Second adjustment system in an electronic watch

Claim 1

In an electronic timepiece of the type comprising an oscillator circuit for developing an oscillatory output signal which defines a time base; a divider circuit connected to receive the oscillatory time base signal developed by said oscillator circuit for developing in response thereto an oscillatory time signal having a frequency determinative of the rate of advance of seconds which are indicated by the timepiece; a converter for converting the time signal into a seconds indication; and a driving circuit connected to receive the oscillatory time signal developed by said divider circuit for driving said converter with the oscillatory time signal; the improvement which comprises: a system for adjusting the seconds indication of the timepiece; said system comprising said divider circuit wherein said divider circuit includes means for developing a plurality of time signals including a first oscillatory time signal having a frequency for determining the standard once per second rate of advance of the seconds indicated by the timepiece, a second oscillatory time signal having a frequency higher than the frequency of the first oscillatory time signal for determining a rate of advance of the seconds indicated by the timepiece which is higher than the standard rate, and a third oscillatory time signal having a frequency lower than the frequency of the first oscillatory time signal for determining a rate of advance of the seconds indicated by the timepiece which is lower than the standard rate; and further comprising a time signal selection switch, connected between said divider circuit and said driving circuit, normally set to apply the first oscillatory time signal to said driving circuit for operating the timepiece in a mode with seconds indication advancing at the standard rate and operable for selectably applying the second or third time signals to said driving circuit for operating the timepiece in a mode with the seconds indication advancing at a rate respectively higher than or less than the standard rate to correct the seconds indication of the timepiece when it is respectively slow or fast without stopping operation of the timepiece.