Abstract: Method for press-rolling a mainspring, from a wire comprising a pre-formed eye, utilising a roller press comprising a first support and guide means exerting a force on the wire in a first contact area located between a second and a third contact area comprised in a second and a third support and guide means, in order to wind, beyond the eye, an accumulation area with an opposite curvature to that of the eye, and wherein, as the wire advances, the position of the first contact area is gradually moved away from the second and third contact areas, to vary the press-rolling radius from a first minimum value to a second maximum value at a neck junction between the accumulation area and the eye.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for heat treatment of an austenitic steel of the High Nitrogen Steel or austenitic HNS type, or of an austenitic steel of the High Interstitial Steel or austenitic HIS type, said austenitic HNS or austenitic HIS containing precipitates of nitrides, carbides or carbonitrides of chromium and/or of molybdenum, this method comprising the step which consists, after machining the austenitic HNS or austenitic HIS containing the precipitates, in redissolving the precipitates by bringing the austenitic HNS or austenitic HIS to its austenitizing temperature, then cooling the austenitic HNS or austenitic HIS sufficiently rapidly to avoid the re-formation of precipitates. The invention also concerns different heat treatment methods allowing chromium and/or molybdenum nitride, carbide or carbonitride type precipitates to appear in an austenitic HNS or austenitic HIS.

Abstract: Economical method for manufacturing a timepiece display or hand-fitting component, wherein: there is chosen a first material which is easy to shape or to machine; a workpiece is made in the first material; a second material is chosen to make each aesthetical and/or visible surface of component, which is an amorphous metal alloy or has a nanocrystalline structure or includes nickel or nickel-phosphorus, or which is a pure metal or an alloy of gold and/or silver and/or copper and/or rhodium and/or titanium and/or aluminium; the workpiece is coated, at least on the surfaces intended to remain visible on the component, with a thick layer, of an initial thickness greater than 20 micrometres, of the second material; at least one aesthetical and/or visible surface, is diamond tool machined, removing all or part of the thick layer.

Abstract: Economical method for manufacturing a timepiece display or hand-fitting component: a casing material is chosen for each visible surface: amorphous metal or nanocrystalline alloy or alloy of gold and/or silver and/or copper and/or rhodium and/or titanium and/or aluminium; a thick, hollow blank of a thickness greater than 20 micrometres is created in a first tool, from the casing material with an initial thickness greater than or equal to 50 micrometres, with an overthickness with respect to each visible surface, with a first cavity for reception of a support structure; an interior material is chosen to make a support structure; the support structure is made and joined to the first cavity; one visible surface remaining visible, is diamond tool machined, removing all or part of the overthickness from the blank.

Abstract: The invention relates to a timepiece assortment including a timepiece component fixed to an arbor with the aid of a fixing element. According to the invention, the fixing element is made of at least partially amorphous metal alloy, is secured to the timepiece component by partial insertion and includes a hole into which the arbor is driven.

Abstract: The invention relates to a timepiece assortment including a timepiece component fixed to an arbor with the aid of a fixing element. According to the invention, the fixing element is made of at least partially amorphous metal alloy, is secured to the timepiece component by partial insertion and includes a hole into which the arbor is driven.

Abstract: Method for fabrication of an antiferromagnetic and temperature compensated timepiece balance spring, including the steps of: selecting an amagnetic iron-chromium-nickel-manganese-beryllium compensating alloy, comprising, by mass percent, between and including: from 21.0% to 25.0% of manganese, from 9.0% to 13.0% of nickel, from 6.0% to 15.0% of chromium, from 0.2% to 2.0% of beryllium, the remainder iron, the total of nickel and manganese being higher than or equal to 33.0%, working the alloy to obtain a blank, shaping the blank by casting and/or forging and/or wire drawing and/or rolling and/or drawing, to obtain a blank of spring wire; winding the wire on a winder to obtain a balance spring, subjecting the spiral spring to at least a heat setting treatment, by annealing at a temperature comprised between 540° C. and 650° C., for a duration of 30 to 200 minutes, to obtain a balance spring.

Abstract: Method for improving an iron-nickel-chromium-manganese alloy for timepiece applications, particularly for producing a balance spring, where a base alloy is chosen and produced, comprising by mass: from 9.0% to 13.0% of nickel, from 4.0% to 12.0% of chromium, from 21.0% to 25.0% of manganese, from 0 to 5.0% of molybdenum and/or from 0 to 5.0% of copper the complement in iron, and a hardening of this alloy is effected whilst maintaining its anti-ferromagnetic properties, by introduction of carbon and of nitrogen interstitially, with, by proportion of mass of this base alloy: from 0.10% to 1.20% of carbon, and/or from 0.10% to 1.20% of nitrogen.

Abstract: A timepiece component comprising a dry, self-lubricating surface layer, consisting entirely of boric acid, having a thickness of 50 nanometres to 1 micrometre. A method for coating a timepiece component with a self-lubricating surface layer, including dissolving, at ambient temperature, boric acid H3BO3 granules or powder in a solvent chosen from among water, isopropanol, propanol, methanol, methyl propanol, glycol ethylene, glycerol, acetone, in a proportion of 0.01% to 1.0% by mass; mixing and agitating the solution; dipping the component to be coated in this solution; removing the component from the solution and allowing the liquid phase to evaporate, with the surface forming the surface layer kept away from any foreign bodies, until evaporation is complete; and repeating the dipping and evaporation steps until the desired layer thickness is obtained, from 10 nanometres to 1 micrometer, or more particularly from 50 nanometres to 1 micrometre.

