The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd

Blancpain Sa

Comadur Sa

Omega Sa

Pierpasquale Tortora

Simon Springer

Cédric Blatter

Michel Willemin

Jean-Jacques Born

Cédric Faure

Pascal Lagorgette

Pierry Vuille

Yvan Ferri

Cedric Nicolas

Bernat Monferrer

Vittorio Zanesco

Olga Reinauer

Alexis Boulmay

Julien Meier

Gregory Kissling

Jean-Claude Martin

Stewes Bourban

Baptiste Hinaux

Loïc Curchod

Nicolas Debaud

Nicolas Francois

Rocco Catanese

Cédric Nicolas

Michael Stalder

Nicolas François

Agnes Marlot Doerr

Cyrille Gernez

Dimitri Fostinis

Alexandros Mouskeftaras

Dario Greco

Agnès Marlot Doerr

Nicolas Cedric

Arnaud Maurel

Cédric Fauré

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 method for manufacturing a luminescent hand for a horological movement, preferably for a watch. The method includes providing a support comprising a light guide and structuring an emergent surface of the light guide so as to extract a maximum amount of light from the luminescent hand. The luminescent hand includes, over a lower face, a layer of luminescent material including one or more deposit(s) of fluorescent material, opposite a light source. The light source is laced at locations close to the axis of rotation or away from the axis of rotation but at a distance from the luminescent material. Thus, the light source is not placed on the luminescent hand.

Method for manufacturing luminescent hands

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

A watch includes a smart wristband and at least a smart screen arranged to be moved and disposed in a given location along the smart wristband. The smart wristband includes a wristband, a guide included in the wristband and extending along a length of the wristband, the guide being configured to guide processed data along the wristband to the smart screen, and a processing unit configured to transmit, via a second communication interface and the guide for transmission, the processed data to a first communication interface. The first communication interface includes a receiver of said smart screen. The receiver is configured to receive the processed data, and the guide is configured to ensure continuous transmission of the processed data by electromagnetic wave, acoustic wave, by electrical signals and/or by optical signals up to the receiver of the smart screen disposed at a given location along the wristband.

Watch with sliding display

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

An intermittent display mechanism for a timepiece includes a mobile component in motion, an energy source for supplying a light emission source coupled with a light guide, and light emission control means. The light emission control means includes a flexible body bearing a flexible piezoelectric film or coating coated in an electrically insulating shell and attached to a fixed structure and including a distal zone overhanging with respect to the structure, arranged to interfere mechanically, at periodic or random times, with the mobile component during the travel thereof and move away from the rest position thereof before starting vibration of the flexible body and the piezoelectric film or coating, which constitutes an energy source, to convert the mechanical energy supplied by the mobile component into electrical energy supplied to the light emission source.

Intermittent display mechanism for timepiece

A magnifying device () with multiple magnifications including: an outer shell () forming a body of revolution with an axis of revolution (X-X) and having an inner cavity (), a first lens () mounted at a first end () of said outer shell (), and a second lens () capable of moving between a retracted position and an extended position in which said second lens () is superimposed on said first lens () so as to change the optical characteristics of the magnifying device ().

Magnifying device with multiple magnifications

A moon phase display mechanism driven by a horological movement, this moon phase display mechanism including a transparent support provided with an upper face and a lower face which extends at a distance from the upper face, a representation of the Moon being transferred, for example by printing or by engraving, to one of the upper or lower faces of this transparent support, a substrate being disposed under the transparent support, at a distance therefrom, the moon phase display mechanism also including a shutter which is driven by drive means moved by the horological movement and which is arranged so as to displace between the transparent support and the substrate, the shutter and the substrate having display contrasts which are inverted relative to each other.

