The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd

Eta Sa Manufacture Horlogere Suisse

Asulab S.a.

Lionel Paratte

Pierre-André Meister

Fabien Blondeau

André Zanetta

Jean-Jacques Born

Michel Willemin

Alexandre Haemmerli

Wilfried Noell

Donald William Corson

Gianni Di Domenico

Pascal Winkler

Lionel Tombez

Nicolas Golay

Jean-Luc Helfer

Yves Winkler

Jean-Claude Martin

Baptiste Hinaux

Francois Gueissaz

Toralf Scharf

Yves Petremand

Roland Bitterli

Dominique Lechot

Matthias Imboden

Jean-Philippe Rebeaud

Martin Bisig

Pierre Cusin

Thierry Conus

Christian Charbon

Yvan Ferri

Jérôme Favre

Christophe Germiquet

François Gueissaz

Laurent Nagy

Etienne Bornand

Mohammad Hussein Kahrobaiyan

Marc Lippuner

Alexandre Didier

Ahmad Odeh

Yves Pétremand

Alexandros Mouskeftaras

Georges-Andre Racine

Léonard Testori

René Rappo

Dominique Léchot

Jean-Phlippe Rebeaud

A rotary piezoelectric motor (), in particular for a timepiece, including a rotor () configured to rotate and actuate a mechanical device, and a stator () configured to rotate the rotor (), the stator () including a piezoelectric actuator provided with a resonator () arranged to perform an oscillatory motion, and a fixed element (). The resonator in a movable element () arranged at a distance from the fixed element () and connected to the fixed element (), the piezoelectric actuator being configured to move the movable element () against the rotor () to make it rotate, the movement of the movable element () making the rotor () rotate in a first direction.

Rotary piezoelectric motor, in particular for watchmaking

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 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

An inertial mass with adjustment of inertia and/or unbalance for a horological resonator, including a plurality of mobiles for adjusting inertia and/or unbalance, toothed or fluted, each mounted pivotably about a mobile axis with respect to a flange that the inertial mass includes, and with a centre of mass off-centre with respect to this mobile axis, each mobile cooperating by meshing with an inertia and/or unbalance adjustment crown, toothed or fluted, under a permanent constraint exerted by an elastic return force exerted by the crown and/or the mobile.

Horological resonator mechanism with inertial mass with adjustment of inertia and/or unbalance

A watch includes a striking mechanism, including an attached gong () and a hammer (), as well as a battery () and an integrated circuit () powered by the battery and configured to produce current pulses, and an electrodynamic actuator () which is connected to the integrated circuit and configured to receive said pulses, the actuator being integral with the hammer or connected to the hammer to generate in response to the pulses a movement of the hammer from a rest position thereof, the movement being able to actuate an impact of the hammer on the gong. The mechanism also includes a spring () connected to the hammer so as to return the hammer to its rest position after the impact. Depending on particular embodiments, the hammer undergoes one or more pre-oscillations before reaching the impact. The hammer and the gong may be provided with attracting magnets.

Watch with mechanical or electronic movement provided with a striking mechanism

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 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 self-winding watch includes a movement connected to a winding device of a barrel spring including an oscillating weight pivoting around an axis A, a reduction wheel train cooperating with the oscillating weight to transmit the torque to the barrel, a storage unit for electrical energy, a photovoltaic cell arranged to receive the ambient light and charge the electrical energy storage unit, a control circuit connected to the terminals of the electrical energy storage unit and a driver connected to the circuit and coupled to the oscillating weight to displace it. The electrical energy storage unit, the control circuit an d the driver are integrated to the oscillating weight.

Self-winding watch

Watch comprising a movement, with a timepiece balance wheel comprising a ring distinct from the balance rim, carried by a flange with respect to which this ring is movable in rotation to modify the position of inertia blocks elastically carried by the flange, each able to be indexed in different stable angular positions corresponding to a different inertia of the timepiece balance wheel, the movement further including an operating member movable between coupled and uncoupled positions which includes a stop means for immobilizing the rim in a coupled position, and a control means for rotating the ring to modify the position of the inertia blocks in the coupled position, the watch including a crown controlling the control means, a rotating coupling ring controlling the coupling/uncoupling of the operating member through contactless interaction with an external adjustment tool.

Timepiece mechanism with adjustable inertia balance wheel

Watch comprising a movement, with a balance comprising a ring distinct from the balance rim, elastically fixed to a flange with respect to which this ring is movable in rotation to modify the position of inertia blocks elastically carried by the flange, each able to be indexed in different stable angular positions corresponding to a different inertia of the balance, the movement including an operating member movable between coupled and uncoupled positions which includes a stop means for immobilizing the rim in a coupled position, and a control means for rotating the ring to modify the position of the inertia blocks in the coupled position, the watch including a crown controlling the control means, a rotating coupling ring controlling the coupling/uncoupling of the operating member through contactless interaction with an external adjustment tool.

A microsystem for setting the rate of a timepiece oscillator, including a wheel/inertia block including an off-center unbalance and a toothing and arranged to pivot with respect to a base plate of the microsystem, which includes an actuator driving a first active click arranged to drive the toothing, and includes a device for stopping the toothing in position, wherein the actuator is a thermomechanical actuator arranged to convert a flow of light energy into a displacement of a distal end of the thermomechanical actuator, which carries a first active click or directly controls a movement of a first active click, and the microsystem is capable of incorporation in a watch including a crystal transparent to predetermined wavelengths ranges and allowing the passage of a light ray to regulate the microsystem.

Mechanism for regulating the rate of a timepiece oscillator

The micro-mechanical part, for example a horological movement part, includes a silicon core () all or part of the surface () of which is coated with a thick amorphous material (). This material is preferably silicon dioxide and has a thickness which is five times greater than the thickness of native silicon dioxide.

Reinforced micro-mechanical part

A device for the locking and unitary incrementation of a drive module () for a timepiece gear train is provided. The module () includes an actuator () fitted with an active click () cooperating with a toothed wheel (), and the device includes a first () and a second () finger cooperating with the toothed wheel (). The device is characterized in that the first finger () entirely locks the rotation of the toothed wheel () when it is engaged in one of the teeth of the toothed wheel (); and in that the second finger () is arranged between a first () and a second () stop member, wherein the space between the stop members () limits the angular travel of the toothed wheel () when the second finger () is engaged in one of the teeth of the toothed wheel ().

Locking mechanism for timepiece drive module

The invention proposes an arrangement for the mechanical interfacing of a micromotor of the MEMS type with a toothed wheel in which the micromotor is produced in the upper layer of a plate made of crystalline or amorphous material and comprises at least one actuator which drives a rotor in rotation, characterised in that a pinion, coaxial with the rotor and arranged above the rotor, is connected in rotation to the rotor by means of at least one pin which is received in an associated housing and in that the pinion meshes with the toothed wheel.

Arrangement for the mechanical interfacing of a MEMS micromotor with a clock wheel and timepiece comprising this arrangement

Growing community of inventors

Neuchatel, Switzerland

Lionel Paratte