An alarm setting mechanism for an analog timepiece of the type having a minute hand, an hour hand and an alarm device responsive to switch actuations. A minute setting ring and a coaxial hour setting ring are both rotatably mounted in the timepiece and include a minute alarm marker and an hour alarm marker. Both rings have crown gears coupled to a drive pinion arranged to rotate the two rings at a ratio of 12:1 to set the hour and minute markers. This is preferably accomplished using a spur tooth gear on the minute setting ring and a Geneva drive for the hour ring. A first switch is actuated in response to passage of the hour hand contacting the hour marker and a second switch is actuated in response to passage at the minute hand in close proximity to the minute marker. The alarm setting mechanism has a separate crown which is detented in three positions. The crown enables the alarm setting means to function either as a time of day alarm setting using the hour and minute markers with the conventional timepiece dial indicia, or allows the minute hand to function as a count down timer.

An electric alarm timepiece includes an on-off switch wherein the alarm ringing circuit is closed when the bottom surface of the hour hand contacts an alarm set spring extending beneath the tip of the hour hand. The outer portion or tip of the hour hand is guided by a formed ridge on the alarm time set ring and moves about the inner surface of the ring thereby assuring proper contact closure with the spring. The alarm set spring is mounted at one end to the alarm set ring and is rotatable therewith for purposes of setting. The alarm time set ring includes a downwardly extending outer portion comprising a ring gear which is engageable by the stem pinion to set the alarm.

A watch includes an alarm actuated once every 24 hours to give a warning signal to the wearer. The alarm can be actuated by a wheel which makes one revolution per 24 hours, and is axially displaced at a certain adjustable position.

The alarm arrangement is among those in which an alarm is released by the coincidence of a first contact point coupled to the going train of the timepiece with a second contact point coupled to an index the position of which may be regulated by a manual control element. In this arrangement the second contact point (68) is coupled to a member (60) fixed to a rotating shaft (58) on which are pivoted wheel sets (76, 92) of the going train which bear time indicating hands (82, 100). In a very simple case the member fixed to the rotating shaft is adjacent the timepiece hour wheel (80) and the contact points (68, 90) are borne by these two elements on their faces and facing one another. On the other hand the manual control element may be advantageously formed by the glass (16) of the timepiece which is then coupled to one of the ends of the rotating shaft and a rotatable bezel (22) to which the glass is fastened.

A timer is provided with a setting member which is moved in order to set, increase or decrease a desired countdown time. Movement of the setting member in one direction generates an increment pattern and movement in an opposite direction generates a decrement pattern. A bit generator is connected to increment or decrement the countdown time.