The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd

Montres Breguet S.a.

Blancpain Sa

Jerome Favre

Gianni Di Domenico

Dominique Lechot

Baptiste Hinaux

Jean-Jacques Born

Jean-Luc Helfer

Pascal Winkler

Olivier Matthey

Davide Sarchi

Pierre Cusin

Michel Willemin

Alex Gandelhman

Laurent Klinger

Patrick Ragot

Marc Stranczl

Cedric Nicolas

Polychronis Nakis Karapatis

Nakis Karapatis

Benoit Legeret

Fanel Piccini

Younes Kadmiri

Sylvain Marechal

Mehdi Denden

Agnes Marlot Doerr

Ahmad Odeh

Fabio Sciascia

Alain Delizee

Maude Spaetti

Gilles Duvoisin

Method for adjusting the rate of a basic oscillator of a watch arranged to oscillate at a nominal frequency N0, with a master oscillator generating an excitation frequency NE approximately equal to an integer multiple of this nominal frequency N0, the master oscillator subjecting the watch to excitation or a modulated motion during a transition phase after which the basic oscillator is stabilised at the excitation frequency NE, and a state of display correction method with a winder for mechanical or automatic watches, moving a support carrying the watch and comprising a state of display correction oscillator, having a lower variation of rate value than the initial variation of rate value DI of this basic oscillator, and oscillating at a correction frequency NC to impose oscillation or a motion on the watch, during a state of display correction phase whose duration is adjusted to exactly correct a state of display error measured at the initial moment of actuation.

Device and method for adjusting the rate and correcting the state of display of a watch

A universal device is for preparation of a watch with a gain/loss correction crown and an oscillating resonator. The device includes winding and a gain/loss corrector with a robotic manipulator for manoeuvring the crown. It also includes an adjustment device with a gain/loss correction device including a gain/loss-corrector oscillator generating an oscillation to subject the watch to an oscillation at a correction frequency NC and/or to a modulated movement. The gain/loss correction device includes a gain/loss controller that controls the oscillation of the gain/loss-corrector oscillator, interfaced with a device to measure the gain/loss of the watch. The gain/loss correction device also includes an automatic winder with a watch-holder stand subjected to the oscillations or movements generated by the gain/loss-corrector oscillator.

Universal device for the preparation of a watch

A striking watch is provided with an acoustic radiating membrane made of metallic material or amorphous metal. The membrane takes the form of a loop with walls of a certain thickness to be connected by a first edge portion to a middle part of a watch case and by a second edge portion to a bezel fixed to a watch crystal. The bezel connected to crystal is movable with respect to the case middle via the membrane during the vibration of membrane once a sound is generated by a watch striking mechanism in the watch case. The membrane is configured with a wall of a specific thickness in an active region dependent on the mass of the bezel connected to the crystal, to obtain a frequency fof a first vibration mode.

Striking or musical watch provided with at least one acoustic radiating membrane and method for manufacturing the membrane

An oscillator includes a resonator, which has an inertial mass returned by an elastic return and carries entry and exit pallets cooperating with teeth of an escape wheel each provided with a magnet. Each pallet includes a magnetic arrangement, with an annular sector, centred on the axis of oscillation of the resonator, defining a first magnetic barrier area extending above and/or below a mechanical pallet-stone of the entry pallet or exit pallet, over the entire length of this mechanical pallet-stone acting as support for the teeth during the supplementary arc, in order to form a magnetic cylinder escapement mechanism.

Optimised magneto-mechanical timepiece escapement mechanism

A method for making a flexure bearing for an oscillator with an inertial element oscillating in a plane supported by flexible strips fixed to a stationary support returning it to a rest position includes: forming the bearing with basic strips in superposed levels, each having an aspect ratio of less than 10; breaking down the number of basic levels into a plurality of sub-units, each including one or two strips joining a basic support and a basic inertial element, which are made by etching substrates; assembling the sub-units by joining their basic inertial elements; and fixing the basic supports to the support, directly or via translational tables along one or two in-plane translational degrees of freedom, of lower translational stiffness than that of the sub-unit.

Method for making a flexure bearing mechanism for a mechanical timepiece oscillator

A timepiece movement, including a mechanism including an inertial element arranged to oscillate or pivot about a first axis of pivoting relative to a structure of the movement, and arranged to cooperate directly or indirectly with an energy distribution wheel set that pivots relative to the structure about a second axis of pivoting parallel to or coincident with the first axis of pivoting and subjected to a torque exerted by an energy source, wherein the energy distribution wheel set meshes directly or indirectly with at least one inertia wheel set that pivots about a third axis of pivoting relative to the structure, each inertia wheel set is arranged to pivot in the opposite direction to the energy distribution wheel set, and the total inertia of the inertia wheel sets is between 60% and 140% of the inertia of the energy distribution wheel set.

