The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd

Harry Winston Sa

Omega Sa

Cédric Nicolas

Jean-Jacques Born

Gregory Kissling

Michel Willemin

Pascal Lagorgette

Pierry Vuille

Pierpasquale Tortora

Yvan Ferri

Baptiste Hinaux

Jérôme Favre

Simon Springer

Matthias Imboden

Jean-Pierre Mignot

Milan Calic

Alexandre Haemmerli

Pascal Heck

Nicolas François

Patrick Ragot

Dimitri Fostinis

Alexandre Didier

Ahmad Odeh

Sophie Napoli

Jonathan Bregnard

Nicolas Livat

Alexandre Lamontagne

Hicham Farah

Arnaud Maurel

Fostinis Dimitri

Dominique Léchot

Johnny Bühler

M Cédric Kaltenrieder

M Paulo Bravo

Dominique LÉCHOT

A time-limited power generation device () for a timepiece (), including a manoeuvring member () manoeuvrable by a user against an elastic return () arranged to indirectly drive an electric generator () for generating an electric current for a limited time period, and including a toothed member () movable with a degree of freedom relative to said manoeuvring member () and delimiting therewith a separate chamber () for receiving each elastic return (), held compressed in its chamber () between a pre-stressed position of rest and a maximum compression position, between a first support banking () that includes the manoeuvring member () and a second support banking () that includes the toothed member (), arranged to be driven by the elastic return () for driving the electric generator () directly or indirectly through a geartrain.

Electric power generation device for timepiece

A modular watch () including at least a middle (), a back (), a display module () having a dial, time display, a crystal and a first magnetic gear, a horological module () including a horological movement with a second magnetic gear arranged to cooperate with the magnetic gear of the display module (), and first and second bracelet strands integral with the middle () at a pair of horns (). The display module () and the horological module () are mounted one on top of the other, the display module () being mounted such that it is fixed against the middle (10), and the horological module () being mounted such that it can rotate between the back () and the display module () in order to set the time.

Modular watch

A watch including a gasket () arranged at the periphery of the glass (), an intermediate portion () laterally surrounding the analogue display and defining a radial surface forming an axial stop for the glass, a solar cell () extending at least mostly between the lower level of the dial and the glass and being arranged behind the intermediate portion, which is formed at least partially by a translucent or transparent material and configured to make it possible for the incident light to propagate in the intermediate portion and to subsequently reach the solar cell. The gasket is also formed at least mostly by a translucent or transparent material and it forms with the intermediate portion axially a continuous medium. In variants, the gasket is arranged axially adjacent to the intermediate portion or it is axially separated from the intermediate portion by a translucent or transparent intermediate medium.

Watch comprising a solar cell

A mechanism () including a magnetic gear () including a first wheel (B) and a second wheel (C) provided with a first magnetic toothing () and a second magnetic toothing () respectively. The first and second magnetic toothings are respectively formed by first and second teeth made of a soft ferromagnetic material; and the magnetic gear () further includes a third wheel (A) arranged between the first and second wheels (B,C) and provided with a third magnetic toothing () formed by permanent magnetic poles, in particular by bipolar magnets. In general, the first wheel is a drive wheel, whereas the second wheel is driven into order to carry out a function or transmit a torque. The third intermediate wheel is preferably mounted such that it can rotate freely.

Timepiece mechanism provided with a magnetic gear

A timepiece assembly includes a watch having a mechanical movement and an analogue time display, the running of which is set by a mechanical resonator, and a support for the watch. To correct a time displayed by the analogue display, the timepiece assembly includes a correction system which is formed by a mechanical device incorporated into the watch and by an electrical device incorporated into the support. The mechanical device includes a magnet supported by an elastic blade and is arranged in the watch to brake the oscillating mechanical resonator, for example by applying periodic braking, or to momentarily stop its oscillation by exerting a magnetic force on the magnet with a magnetic field produced by a coil of the electrical device and passing through the case of the watch, to carry out essentially a set correction of the time displayed.

