Abstract:
A watch including a mechanical movement with a display device including a light energy source and a slender, elastic, mobile component that is deformable during operation, or a balance spring, at least partially transparent, which transmits and diffuses light that varies with stress in the elastic and deformable portion. The light source is active or passive and injects light into one portion of the mobile component which conveys and diffuses light over at least one portion of the mobile component, or throughout the entire mobile component, to make it visible in the dark.
Abstract:
A watch or timepiece regulating member includes a balance, a balance-cock, at least one light energy source, and at least one balance spring attached between the balance and the balance-cock. The balance spring is made of quartz or of glass or of ceramic or is partially transparent to visible and/or ultraviolet wavelengths or made of an at least partially amorphous material and transmits and diffuses light emitted by the light energy source.
Abstract:
Shock resistant bearing for a timepiece including an elastic structure and a central portion carried by the elastic structure, the central portion having a blind hole intended to receive a pivot of a rotating wheel set of the timepiece. The elastic structure and the central portion are formed by a single-piece part formed of single crystal quartz and the blind hole has at least partially the shape of a truncated or non-truncated trigonal pyramid against which the end of the pivot abuts. The invention also concerns a method of manufacturing a shock resistant bearing of this type wherein the single-piece wafer is machined in an anisotropic etching bath for single crystal quartz. Preferably, two masks are respectively arranged on the two sides of the wafer to simultaneously etch the quartz from both sides.
Abstract:
A method for maintaining and regulating frequency of a timepiece resonator mechanism around its natural frequency, the method including: at least one regulator device acting on the resonator mechanism with a periodic motion, to impose a periodic modulation of resonant frequency or quality factor or a position of a point of rest of the resonator mechanism, with a regulation frequency between 0.9 times and 1.1 times the value of an integer multiple of the natural frequency, the integer being greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 10, and the periodic motion imposes a periodic modulation of the quality factor of the resonator mechanism, by acting on losses and/or damping and/or friction of the resonator mechanism.
Abstract:
A temperature-compensated resonator including a body used in deformation, and a core of the body is formed by a material that is one of glass, ceramic glass, technical ceramic, and metallic glass. At least one part of the body includes a coating whose Young's modulus variation with temperature is of an opposite sign to that of the material used for the core, so that at least a first order frequency variation with temperature of the resonator is substantially zero.
Abstract:
A device for measuring the accuracy of a mechanical watch includes a time reference source, a calculating mechanism, and another data processing unit. The time reference source is formed by an internal time reference source, or by a receiving and processing mechanism arranged to receive and process signals transmitted by an external time source to permanently update a repeater clock internal to the device. The calculating mechanism is arranged to calculate time differences between display values, and/or between time reference points provided by the time reference source, and to calculate a variation in rate. The another data processing unit is arranged to store and process at least one variation in rate calculated by the calculating mechanism, and/or a viewing mechanism arranged to display at least one variation in rate calculated by the calculating mechanism.
Abstract:
Method for maintaining and regulating the frequency of a timepiece resonator mechanism around its natural frequency (ω0) Includes a regulator device acting on the resonator with a periodic motion which requires a periodic modulation of at least the resonant frequency of said resonator, by requiring at least a modulation of the active length of a spring in the resonator mechanism, with a regulation frequency (ωR) that is between 0.9 times and 1.1 times the value of an integer multiple of the natural frequency (ω0). The integer is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 10.
Abstract:
Timepiece resonator oscillating at a natural frequency, comprising one oscillating member and oscillation maintenance means, this oscillating member carrying a regulator oscillating at a regulation frequency comprised between 0.9 times and 1.1 times the value of an integer multiple greater than or equal to 2 of the natural frequency, this resonator is included in a timepiece movement for a timepiece, particularly a watch, and this regulator imposes a periodic modulation of the resonant frequency and/or quality factor and/or point of rest of this resonator.
Abstract:
A watch or timepiece regulating member includes a balance, a balance-cock, at least one light energy source, and at least one balance spring attached between the balance and the balance-cock. The balance spring is made of quartz or of glass or of ceramic or is partially transparent to visible and/or ultraviolet wavelengths or made of an at least partially amorphous material and transmits and diffuses light emitted by the light energy source.
Abstract:
The present invention concerns a method for manufacturing a resonator in a substrate characterized in that it includes the following steps: a) modifying the structure of at least one region of the substrate in order to make said at least one region more selective; b) etching said at least one region in order to selectively manufacture said resonator.