Appeal No. 1999-0218
Application 08/691,889
is to achieving a waterproof construction by avoiding the need
for a stem for winding the watch or setting the time. See In
re Gordon, 733 F.2d 900, 902, 221 USPQ 1125, 1127 (Fed. Cir.
1984) (reversing rejection because "if the French apparatus
were turned upside down, it would be rendered inoperable for
its intended purpose"). Because elements A of claims 10 and
19 are not satisfied, the § 103 rejection is reversed as those
claims and claims 11-18, which depend on claim 10. For the
same reasons, element A of claim 1, which is identical to
elements A of claims 10 and 19, is not satisfied, with the
result that the § 103 rejection is also reversed as to claims
3, 8, and 9, which depend on claim 1.
We note in passing that element B of claim 10 ("means for
indicating the approximate time in words") would be satisfied
by Beguin as modified to provide an audible indication of the
time in words. Assuming appellant is correct to argue (Brief
at 8) that known audible clocks provide indications which are
exact to the minute, this argument overlooks the fact that
claim 10 does not require that the time be approximate as to
minutes. As a result, element B reads on Beguin as modified
to include the admittedly known audible time-indicating means.
11
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