupled voltage thereto, thereby producing an alternating voltage at said secondary which is rectified to yield said energizing voltage;
• F first means controlled by pulses derived from an intermediate stage of said divider and coupled to said driver stage to regulate the duration of said drive pulses produced thereby;
• and
• G second means controlled by pulses derived from another intermediate stage of said divider and coupled to said driver stage to cause it at the conclusion of each drive pulse to momentarily short circuit said stator coil to thereby brake said rotor after it makes a step.