Timepiece assembly comprising a watch and a system for correcting the time

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

A timepiece mechanism including a magnetic gear formed of a first wheel and a second wheel, the first wheel being provided with first alternating magnetic poles forming a magnetic toothing and the second wheel being provided with a toothing made of ferromagnetic material which has a magnetic coupling with the magnetic toothing, such that, when one of the first or second wheels is driven in rotation, this wheel rolls, via the magnetic coupling, over a geometric circle centred on the other wheel and linked to this other wheel. The magnetic gear further includes a ferromagnetic element arranged relative to the first wheel so as to offset at least most of a magnetic disturbance torque to which the first wheel is subjected, resulting from the magnetic coupling, this magnetic disturbance torque having a periodic variation in intensity according to the angular position of the first wheel.

A mechanism including a magnetic gear including a first wheel, a second wheel and a third wheel. The first wheel is provided with permanent magnetic poles which are arranged so as to form the magnetised teeth of a first magnetic toothing. The second wheel and the third wheel are provided with teeth made of a soft ferromagnetic material respectively defining a second magnetic toothing and a third magnetic toothing, each with a number of teeth that is greater than that of the first magnetic toothing and having a magnetic coupling with this first magnetic toothing. The second magnetic toothing is directly coupled with the first magnetic toothing and with the third magnetic toothing thanks to the magnetic fluxes provided by the magnetised teeth of the first toothing and the teeth of the second magnetic toothing are magnetically separated from one another.

A device is disclosed for verifying the state of a watch and resetting it to the correct time. In a case of the device, a watch can be disposed on a watch support, which can be moved from a position without measurement to a measurement position in a vision system, or vice versa. In a position without measurement, the watch on its support can be observed from the outside of the case of the device through at least one electronic shutter activated or an optical valve activated to be in a transparent state, whereas in the measurement position, the electronic shutter or the optical valve is deactivated to be made opaque.

Device for winding or setting and for verifying a watch

A magnetic microactuator () including a coil () controlling the axial movement of a sliding block () including at least one permanent magnet () joined or aligned with a ferromagnetic or magnetised rear arbor () and guiding the field lines of the magnetic field of revolution in the axial direction (D) through the coil () wherein circulates the sliding block (), up to a rear end () of said rear arbor () that tends to cooperate by magnetic attraction with at least one first ferromagnetic restoration element (), located in the vicinity of a rear face () of the structure () of the microactuator (), in order to bring said sliding block () back into a rear end-of-travel position when no coil () is powered.

Solenoid microactuator with magnetic retraction

An anti-theft system that can be applied in a commercial environment such as a watch store. The products on display in-store are secured by an electronic tag () attached to the product. The tag is provided with a chip () which emits a first signal which can only be received within a defined perimeter around the chip. An electronic transmitting device () is located within this perimeter, which sends the data transmitted within the first signal in the form of a second signal which further contains a value relative to the distance between the tag and the transmitting device. The second signal is managed by one or more computers, preferably of the portable type (), which are equipped with a digital application configured to analyse the second signal to check for the presence of the tags () within a defined security zone () around the transmitting device ().

Anti-theft system for stores

Timepiece movementincluding an energy sourcecoupled to an oscillating weightby a first kinematic chainfor automatically winding the movement, the timepiece movementbeing characterized in that the energy sourceis also coupled to an actuation deviceand a vibrating elementvia a second kinematic chainto form a vibrating alarm mechanism that can be released at a predetermined time.

Timepiece movement fitted with a vibrating alarm

A timepiece movement comprising a coupling mechanism including first and second coupling wheel sets, whereby the rotation of the first coupling wheel set causes the second coupling wheel set to rotate, whereby the coupling mechanism is a centrifugal coupling mechanism including an inertial click secured to the hub of the first coupling wheel set, and meshing with stop members secured to the second coupling wheel set.

Timepiece movement fitted with an inertial coupling mechanism

The invention concerns a timepiece movement that includes first and second energy sources, wherein the first energy source is coupled to an oscillating weight by a first kinematic chain for automatically winding the movement, and the second energy source is coupled both to an activating device, and to a vibrating element by a second kinematic chain, to form a vibrating alarm mechanism that can be activated at a predetermined time. In addition, for the timepiece movement, the vibrating element of the vibrating alarm mechanism is the oscillating weight.

Growing community of inventors

Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Cédric Nicolas