Abstract: A timepiece component includes a core made of material suitable for electroforming, containing nickel-phosphorus or made of nickel-phosphorus, which core is, at least locally, coated with a surface layer of gold or gold alloy, to improve its tribological behaviour in areas including the surface layer of gold or gold alloy. The component is made by a fabrication method that includes the steps consisting in preparing a composition suitable for creating a solid core by a LIGA or electroforming method; shaping the solid core by a LIGA or electroforming method; coating the solid core, at least locally in areas subject to friction, with a gold or gold alloy surface layer.

Abstract: A timepiece mechanism including a pair of components with a first component including a material taken from a first group including solid monocrystalline, natural diamond, micro- or nano-crystalline CVD diamond, solid monocrystalline diamond, and amorphous carbon “DLC”, and having a first friction surface arranged to cooperate with a second friction surface included in a second opposing component and the second component includes, at least in its second friction surface, a material with a high concentration of boron, greater than 10 atomic percent, and, in a particular embodiment, this second opposing component includes at least one ceramic containing boron. Method for manufacturing such a mechanism. Method for transforming such a mechanism.

Abstract: Method for fabrication of a gold alloy wire: an alloy is prepared including from 33.33% to 45.83% Au, from 3.64% to 12.44% Zn, from 18.46% to 45.02% Cu, from 9.88% to 33.78% Ni, and from 0.0 to 5.0% of elements from among Ir, In, Ti, Si, Ga, Re, a continuous cast bar is produced, having a diameter of 8.0 to 20.0 mm, this bar is wire rolled while limiting the cross-section deformation to less than 20% per pass, preferably 13%, the cumulative deformation compared to the initial cross-section is measured, the wire rolling is stopped when the cumulative deformation reaches 60% to 75%, an anneal is performed, the wire rolling is started again and the wire rolling, measuring, annealing process is repeated until the desired cross-section is achieved, the intermediate product is drawn to obtain a section wire of circular cross-section.

Abstract: A timepiece escapement mechanism with improved tribology includes at least one pair of components including a first component and a second component respectively including a first friction surface and a second friction surface which are arranged to cooperate in contact with each other. The second friction surface includes at least one silicon-based material taken from a group including silicon, silicon dioxide, amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, porous silicon, or a mixture of silicon and silicon oxide. The first friction surface is formed by a surface of a solid element which is made of solid silicon nitride in a stoichiometric formulation Si3N4. A method for making the escapement mechanism is also provided.

Abstract: Utilisation of a single phase alloy with a face-centred cubic structure including at least copper and nickel, and including a total mass percentage of copper and nickel greater than or equal to 50%, for making an inner component for timepiece parts, this alloy including a mass proportion of copper greater than or equal to 50% and/or a mass proportion of nickel greater than or equal to 15.0% of the total mass in which case this alloy includes a mass proportion of manganese less than or equal to 2.0%. Method for fabrication of an inner component for timepiece parts which is of determined shape and dimensions, in which method there is taken a raw material made of such an alloy and this raw material is machined to obtain an inner component for timepiece parts with the finished dimensions corresponding to these determined shape and dimensions.

Abstract: A method for fabrication of a micromechanical part made of a one-piece synthetic carbon allotrope based material, the method including: forming a substrate with a negative cavity of the micromechanical part to be fabricated; coating the negative cavity of the substrate with a layer of the synthetic carbon allotrope based material in a smaller thickness than the depth of the negative cavity; and removing the substrate to release the one-piece micromechanical part formed in the negative cavity.

Abstract: A metal pivot pin includes at least one pivot at at least one of its ends, and the metal is an austenitic steel, an austenitic cobalt alloy, or an austenitic nickel alloy in order to limit a sensitivity of the pin to magnetic fields. At least an outer surface of the at least one pivot is hardened to a predetermined depth relative to the rest of the pin in order to harden the at least one pivot.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pivot pin for a timepiece movement including at least one pivot at at least one of the ends thereof, characterized in that said at least one pivot is formed of a composite material having a metallic matrix including at least one metal selected from among nickel, titanium, chromium, zirconium, silver, gold, platinum, silicon, molybdenum, aluminum or an alloy of the above metals, said matrix being charged with hard particles selected from among WC, TiC, TaC, TiN, TiCN, Al2O3, ZrO2, Cr2O3, SiC, MoSi2, Al N or a combination thereof, so as to limit the sensitivity of the pin to magnetic fields. The invention concerns the field of timepiece movements.

Abstract: Thermal treatment method for a micromechanical horological component derived from the LIGA method and exhibiting very low thermal inertia, said method including the step which consists in locally heating one area of the micromechanical horological component to increase hardness by local phase modification, the component being heated for a sufficiently short time that only the locally heated area is affected by the thermal treatment, the phase of the untreated portions of the component remaining unchanged.

Abstract: A timepiece spring, as a mainspring, made of austenitic stainless steel including a base formed of iron and chromium, thickness of the spring being less than 0.20 mm, and the spring including, by mass: chromium: minimum value 15%, maximum value 25%; manganese: minimum value 5%, maximum value 25%; nitrogen: minimum value 0.40%, maximum value 0.75%; carbon: minimum value 0.10%, maximum value 1.00%; the total (C+N) carbon and nitrogen content between 0.40% and 1.50% by mass; the carbon-to nitrogen ratio (C/N) by mass between 0.125 and 0.550; impurities and additional metals with the exception of iron: minimum value 0%, maximum value 12.0%; iron: the complement to 100%.

Abstract: A micromechanical component for a timepiece movement including a metal body formed using a single material. The single material is of high-interstitial austenitic steel type including at least one non-metal as the interstitial atom in a proportion between 0.15% and 1.2% with respect to total mass of the material.