Digital frequency trimmed electronic timepiece

Claim 1

In combination: an electronic wristwatch having a quartz crystal controlled oscillator having a nominal frequency above a desired rate, a count-down circuit coupled to the oscillator to receive an input signal therefrom and provide a lower frequency output signal, time indicating means coupled to the count-down circuit to be activated thereby; an inhibit circuit means comprising a NAND circuit connected between the oscillator and the count-down circuit, said NAND circuit blocking oscillator pulses to the count-down circuit upon an inhibit signal from a flip-flop circuit, said flip-flop circuit generates the inhibit signal in response to a periodic output signal from a divider circuit responding to signals from the count-down circuit, a nonvolatile memory circuit programmed to provide output signals indicative of a first predetermined count, a presettable counter coupled to said output signals of the memory circuit and being preset to a count equal to said first predetermined count in response to a preset enable signal from the flip-flop circuit and thereafter rendered receptive to oscillator signals for increasing the count of said counter to a second predetermined count, said flip flop circuit being responsive to the second predetermined count from said counter to remove said inhibit signal to the NAND circuit whereby oscillator pulses are gated to the count-down circuit.