Moon phase display mechanism

A method for structuring a decorative or technical pattern in the thickness of an object made of an at least partially transparent amorphous, semi-crystalline or crystalline material, wherein the object is made of an at least partially transparent material including a top surface and a bottom surface which extends away from the top surface. The top or bottom surfaces is provided with a mask defining an opening whose outline corresponds to the profile of the pattern to be structured, the mask covering the top or bottom surface at the positions which are not to be structured. The pattern is structured with a mono- or multicharged ion beam through the opening of the mask, wherein the mechanical properties of the mask are sufficient to prevent the ions of the ion beam from etching the top or bottom surface at the positions where this top or bottom surface is covered by the mask.

Method for structuring a decorative of technical pattern in an object made of an at least partially transparent amorphous, semi-crystalline or crystalline material

An optical device including a transparent support provided with an upper face and a lower face which extends at a distance from the upper face, the transparent support forming a lens of plano-concave shape delimited on a first side by a planar surface, and delimited on a second side, opposite the first side, by a concave surface, the optical device also including a shutter which is disposed under the concave surface of the transparent support, at a distance therefrom, the optical device finally including a substrate disposed after the shutter.

Optical device allowing to create optical aesthetic and technical effects

A system and method to determine angular movement of an arbor integral with a crown of a watch, the arbor being rotatable on itself in a longitudinal direction. The system includes a rotating reflector mounted on the arbor, and two emitter/detector pairs disposed on either side of the reflector, each including a light source for illuminating the reflector, and a light detector for receiving the light reflected on the reflector and for generating an electrical signal representative of the reflected light. A processor processes the electrical signals, and determines a parameter relating to the angular movement of the arbor. The rotating reflector is a cylinder of revolution and light absorption points are made on the circumference of an external cylindrical surface. When the reflector rotates in a regular manner and in the same direction of rotation, the representative electrical signal generated by each detector has a sinusoidal shape.

System and method for determining at least one parameter relating to an angular movement of an arbor

A decorative item including an element made at least partly of a metallic, polymeric or ceramic based material and including a face visible to an observer, at least one light source external or internal to the element, the decorative item further includes at least one optical fibre embedded in the material of the element, the optical fibre serving as a guide for the light from the light source in order to produce, during use, a light effect on the visible face of the element. A method for manufacturing the decorative item is also disclosed.

Decorative item with a light effect

A mechanical or electromechanical timepiece including a watch case delimiting an internal volume, the watch case including a back delimiting the watch case at the bottom; a crystal closing the watch case at the top, the crystal defining a useful display aperture; a middle part connecting the back and the crystal to one another; a horological movement housed in the internal volume of the watch case; at least one hand for displaying information visible via a useful display aperture and rotated with respect to the watch case by the horological movement with at least one driving belt extending at least partially in the useful display aperture, the timepiece includes the internal volume of the watch case filled with a fluid wherein at least one driving belt is submerged, and wherein the driving belt is made of a material wherein the optical refractive index is equal or substantially equal to that of the fluid.

Mystery-drive mechanical or electromechanical timepiece

A moving indicator for an analogue display device, in particular for a timepiece. The indicator includes a multi-layer part including an opaque metal layer and a transparent light guide layer and forming a body and a head of the indicator. The head is centred relative to a rotational axis of the indicator and arranged to receive a luminous flux on the bottom face thereof. A fluorescent material is arranged on the transparent light guide layer at the head of the indicator to absorb at least part of said luminous flux and to re-emit a second luminous fluorescence flux in the transparent light guide layer. Other aspects comprise a set of indicators, a display device and a watch comprising one or more moving indicators.

Moving indicator for an analogue display device

A watch includes a control member which makes it possible to manage one or more electronic functions. The control member includes an optical guide, which extends between a proximal face and a distal face with respect to the middle. A light source is arranged such that it can illuminate the distal face through the optical guide, and an imaging device, including a photodetector, is arranged to capture an image of a portion of the finger of a user of the watch, when they touch the distal face. A processor generates commands based on signals generated by the photodetector, in the way of an optical mouse, for example, to make it possible for the user to browse in a menu displayed on a digital screen.

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Neuchatel, Switzerland

Pierpasquale Tortora