Personalized Photograph Type Watch

Abstract

A personalized photograph type watch and, more particularly a personalized photograph watch dial comprising a standard watch mechanism and enclosure structure; i.e., a case, a bezel and a crystal, wherein the dial or face plate comprises a metal foil of predetermined geometrical configuration having at least one personalized photograph print on the viewable surface of said dial, said metal foil initially having a photosensitive coating on one surface thereof and said coating having a half-tone negative of said personalized photograph exposed on said coated surface to produce said photograph watch dial.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Although there are presently available many varieties, styles and various shapes of watches, there are none existent which incorporate therein the personal tastes and desires of the usual watch wearer.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a new and novel watch construction known as a PHOTO-WATCH (trademark of I.D.L. Co., Inc.) and, more particularly, to a watch dial which incorporates therein the individual and personalized selections of the purchaser.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel method of fabricating a watch dial construction of the type described hereinabove.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a watch dial as aforementioned which has a basic black and silver color representation.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a watch dial having a predetermined color hue overlying the basic black and silver representation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a watch dial having a predetermined color hue upon a silver background.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel method for fabricating a photograph watch dial having a basic black and silver representation and having a predetermined color hue overlying the same.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a new and novel method for fabricating a photograph watch dial having a predetermined color hue upon a silver background.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a photograph type watch construction and a photograph watch dial of the aforedescribed type which can be fabricated easily and simply and at a relatively inexpensive cost.

Thus, there is presented a watch construction which is aesthetically pleasing and which enables the wearer to readily view and to display some personal scene, grandchildren or other personalized representation which the wearer wishes to commemorate and display.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description hereinafter considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a photograph type watch constructed pursuant to the method of and in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the photograph watch dial depicted in FIG. 1 and constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 3 -- 3 of the photograph watch dial of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the steps of the first and second methods by which the photograph watch dial of FIG. 2 is fabricated; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the steps of a third method by which the photograph watch dial is fabricated having a predetermined color hue representative of the photographic representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings and, more particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is depicted a watch assembly generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

The watch assembly 10 comprises the hands 12 and 14 mounted for rotational movement on a pivot 16, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art, and a photograph watch dial, generally indicated by the reference numeral 18. The photograph watch dial 18, best seen in FIG. 2, includes the numerals indicated and the hour markers 20 disposed therebetween and personalized photographs or photos 22 and 24 positioned within elliptical delineations 25, all of which are photographically printed on the photograph watch dial face 26, in a manner which will be described in detail hereinafter.

The dial 18 comprises a metal foil base 28 having a photosensitive coating 30 on one of the surfaces of said foil. The foil is preferably made of aluminum. A photosensitive coated aluminum foil of the type employed in the present invention is manufactured and is commercially available from the Metal Photo Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio.

The foil 28 may be precut to the desired geometric configuration either prior or subsequent to the photographic exposure thereof to form the photograph watch dial 18. It is also to be noted that while the dial 18 is herein depicted as having a circular configuration, the same may be fabricated having any desired and suitable configuration for use as a photograph watch dial.

It is herein to be noted that although in the following description reference is specifically made to personalized portrait photos, it is within the contemplation of the present invention to include all types of personalized photos such as a house, a landscape, and organization symbol and representation or the like.

In order to fabricate the photograph watch dial 18 of the type depicted in FIG. 2, a photographic print of the subject of the portrait, preferably wallet size (3 inches by 5 inches), is obtained and a reduced half-tone negative of the portrait portion only is produced.

After the reduced half-tone negative is produced, the photo-watch dial 18 is fabricated by the method now to be described with reference to FIG. 4 of the drawings and pursuant to a first embodiment of the invention.

A positive 32 of the dial layout having the numerals and hour markers 20 and the elliptical delineations 25 thereon is positively exposed on the photosensitive coated surface 30 of a piece of aluminum foil, as indicated by block 34. The dimension of the aluminum foil is substantially that of or slightly larger than that of the finished dial 18 but of rectangular or different configuration other than circular.

The next step in the method is to make a negative exposure, as indicated by block 38, of the reduced half-tone portrait, designated 36, within one of the elliptical delineations 25 produced as a result of the positive exposure of 32. In this regard, it is to be noted that the number of delineations provided may vary from a singular one to preferably four and the negative exposures of the half-tone negatives 36 may be performed sequentially or simultaneously.

The exposures are performed by standard type light sources and for a period of time which is dependent upon the density and sensitivity of the photographic materials employed; i.e., the positive, the negative and the sensitivity of the coated surface 30. However, this information is well within the skill and knowledge of the photographic artisans.

The exposed surface 30 is then developed, as at 40, to produce the resultant portraits 22 and 24 and dial layout in superposed relationship.

Thereafter, the developed foil is placed in a photo fix solution, designated 41, to stop the development process.

The next step is to place the resultant piece of foil in a cold water rinse 42, preferably under flowing water.

Thereafter, the piece of foil is placed in an intensifier solution, as indicated by block 44, for a period of from 2 to 10 minutes. The image intensifier solution comprises 8 ounces of gold chloride mixed with four-fifths of a gallon of distilled water to which there is added the mixture comprising one-fifth of a gallon of distilled water heated to approximately 120.degree. F mixed with 16 ounces of ammonium thiocyanate powder.

The intensifier solution causes the black coloration of the dial layout and portrait representations to become intensified upon the silver color of the developed aluminum surface.

The next step is to place the resultant piece of foil in a cold water rinse 46, preferably under flowing water.

