The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd

Loïc Curchod

Simon Springer

Michel Willemin

Cedric Faure

Pierpasquale Tortora

Michel Sagardoyburu

Cédric Faure

Pierry Vuille

Yvan Ferri

The invention relates to a timepiece including, in addition to a crystal (), the following external elements: a back (), a middle (), a dial () and two bracelet strands (), at least one of these external elements comprising at least one part made of an at least partially transparent or translucent ceramic material, the timepiece further including at least two point light sources () releasing heat, each light source () being capable of being separately switched on/off and being disposed in or directly beneath said at least one external element comprising the ceramic material, each light source () producing light that passes through the ceramic material of said external element, and wherein each light source () is configured to produce localised light on a point or quasi-point area () of the ceramic material of the external element concerned, so as to produce localised illumination on said external element.

Timepiece with localized illumination

Provided is a timepiece including, in addition to a crystal, the following external elements: a back (), a middle part (), a dial (), and two bracelet strands (), at least one of these external elements includes a body formed of a first portion made of a first opaque material and of a second portion made of a second partially transparent or translucent material. The first material being integral with the second material and the timepiece also includes at least one light source () producing light which passes through the second portion made of a partially transparent or translucent ceramic material comprising zirconia.

Timepiece comprising an external element provided with a zirconia portion

A liquid crystal display device, the display device including: two facing transparent substrates designated respectively front substrate and rear substrate, the front substrate being same disposed on the observer side, the front and rear substrates being provided on the inner faces thereof with transparent structured electrodes whereof the superposition defines shape pixels switchable between two optical states, the electrodes being connected to a voltage source via a control circuit, forming a cell closed by a sealing frame for receiving in the spaced delimited by the substrates and the sealing frame a liquid crystal composition; and a decorative pattern in direct contact with the front substrate or the rear substrate.

Liquid crystal display device with decorative pattern directly aligned with transparent structured electrodes

Liquid crystal display device with decorative pattern directly thereon

A method for depositing a decorative and/or functional layer on at least a portion of a surface of a finished or semi-finished article made of a non-conductive ceramic material, this deposition method includes the following operations: subjecting the at least a portion of the surface of the article to a carburising or nitriding treatment during which carbon, respectively nitrogen atoms, diffuse in the at least a portion of the surface of the article, then depositing, by galvanic growth of a metallic material, the decorative and/or functional layer on at least a portion of the surface of the article which has undergone the carburising or nitriding treatment.

Method for depositing a decorative and/or functional metal layer on a surface of an article made of an electrically non-conductive ceramic material

The present invention concerns a method for obtaining a finished or semi-finished zirconia-based article, the surface of the article having a metallic external appearance and non-zero surface electrical conductivity, wherein the method includes the steps of:

Method for obtaining a zirconia-based article having a metallic appearance

An external element made from a first material for a wearable object, the first material being an insulating ceramic, wherein a surface of the external element is at least partially treated to include at least one conversion with an electrical conductivity.

External element made of zirconia with selectively conductive zones for electronic applications

An external element of a timepiece or a piece of jewelry includes a body made of an insulating ceramic material, the body including a housing, a wireless communication system disposed in the housing, and at least one part of a surface of the external element includes a layer of metallic visual appearance, the layer being obtained by carburization, nitridation, or a combination of carburization, nitridation.

External element of metallic appearance having an integral communication system

The present invention concerns a method for obtaining a finished or semi-finished zirconia-based article (), the article having a metallic external appearance and non-zero surface electrical conductivity, characterized in that the method includes the steps consisting in:

Method for obtaining a carbonitrided zirconia-based article

The present invention relates to a covering element for a portable object made of a first material, the first material being a ceramic material having a first color, characterized in that the surface of said covering element is at least partially treated so as to exhibit at least one conversion having a different color from the first color.

Growing community of inventors

Lausanne, Switzerland

Loïc Curchod