[0001] This invention refers to a protecting or covering case for wrist-watches made of
suitable elastomeric material that can be easily slipped on, or applied and removed
from watches, when necessary, whilst allowing normal reading of the time indicated
on the watch dial even when the covering case is in use.
[0002] It is well known that in various sporting activities as well as in other circumstances,
wrist-watches can easily be the subject of sharp knocks and blows which can cause
both breaking of the glass dial-protector and damage to the watch machanism.
[0003] No protectve covering is currently available for ordinary watches, the only sure
way of protection being to take the watch off and to leave it in a safe place, thereby
preventing its normal use.
[0004] The scope of this invention is to provide an additional protective or covering case
for normal wrist-watches capable of being slipped on and off easily and protecting
against blows, shock and similar damage, whilst allowing for the normal use of the
watches even when the case has been applied. The case is to be of rubber, or similar
elastomeric material, is to be suitably coloured, and of such form so as to be adaptable
to a wide range of wrist-watches of varying form and dimensions, given the elastic
characteristic of the case which allows it to be adaptable and adhere to watch-cases.
[0005] In general terms, the covering case of this invention for protecting wrist-watches
constituted by a rubber or elastomer or similar lining of tubular form comprises a
hollow body in elastomeric material enclosing the watch, said body comprising a bottom
wall and peripheral wall having a protruding annular edge portion defining a large
aperture for the watch dial, and opposite openings on said peripheral wall for the
passage of the watch-band.
[0006] Said top protective edge which surrounds the opening through which the time can be
read partially overlaps the watch dial and may be completely smooth or may otherwise
be provided with protusions or reference indicators of the time, corresponding to
analogous indications on the watch dial, constituting in this case a type of over-watch
which facilitates or allows the reading of the time even when the time indicating
marks or numbers on the dial are partially covered by the protective case.
[0007] The protective case may, obviously, be made of any suitable elastomeric material
and be of any dimension and form capable of adaption to diverĀse types of wrist-watches
with different dial characteristics.
[0008] The details concerning one possible embodiment of a protective case for wrist-watches
shall now be illustrated with reference to the following attached drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a top-view of a particular type of a protective case;
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view made on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section made on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.
[0009] As shown in the drawings, the case is comprised of a hollow body or case 10 of rubber
or similar elastomeric material, substantially adaptable to the shape and dimensions
of the usual watch casing of different types of watches; more precisely, the body
10 of protective casing consists of a substantially flat lower wall 11 which adapts
to the bottom of the watch-case and a peripheral wall 12 which in this particular
example is circular, said wall 12 being provided with an upper surface 13 having an
annular edge 14 which partially protrudes and covers the dial glass of a watch 15
inserted in the case 10, and which delimits a large opening 16 through which the hands,
numbers and/or reference marks on the dial of the watch are visible.
[0010] The peripheral wall 12 of the protective case is provided with two opposite openings
17 and 18 in which are housed the side loops for the watch band, and through which
the band passes. In the illustrated example in which the band of the watch 19 is composed
of two parts can be slipped into openings 17 and 18 through the central opening 16
of the dial, the bottom wall 11 of the casing is preferably whole or continuous, however
for watches with metal bands or of annular, ring-like form, the bottom wall 11 is
divided into two halves, for example by a longitudinal slit 20, between the openings
17 and 18 to enable the protective case 10 to be slipped over the watch.
[0011] The upper surface 13 of peripheral wall 12, around the opening 16 for the dial, may
be completely smooth or otherwise may be provided with protrusions or reference marks
21 in positions corresponding to the time indications shown on the dial of the watch
inserted in the said case, so as to constitute a sort of over-watch dial which, once
the watch were inserted, would facilitate the reading of the time. In the illustrated
example, the time reference means 21 on the upper surface of the case 10 have been
indicated by suitable protrusions, however it is evident that there may be other suitable
ways of achieving the result of facilitating the reading of the dial partially covered
by the protective covering 10.
[0012] From the above discussion and as illustrated in the attached diagrams, it is thus
evident that an easily attachable and removable lining and protective case for wrist-watches
has been furnished which can be achieved and shaped with various external characteristics
without thereby deviating from what is claimed herein.
1. A covering for wrist-watches characterised by the fact of comprising a hollow case
(10) in elastomeric material enclosing the watch, said case (10) comprising a bottom
wall (11) and peripheral wall (12) having a protruding annular edge portion (14) defining
a large aperture (16) for the watch dial, and opposite openings (17, 18) on said peripheral
wall (12) for the passage of the watch-band.
2. A covering case as described in claim 1, characterised in that said edge portion
(14) delimiting the opening (16) for the dial of the watch, includes time-of-day indicating
means (21).
3. A covering case as described in claim 1, characterised in that said time indicating
means (21) include protrusions on the top surface (13) of the case.
4. A covering case as described in claim 1, characterised in that the bottom wall
(11) of said case (10) comprises a longitudinal slit (20) between said opposite openings
(18, 19) on peripheral wall (12).