Master Dynamic Limited

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Company Limited

Microtechne Research & Development Center Ltd.

Tianjin Sea-Gull Watch Co. Ltd.

Ho Ching

Koon Chung Hui

Ching Tom Kong

Wing Chi Tang

Yingnan Wang

Pui Hang Ko

Ying Nan Wang

Guang Li Ma

Siu Kay Chu

An identifiable mark on a portion of a polished facet of a surface of an article and being identifiable by an optical magnifying viewing device, the identifiable mark comprising a nano-structure formed by a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional lattice of a plurality of discrete nanometer sized recessed or protruded entities, wherein the entities are arranged within a predefined region of the polished facet in a predetermined arrangement in relation to each other. The predetermined arrangement of the entities is non-uniform and non-periodic arrangement, and wherein the entities are sized and shaped so as to cause optical scattering upon reflection of incident light having one or more predetermined wavelengths by the lattice at a predetermined angle of incidence to the lattice and the distance from the inner interface surface to the outer interface surface is greater than the amplitude of the non-marked portion of the polished face.

Method of providing markings to precious stones including gemstones and diamonds, and markings and marked precious stones marked according to such a method

A method of forming one or more protrusions on an outer surface of a polished face of a solid state material, said method including the step of applying focused inert gas ion beam local irradiation towards an outer surface of a polished facet of a solid state material in a way of protruding top surface material; wherein irradiated focused inert gas ions from said focused inert gas ion bean penetrate the outer surface of said polished facet of said solid state material; and wherein irradiated focused inert gas ions cause expansive strain within the solid state crystal lattice of the solid state material below said outer surface at a pressure so as to induce expansion of solid state crystal lattice, and form a protrusion on the outer surface of the polished face of said solid state material.

Method of marking material and system therefore, and material marked according to same method

A torque-restoring element for an oscillator for a mechanical timepiece and having an oscillator frequency, said torque restoring element comprising a spiral spring body having a number N turnings with an inner terminal end for engagement with a rotational inertial element via a collet, and an outer terminal for engagement with a stationary cock element, and having a width, a height and a total arc length; wherein the spiral spring body includes a core formed from mono-crystalline silicon wafer oriented along the crystallographic axis &#x3c;110&#x3e;; and wherein the spiral spring body includes at least one peripheral coating of a material having a thermal elastic constant different from that of the core of the spiral spring body so as to maintain the oscillator frequency an oscillator including the torque-restoring element substantially insensitive to variations of ambient temperature.

Silicon hairspring

A method of increasing concentricity in use of a spiral hairspring mechanical timepiece; the hairspring having an inner terminal end portion for engagement with a collet, an outer terminal end portion for engagement with a stud, a first limb portion extending from the inner terminal end portion towards the outer terminal end portion, and a stiffening portion positioned at the outer turn of the hairspring and having a cross-sectional second moment of area different to that of the first limb portion such that bending stiffness of the stiffening portion has a greater bending stiffness than the single limb portion. The method includes modifying cross-sectional second moments of an area of the first limb portion and the stiffening portion by minimizing a cost function throughout the amplitude of the rotation of hairspring in use, the cost function being correlated to the net concentricity of the hairspring.

Hairspring for a time piece and hairspring design for concentricity

A method of producing unitary formed silicon balance spring having an overcoil portion for regulation of a mechanical timepiece, said method including the steps of providing a silicon balance spring having a main body portion, and an outer portion for formation as an overcoil portion, wherein the outer portion extends radially outward from an outermost turn of the main body portion, and wherein said main body portion and said outer portion are integrally formed from a silicon based material and are formed in a co-planar configuration; moving said outer portion in a direction relative to and out of the plane of said main body portion, and in a direction towards over said main body portion and towards the plane of the main body portion; and providing a stress relaxation process to the balance spring so as to relieve internal stresses induced within the balance spring from step (ii); wherein upon movement of said outer portion into the plane of said main body portion, the outer portion is located in an overcoil configuration relative to said main body portion.

Silicon overcoil balance spring

A hairspring collet for a hairspring for interference engagement and an interference fit with the cylindrical outer surface of the staff of a balance wheel for a timepiece movement, the hairspring collet portion comprising a plurality of circumferentially extending elastically deformable interconnected arm portions, the arm portions forming an annulus having a central axis and providing an aperture therebetween, wherein each arm portion including a curved concave engagement portion for engagement with the outer surface of a staff of a balance wheel, wherein each engagement portion has substantially the same radius of curvature as each other and are equally spaced from the central axis at a first distance and wherein the first distance is less than the radius of the staff of the balance wheel; the engagement portions have a radius of curvature such that upon deformation of the arm portions and engagement with the outer surface of the staff the engagement portions substantially conform with the outer surface of the staff and an interference fit is formed therebetween, wherein stress induced from said interference fit is transferred and distributed from along the engagement portions to the arm portions adjacent the engagement portions and distributed therein; and wherein the interference fit of the engagement portions with the staff substantially prevents relative movement between the hairspring collet and the staff of the balance wheel upon application of load from a hairspring in use in a timepiece movement.

Stress-relief elastic structure of hairspring collet

An oscillator system () of a mechanical timepiece, comprising: at least one balance wheel () that is free to rotate about an axis; and at least one hairspring () connecting the at least one balance wheel () to a fixed point or to another balance wheel (), the hairspring () including: a first coil () connected to the at least one balance wheel (); and a second coil () connected to the fixed point or to the another balance wheel (); and a transition section () connecting the first coil () to the second coil (), wherein an approximately linear restoring torque for the at least one balance wheel () is primarily provided by elastic deformation of the transition section () and the coils (), in order to generate an oscillatory motion for the at least one balance wheel ().

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Hong Kong, China

Ho Ching