The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd

Simon Springer

Pierpasquale Tortora

Michel Willemin

Michel Sagardoyburu

Cédric Faure

Ahmad Odeh

Jean-Claude Martin

Stewes Bourban

Stephane Lauper

Pascal Grossenbacher

Loïc Curchod

Lionel Blaser

Cedric Faure

Cyrille Gernez

Vladislav Spassov

Yann Caloz

Jean-Jacques Born

Cedric Nicolas

Cédric Nicolas

Cédric Blatter

Stéphane Lauper

Cecile Barron

Christian Manasterski

Gerard Rossier

Elias Laforge

Gérard Rossier

Cécile Barron

Cédric Fauré

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 display device for displaying the weather on demand. The display device includes a first indicator member mobile and having a representation of the sun. This representation of the sun is totally or partially concealed by a concealing element that is located on a second mobile indicator member when the user requests it and in particular via a control unit.

Device for displaying the weather on demand

The present invention relates to a device () for displaying the moon for a timepiece on demand. The display device () including a first movable indicator member () and having a representation of the moon (). This representation of the moon () is completely or partially occulted by an occulting element () that is located on a second movable indicator member () when the user so requests and in particular via a control unit.

Device for displaying the moon on demand

A method for manufacturing a digital display device which includes an optically active medium disposed between at least one electrode and a corresponding counter-electrode, the optical properties of the optically active medium being modifiable by applying an electric current or voltage between the at least one electrode and the at least one corresponding counter-electrode, the digital display device including a transparent display surface through which at least one piece of information displayed by this digital display device is perceptible, the manufacturing method including the step of providing the transparent display surface of the digital display device with at least one first and one second decorative and/or functional pattern, the first pattern having a thickness different from that of the second pattern. A digital display device provided with at least one first and one second decorative and/or functional patterns whose thicknesses are not the same.

Method for manufacturing a digital display device and digital display device

A display device for a timepiece representing the lunar libration phenomenon thanks to at least one Moon disk, to at least one aperture and to at least one drive organ. The at least one Moon disk includes a set of Moon phase representations including at least three Moon phases with a first surface, a second surface and/or a delimitation configured to delimit this first surface and this second surface. The at least one aperture being configured to reveal this set of Moon phase representations and this at least one drive organ is configured to move this at least one Moon disk so as to represent the lunar libration phenomenon.

Rotary disk moon phase indicator

A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device including a reflective or transflective liquid crystal cell whose liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a planar or vertical manner, this liquid crystal cell being formed of a transparent front substrate located on the side of an observer, and a rear substrate, also transparent, which extends beneath the front substrate, parallel to and at a distance from the latter, these two front and rear substrates being joined to each other with a sealing frame which defines a sealed enclosure in which a liquid crystal composition is confined, the front and rear substrates being coated on their opposite faces with electrically conductive transparent electrodes and counter-electrodes, the optical properties of the liquid crystal composition being modified by application of an electric field at the point of intersection between an electrode and a corresponding counter-electrode.

Method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal display device

A method for manufacturing a reflective or transflective liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal cell whose liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a planar or vertical manner, this liquid crystal cell being formed of a transparent front substrate located on the side of an observer, and a rear substrate, also transparent, which extends under the front substrate, parallel to and at a distance from the latter, these two front and rear substrates being joined together with a sealing frame which delimits a sealed enclosure in which a liquid crystal composition is confined, the front and rear substrates being coated on the opposite faces thereof with electrically conductive transparent electrodes and counter-electrodes, the optical properties of the liquid crystal composition being changed by applying an electric field at the crossing point between an electrode and a corresponding counter-electrode.

Method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device and liquid crystal display device

A display mechanism of a watch including at least one indicator member and a drive member assembly. The indicator member is mounted to rotate about a first axis of rotation and is configured to indicate a time. The indicator member also has a second axis of rotation extending along the indicator member and a rotary element mounted to rotate about the second axis of rotation. The drive assembly includes a first drive member and a second drive member such that the first drive member drives the rotary element when it is moving about the first axis of rotation.

Hand rotating around two axes

A method for producing metal decorations on a curved dial made of insulating material includes forming, by a method of the LIGA-UV type, a mould made of photosensitive resin and of galvanically depositing a layer of at least one metal from the conductive layer in order to form a block substantially reaching the upper surface of the photosensitive resin.

Method for producing a metal decoration on a dial and dial obtained according to this method

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

The invention relates to a method for decorating a timepiece component comprising: According to the invention, at least step b) and step c) are achieved by a physical vapour deposition method.

Method for decorating a timepiece component

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.

Zirconia covering element with selective coloring

A method for assembling a stone on a setting support, the stone being cut to exhibit a table, a crown, a girdle and a pavilion. A substrate with a recess for the stone, the recess forming, between the substrate and the stone, a peripheral free space in the vicinity of the girdle and of the zones of the crown and of the pavilion contiguous to the girdle, the peripheral free space including a bottom having a conductive surface. Electroplating, in the peripheral free space, a metal layer in the vicinity of the girdle and of the zones of the crown and of the pavilion contiguous to the girdle, so as to confine the girdle in the metal layer to form, around the girdle, the setting support. The stone and its setting support are released from the substrate.

Method for crimping a stone

A method for assembling a stone on to a mounting includes sinking the stone into an adhesive layer on a substrate and then positioning a setting sheet around the stone above the adhesive layer so as to form a peripheral free space between the setting sheet and the stone, at least at the level of the girdle and of areas of the crown and the pavilion adjacent to the girdle. Then, a metallic layer is deposited in the peripheral free space from the setting sheet, at least at the level of the girdle and of the areas of the crown and the pavilion adjacent to the girdle, such that the metallic layer and the setting sheet form the mounting.

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Bern, Switzerland

Simon Springer