The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd

Alexandre Haemmerli

Lionel Tombez

Lionel Paratte

Matthias Imboden

Francois Gueissaz

Michel Willemin

Jean-Luc Helfer

Gianni Di Domenico

Pascal Winkler

Yves Winkler

Jean-Claude Martin

Baptiste Hinaux

Donald William Corson

Silvio Dalla Piazza

Laurent Nagy

Alexandre Didier

Bernhard Schnyder

Jean-Jacques Born

Pierre Cusin

Christian Charbon

Pierry Vuille

Christophe Germiquet

Pascal Grossenbacher

Cédric Nicolas

François Gueissaz

Alain Jornod

Elias Laforge

Benjamin Tixier

A horological movement includes an analogue time display, a gear train, a barrel driving the analogue display via the gear train, and an oscillator formed of a resonator, including a balance and a piezoelectric spring, and a mechanical escapement coupling the balance to the gear train. This horological movement further includes an electric energy source which is associated with the electronic control circuit, which is arranged to be able to control the application of an electrical supply voltage to the piezoelectric spring to excite the oscillator to obtain a functional oscillation of the resonator and then to maintain this functional oscillation. The mechanical escapement is an escapement for counting the alternations of the functional oscillation, to pace the running of the horological movement, without the resonator being able to receive from the barrel via this mechanical escapement enough mechanical energy to maintain the functional oscillation.

Horological movement provided with an oscillator comprising a piezoelectric spring

An horological movement includes an analogue time display, a geartrain, a barrel and an electromechanical oscillator, which is formed of a resonator, including a balance and a piezoelectric balance-spring, and a mechanical escapement, and further includes an electronic control circuit connected to an electrical energy source and arranged to be able to control the application of an electrical voltage on at least one electrode of the piezoelectric balance-spring so as to generate driving electrical pulses for the oscillator. The horological movement is configured such that the barrel is capable, in a first main state, of maintaining alone a functional oscillation of the oscillator with a first amplitude, while in a second main state, the electronic control circuit powers the piezoelectric balance-spring to maintain, partially or fully, the oscillation of the resonator with a second amplitude greater than the first amplitude for any spatial orientation, the second amplitude being preferably constant.

Horological movement equipped with an oscillator comprising a piezoelectric balance-spring

A recharging device for an electronic or electromechanical watch equipped, on the one hand, with a device for the storage of electrical energy for powering electronic components of the watch and, on the other hand, with an auxiliary source of electrical energy adapted to power the device for the storage of electrical energy for recharging thereof. The device includes a casket provided with a support for receiving the watch. The device further includes at least one source of energy configured to supply energy to the auxiliary source of electrical energy, when the watch is placed on the receiving support, so that the auxiliary source of electrical energy converts the received energy into electrical energy and delivers a charge for maintaining a predetermined level of power supply voltage to the device for the storage of electrical energy.

Recharging device for an electronic or electromechanical watch and assembly thereof

A power management method for a solar watch or a solar automatic watch. The power management method including at least one providing a primary power supply from at least one energy supplier. The primary power supply is converted to a secondary power supply when the primary power supply reaches at least one primary threshold and/or at least one secondary threshold. A motor is supplied with the secondary power supply such as to wind a mainspring via the motor.

Power management method for a solar watch

A method for fabricating metal decorations on a domed dial made of insulating material, wherein the method includes the steps of forming a photosensitive resin mould by a UV LIGA type process, and electrodepositing a layer of at least one metal starting from the conductive layer to form a block, which substantially reaches the upper surface of the photosensitive resin.

Method for fabricating a metal decoration on a dial and dial obtained by this method

A flexible timepiece component, in particular for an oscillator mechanism or for a barrel of a horological movement, the component extending along a main plane (P) and including at least a part made of a composite material (), the composite material () including a matrix () and a multitude of nanowires () distributed in the matrix (), the nanowires () being juxtaposed, the matrix () including a material () for filling the interstices between the nanowires () to join them to each other, each nanowire () forming a solid one-piece tube, the nanowires () being disposed substantially parallel to an axis (A) substantially perpendicular to the main plane (P) of the component ().

Flexible timepiece component and horological movement including such a component

A balance for timepieces includes a rim, a hub, and at least one arm connecting the hub to the rim. At least one portion of the balance is made of an at least partially amorphous metal alloy. The at least partially amorphous metal alloy is based on an element chosen from the group consisting of platinum, zirconium and titanium, and has a coefficient of thermal expansion comprised between 7 ppm/&#xb0; C. and 12 ppm/&#xb0; C. The balance can be manufactured by moulding. A resonator can include such a balance and a monocrystalline quartz balance spring.

Balance for timepieces and method for manufacturing the same

A power indicator device () of a thermoelectric generator of a watch. The indicator device includes a first gas fluid reservoir (), a second gas fluid reservoir (), and at least one tubular conduit () connecting the two reservoirs. The first reservoir is placed on an upper surface of the thermoelectric generator in a watch case, while the second reservoir () is placed on a lower surface of the thermoelectric generator in contact with the back of a watch case. The tubular conduit is of the capillary type and comprises in an intermediate portion () a liquid forming a barrier to the gas fluid of the two reservoirs and allowing, in a display portion () visible from the outside of the watch case, to provide an indication of the power of the generator by measuring the temperature difference of the two reservoirs.

