Timepiece with mechanical cards

#The present invention relates to the field of mechanical horology. It more particularly relates to a timepiece with a complication offering entertainment to a user.

#A priori, the primary function of timepieces is to provide time-related information. Traditional horology mechanisms have been used to offer more recreational mechanical systems, such as machines or music boxes.

#Furthermore, certain watches of the state of the art include, in addition to the typical mechanisms making it possible to display time information, complications allowing a user to have a game on his watch. One remarkable embodiment, known under the name Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon, is, in addition to a higher horology timepiece, a masterpiece in miniaturization, including a slot machine game. The mechanism is activated by pulling a lever on the right side of the case. A rack then rises along the movement to actuate three rollers, each of which bears five symbols: spade, heart, diamond, horseshoe and bell. When the rack is lowered again, it activates the stoppers that stop the rollers one by one and simultaneously sounds a striking-work. Of the 125 possible combinations, only the three aligned bells represent the jackpot.

#Other details of the invention will appear more clearly upon reading the following description, done in reference to the appended drawing, in which:

#FIGS. 1 and 2 are illustrations of the mechanism according to a first embodiment of the invention,

#FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of part of the mechanism,

#The timepiece according to the invention is equipped with a mechanical card game. As will be understood hereafter, this card game is independent of the time base and the clockwork movement to which it may be attached. This movement may provide time information and display it using hands or other conventional organs and will not be described in this description. Advantageously but non-limitingly, the card game mechanism according to the invention is arranged in a modular manner on the basic movement. In such a configuration, the different elements of the mechanism are mounted on the housing of the module.

#To allow only the cards dealt during the game to be visible, the timepiece according to the invention comprises a dial 11 provided with a plurality of apertures 12. The following description relates to one particular embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in which the card game produced is a blackjack game. In this game, after the cards have been dealt, the player and the bank choose to expose cards (i.e., in a real game, to turn them over) to reach 21 points by adding the value of each visible card. To reproduce this particularly of the game, the apertures 12 may be closed or left open, using opening and closing systems 14 actuated by control organs. In the blackjack game, only some of the apertures 12 are provided with an opening and closing system 14, others being left permanently open.

#The depictions of the cards are arranged on a plurality of display discs 16. The discs are positioned matching the apertures 12, such that the depictions of one disc are visible through one of the apertures 12, when that aperture is open. The discs are pivoted on axes perpendicular to the plane of the dial 10.