Stem locking mechanism for electric calendar watches

Claim 1

In a watch of the type having a calendar ring with means for circumferentially advancing the ring from one position to the next during normal timekeeping and further having a time setting wheel with teeth and further having a rotatably mounted and axially slidable stem carrying a time setting pinion mounted for engagement with said time setting wheel in a first axial stem position, and also having a fixed stem bracket receiving one end of the stem and having means cooperating with the stem to hold it either in said first axial position or to urge it toward a second axial position where the time setting pinion is disengaged from the time setting wheel, the aforesaid elements being known in the art, the improvement comprising: a date setting member adapted to be coupled to the stem and having at least one tab means thereon engageable with said calendar ring to advance it to a new circumferential position, said member further being disengageable from the stem when it is moved to said first axial position, said stem having locking key means thereon and said stemreceiving portion of said stem bracket having an irregular aperture therein for receiving said locking key and preventing rotation when the stem is in said second axial position, and cam means formed by the wall of said aperture to cause the stem to move to a third intermediate axial position without engaging the time setting wheel or disengaging the date setting member, whereby the date may be rapidly advanced by rotation of the date setting member.