Power indicator device of a thermoelectric generator of a watch

A process for producing a metal alloy balance wheel by molding includes a) making a mold in the negative shape of the balance wheel; b) obtaining a metal alloy that has a thermal expansion coefficient of less than 25 ppm/&#xb0; C. and is able to be in an at least partly amorphous state when it is heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature; c) putting the metal alloy into the mold, the metal alloy being heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature so as to be hot-molded and to form a balance wheel; d) cooling the metal alloy to obtain a balance wheel made of the metal alloy; and e) releasing the balance wheel obtained in step d) from its mold. The process also includes a step for over-molding flexible centering components in the hub.

Process for producing a balance wheel for a timepiece

A timepiece includes a mechanical oscillator, formed by a balance and a piezoelectric balance spring, and a control device for controlling the frequency of the mechanical oscillator. This control device is arranged to be capable of generating time-separated control pulses, each including a momentary decrease in an electrical resistance applied by the control device between two electrodes of the piezoelectric balance spring relative to a nominal electrical resistance. The control device is arranged to be capable of applying a plurality of control pulses during each time of a series of distinct correction times or without interruption in a continuous time window, in order to respectively synchronize the mechanical oscillator at a correction frequency whose value depends on a detected positive or negative temporal drift or at a desired frequency for the mechanical oscillator.

Timepiece including a mechanical movement whose operation is controlled by an electronic device

A timepiece includes a mechanical oscillator, formed by a balance and a piezoelectric balance spring, and a regulating device for regulating the frequency of the mechanical oscillator which is arranged to be able to produce time-separated regulating pulses, each consisting of a momentary decrease in an electrical resistance applied by the regulating device between two electrodes of the balance spring relative to a nominal electrical resistance. Each regulating pulse produces a variation of rate which varies as a function of its moment of starting in a half-period of the mechanical oscillator, the characteristic function of this variation of rate relative to the moment of starting of at least one regulating pulse respectively in at least one half-period of the mechanical oscillator being negative in a first temporal zone of at least one half-period and positive in a second temporal zone of at least one half-period.

Timepiece comprising a mechanical movement whose rate is regulated by an electronic device

A process for producing a metal alloy balance wheel by molding, the process including the following steps: a) making a mold in the negative shape of the balance wheel, b) getting hold of a metal alloy that has a thermal expansion coefficient of less than 25 ppm/&#xb0; C. and is able to be in an at least partly amorphous state when it is heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature, c) putting the metal alloy into the mold, the metal alloy being heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature so as to be hot-molded and to form a balance wheel, d) cooling the metal alloy to obtain a balance wheel made of the metal alloy, e) releasing the balance wheel obtained in step d) from its mold.

A piezoelectric element for an automatic frequency control circuit, the element including: a balance spring formed of a strip of piezoelectric material; at least a first electrode, configured to be connected to the circuit and being disposed on all or part of one side of the strip; at least a second electrode configured to be connected to the circuit and being disposed on all or part of another one side of the strip distinct from the one side on which the first electrode is disposed, the piezoelectric material being a piezoelectric crystal or a piezoelectric ceramic; and at least two discontinuous layers of an insulating material, each discontinuous layer being disposed on at least one side of the strip and separating the first electrode from the second electrode, the layers of insulating material being distributed on predetermined portions of the balance spring substantially forming arcs in a predetermined angular periodicity.

Piezoelectric element for an automatic frequency control circuit, oscillating mechanical system and device comprising the same, and method for manufacturing the piezoelectric element

A piezoelectric element for an automatic frequency control circuit. The element includes a balance spring formed of a piezoelectric crystal strip, a first electrode connected to the automatic control circuit, and disposed on at least a first side of the strip, and a second electrode connected to the automatic control circuit and disposed on at least a second side of the strip. The first and second electrodes are placed on one portion or over the entire length of the balance spring in a predetermined angular distribution.

Piezoelectric element for an automatic frequency control circuit, oscillating mechanical system and device comprising the same

A mechanical movement timepiece assembly with a mechanical oscillator is formed by a resonator of the balance-hairspring type, and a device for regulating the oscillation frequency thereof using an auxiliary oscillator equipped with a quartz resonator. The regulating device includes a sensor, suitable for detecting the passage of the resonator via the neutral position thereof, a measuring device suitable for measuring, on the basis of position signals supplied by the sensor, a time drift of the mechanical oscillator relative to the auxiliary oscillator, and a device for applying to the resonator mechanical braking pulses when a certain time drift is observed. For this purpose, the resonator has a braking surface which extends over at least a certain sector having a certain length along the oscillation axis and against which a braking member may press in order to momentarily brake the resonator.

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Neuchatel, Switzerland

Alexandre Haemmerli