Thereafter the foil is placed in a sealing solution 48. The solution may simply be boiling distilled water, in which event the immersion time will be approximately 30 minutes. The sealing solution may also comprise boiling distilled water having vinegar added thereto in an amount from 15 to 25 percent by volume, in which event the immersion time is reduced to approximately 5 minutes.

The next step is to again place the foil in a cold water rinse 50, preferably under flowing water.

Thereafter the exposed surface is polished, as at 52, to produce the finished dial face 26 (FIG. 2).

The last step as illustrated by block 54, is to die cut the foil piece to the desired geometrical configuration, and which in the illustrated embodiment is circular. It is to be noted, as discussed previously, that the last step may also be the first step in that the untreated metal foil piece may initially be cut to the desired geometric configuration.

The resultant photograph watch dial produced by the aforedescribed method has a black representation upon a silver color background.

However, the photograph watch dial may be fabricated pursuant to the method constituting the second embodiment of the invention, wherein a predetermined color hue overlies the basic black and silver representation produced by the method of the first embodiment of the invention.

In this embodiment, after the resultant foil piece has been removed from the cold water rinse 46, it is placed into a selected color dye solution 56; e.g. yellow, blue or red, for a period of time of from 2 to 5 minutes.

Thereafter, the resultant foil is again placed in a cold water rinse 57, preferably under flowing water, and thereafter placed in the sealing solution 48, as previously described hereinabove.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown the steps of a third method of fabricating a photograph watch dial of the type described and depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 and wherein a predetermined color hue of the basic photographic representation is presented upon the silver background of the resultant watch dial.

Initially, there is formed a negative 58 of the dial layout preferably having only the numerals and hour markers 20 thereon. Thereafter, the photosensitized aluminum foil sheet is preferably die-cut as at 59, to the desired geometrical configuration and, as discussed previously, in the present preferred embodiment, to a circular configuration.

The next step is to desensitize the photosensitive coated surface 30 of the foil and this is accomplished by developing the surface but without exposing the same, as at 60.

Thereafter, the foil is placed in a photo fix solution 62, for a period of time which is dependent upon the solution employed and which information is well within the scope of those skilled in the art.

The next step is to spray the desensitized surface of the foil as at 64, with a light sensitive emulsion of one of the types which are readily available in the present day commercial market.

Thereafter the negative 58 having the dial layout with markers 20 thereon, is exposed upon the light sensitive coated foil to produce a negative exposure of the dial layout on the coated foil surface, as indicated at 66.

Thereafter, a positive half-tone portrait 65, produced by previously known methods, is positively exposed, as indicated by block 67. Both the negative and positive exposures are accomplished by means of standard type light sources and for periods of time which are dependent upon the density and sensitivity of the negative 58, the positive 65 and the light sensitive emulsion coating.

The next step is to develop the exposed light sensitive emulsion surface on the metal foil, as indicated at 68. Thereafter, the developing process is stopped and the resultant foil is cleansed by passing the same through a cold water rinse 72, preferably under flowing water.

Thereafter the resultant foil is placed in a selected color dye solution dip 74 for a period of from 2 to 5 minutes. The color may be, by way of illustration, blue, red, yellow or any suitable color.

Next, the resultant foil is placed in a cold water rinse 76 which preferably is flowing water.

Thereafter, the developed emulsion surface of the resultant foil is scrubbed, as at 78, to remove any remaining emulsion particles. The foil is then placed in a cold water rinse 80, preferably under flowing water.

When the above has been completed, the resultant foil is placed in a sealing solution 82 which is the same as described previously hereinbefore in conjunction with the methods relating to FIG. 4 of the drawings.

After the foil is removed from the sealing solution 82, the resultant exposed surface is polished, as indicated at 84.

The resultant photograph dial face 18 depicts the portrait representations 22 and 24 in the color hue associated with that of the color dye solution 74 and the same is presented upon a completely silver color background, in the illustrated embodiment wherein the foil member is made of aluminum.

It is to be noted that, if desired, the die-cutting step may be the last, as opposed to the first step of the method above described. It will also be appreciated that the various types of watches which may be employed are numerous, whereby if a calendar watch is desired, the dial would be fabricated having a prescribed cut-out or aperture therein. In a similar manner, the markers 20 photographically provided on the dial 18 may be of a more complex or detailed nature, such as numerals or other photographic depiction; e.g., animals, ballplayers, cartoon characters, etc.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiments of our invention and the various methods of fabrication thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there are many changes, modifications and improvements which may be made therein, as exemplified hereinabove, without departing from the teachings, spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a watch assembly, the improvement comprising a photographic face plate in turn comprising

a watch dial configuration photographically printed on the viewable surface of said face plate, and

at least one selective photographic representation photographically printed on the viewable surface of said face plate.

2. A watch assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said face plate comprises a metal foil sheet having a photosensitive coating on the viewable surface thereof, and

said watch dial configuration and said photographic representation being exposed on said photosensitive coating of said metal foil.

3. A watch assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said watch dial configuration and said photographic representation exhibit a black color upon a background exhibiting a silver color.

4. A watch assembly in accordance with claim 3, including

a preselected color hue overlying the black and silver color representation on the metallic foil face plate.

5. A watch assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said metal foil sheet is fabricated of aluminum.

6. A watch assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said watch dial configuration and said photographic representation exhibit a predetermined color different from the background color exhibited by said face plate.

7. A watch assembly in accordance with claim 6, wherein

said background color exhibited by said face plate is silver.

8. A watch assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said photographic representation is a personalized portrait representation.

9. A watch assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein

said viewable surface of said face plate includes a plurality of personalized portrait representations photographically printed thereon and disposed in predetermined relationship with respect to one another.

10. A watch assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein

saId portrait representation exposure is a half-tone negative exposure.