Timepiece oscillator insensitive to angular acceleration caused by wear

The striking or musical watch includes a watch case having a case middle and a back attached to the case middle in a sealed manner and in a detachable manner, a glass closing the case in a sealed manner, a watch movement or a watch electronic module retained in the interior of the watch case and equipped with a sonic vibration generator to be activated during specific periods in order to produce a sound or music. The watch includes at least one acoustic radiation membrane made at least in part of wood or a wood composite material and attached to a part of the case in order to radiate the sound produced by the sonic vibration generator towards the exterior of the case.

Acoustic radiation membrane, and striking watch equipped with the acoustic membrane

Isochronous pivot for a resonator including two flexible strips joining attachment points of a first and a second element, defining two strip directions, and a pivot axis, at the intersection of their projections or at their intersection, each strip having a free length between its attachment points, and an axial distance between the pivot axis and the attachment point thereof farthest from the axis, the attachment point ratio X=D/L being greater than one for each strip, the strip directions defining with the axis a first apex angle whose value in degrees is comprised between f1(X)=108+67/(10X&#x2212;6), and f2(X)=113+67/(10X&#x2212;6).

Isochronous pivot for timepiece resonators

A method for adjusting the rate of a watch with an oscillator arranged to generate oscillation at a nominal frequency N0, with a servo-system including a master oscillator arranged to generate excitation oscillation at an excitation frequency NE, which is approximately equal to, or equal to the nominal frequency N0, or to an integer multiple of this nominal frequency N0, the watch is subjected to excitation oscillation or to a modulated motion, generated by the master oscillator, during a transition phase after which the oscillator of the watch is stabilised at excitation frequency NE, and there is incorporated in the servo-system a winder for mechanical or automatic watches, arranged to move a support on which such a watch is fixed.

Device and method for adjusting the rate of a watch

A mechanical timepiece oscillator includes, between a support and an inertial element, a flexure bearing with flexible strips crossed in projection, including, superposed, an upper level that includes, between an upper support and an upper inertial element, an upper primary strip in a first direction and an upper secondary strip in a second direction, and a lower level that includes, between a lower support and a lower inertial element, a lower primary strip in the first direction and a lower secondary strip in the second direction. The upper level and lower level include, between the support and the upper or respectively lower support, a translational table with an elastic connection along one or two axes of freedom in the oscillation plane, of lower stiffness than that of each flexible strip.

Timepiece oscillator with flexure bearings having a long angular stroke

An isochronous pivot for a resonator including two flexible strips joining attachment points of a first and a second element, defining two strip directions, and a pivot axis, at the intersection of their projections or at their intersection, each strip having a free length between its attachment points, and an axial distance between the pivot axis and the attachment point thereof farthest from the axis, the attachment point ratio X=D/L being greater than one for each strip, the strip directions defining with the axis a first apex angle whose value in degrees includes between f(X)=108+67/(10X&#x2212;6), and f(X)=113+67/(10X&#x2212;6).

A mechanical timepiece oscillator including, between a first element and a second inertial element, more than two distinct flexible strips returning the inertial element to a rest position in an oscillation plane, wherein the projections of these strips cross each other, at a point, through which passes the axis of pivoting of the second solid inertial element, and the height to thickness aspect ratio is less than 10 for each strip.

A mechanical timepiece oscillator includes, between a first element and a second inertial element, two distinct flexible strips returning the inertial element to a rest position in an oscillation plane, the projections of these strips crossing each other, in the rest position, at a point, through which passes the pivoting axis of the second solid inertial element, the embedding points of the strips in the first element and the second inertial element defining two directions in which each strip has a free length between its embedding points, and an axial distance between the pivoting axis and the farthest of its embedding points, and, for each strip, the embedding point ratio is comprised between 0 and 1, and the vertex angle at the crossing point of the directions of the strips is less than 70&#xb0;.

A method for manufacturing a flexible strip, including forming a plate of the required thickness with one or more micromachinable substrate wafers; affixing, on either side of the plate, an upper mask with an upper window and a lower mask with a lower window, of identical geometry; etching the plate, at least to mid-thickness, from the upper side of each upper etching window, and from the side of each lower etching window; removing the upper mask and the lower mask, to delimit a flexible strip having a height equal to the thickness of the plate, and whose edges are as-etched. A flexible strip made of micromachinable material, including, between two parallel upper and lower surfaces, two peripheral, tapered and reverse-tapered edge surfaces, for a flexible pivot, a resonator, a movement or a watch.

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Neuchatel, Switzerland

Jerome Favre