Abstract: A barrel (1) for self-winding timepiece including a drum (11) provided with an inner lateral wall (12) and a mainspring (2) forming a winding including an outer coil (21) the end (22) of which is friction coupled with the inner lateral wall and free to slip against the inner lateral wall in the event of overtension of the mainspring (2). The end of the outer coil includes an external face (23) having two friction surfaces (24, 25) disposed in the top and bottom portion of the outer coil and arranged to be in contact with the inner lateral wall in such a way that the portion between the friction surfaces, referred to as central portion (26), is not in contact with the inner lateral wall, the central portion forming a reservoir (27) for a lubricant between the two friction surfaces.

Abstract: A balance for a horological movement includes rigid portions consisting of a hub defining the pivot axis of the balance, a felloe, four arms connecting the felloe to the hub, and including four slots for receiving and gripping in position an inertia-block, each slot being delimited by an arm and by an elastic arm including a first end integral with the arm, and a second distal end free in relation to the hub, to the arm, and to the felloe sector. The balance includes two pairs of inertia-blocks, each pair of inertia-blocks having different masses to ensure different adjusting powers, a first pair of inertia-blocks for a basic adjustment, and second pair of inertia-blocks for a precise adjustment.

Abstract: A platinum alloy consisting, by weight, of the following elements: 95.00 to 96.00% of Pt, 1.00 to 4.95% of Ru, 0.05 to 2.00% of Ge, 0 to 2.00% of Au, any impurities with a total content?0.50%.

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 spiral timepiece spring with a two-phase structure, made of a niobium and titanium alloy, and method for manufacturing this spring, including: producing a binary alloy containing niobium and titanium, with: niobium: the remainder to 100%; titanium: strictly greater than 60% and less than or equal to 85% by mass of the total, traces of components from among O, H, C, Fe, Ta, N, Ni, Si, Cu, Al; applying deformations alternated with heat treatments until a two-phase microstructure is obtained comprising a solid solution of niobium with ?-phase titanium and a solid solution of niobium with ?-phase titanium, the ?-phase titanium content being greater than 10% by volume, wire drawing to obtain wire able to be calendered; calendering or insertion into a ring to form a mainspring, in a double clef shape before it is wound for the first time, or winding to form a balance spring.

Abstract: A receptacle (10) for receiving a horological assembly (1) and handling same on a setting machine (1000), this receptacle (10) is a support which includes, for receiving such an assembly (1), a substantially planar bearing surface (190), and which includes, below the bearing surface (190), a spring mechanism (180) for receiving such an assembly (1), and, above said bearing surface (190), locking wedges (102) of such an assembly (1), and, between the bearing surface and the locking wedges (102), angular orientation means (103) for the angular orientation in abutment pressure of an edge of such an assembly (1) on this support.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a spiral spring for a balance wheel made of an alloy of niobium and titanium with an essentially single-phase structure, and the method of manufacture thereof which comprises: a step of producing a blank in a niobium-based alloy consisting of: niobium: balance to 100 wt %, titanium: between 40 and 49 wt %, traces of elements selected from the group consisting of O, H, C, Fe, Ta, N, Ni, Si, Cu, Al, between 0 and 1600 ppm by weight individually, and cumulatively less than 0.

Abstract: A balance for a horological movement, including rigid parts including a hub defining the pivot axis of the balance, a felloe sector, at least one arm connecting the felloe sector to the hub, and including a slot for receiving and gripping an inertia-block in position, the slot opening into a housing delimited on the one hand by a rigid part of the balance, and on the other hand an elastic arm including a first end integral with a rigid part of the balance, and a second free distal end. The elastic arm has a hook-shaped body, the free distal end of the hook being parallel to a part of the balance having a rigidity greater than or equal to that of the elastic arm.

Abstract: A component intended to be in friction contact with another component, the component being coated with an electrically conductive layer in one piece, at least partially covering every surface of the component, the friction occurring on at least one of these surfaces, called the functional surface, the functional surface being surrounded by a plurality of side surfaces, the component having on its functional surface a texture formed of a succession of troughs coated with the electrically conductive layer, the troughs each extending between two side surfaces such that the electrically conductive layer remains in one piece over the component despite the wear caused by friction on the functional surface. The invention also relates to the method for manufacturing the component by the DRIE (deep reactive ion etching) process, wherein surface defects on the sides machined by the DRIE process are used to form the troughs.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a spiral spring for a balance wheel made of an alloy of niobium and titanium with an essentially single-phase structure, and the method of manufacture thereof which comprises: a step of producing a blank in a niobium-based alloy consisting of: niobium: balance to 100 wt %, titanium: between 40 and 49 wt %, traces of elements selected from the group consisting of O, H, C, Fe, Ta, N, Ni, Si, Cu, Al, between 0 and 1600 ppm by weight individually, and cumulatively less than 0.

Abstract: A horological setting and/or adjustment mechanism, including a setting and/or adjustment module (400) for a horological setting machine (1000), for making a setting and/or adjustment on a horological assembly (1), including an elastic clamp (600) with clamp arms (601) arranged to drive or deform a mobile component or a component of this assembly (1), the clamp (600) including a bearing portion (602) subjected to the action of an actuator, spindle (407), eccentric or push-piece, any deformation of this bearing portion (602) modifying the relative mutual position of the arms (601), and this setting and/or adjustment module (400) includes setting and/or adjustment means which include a plurality of motorised axes which are arranged to move, open and close, in a plane perpendicular to a clamp rotation direction (DF), a said clamp (600).

Abstract: A timepiece component for a timepiece movement and notably a pivot arbor of a regulating member of a mechanical timepiece movement, made of an alloy containing by weight: between 25% and 55% of palladium, between 25% and 55% of silver, between 10% and 30% of copper, between 0.5% and 5% of zinc, gold and platinum with a total percentage of these two elements comprised between 15% and 25%, between 0% and 1% of one or more elements chosen from among boron and nickel, between 0% and 3% of one or more elements chosen from among rhenium and ruthenium, no more than 0.1% of one or more elements chosen from among iridium, osmium and rhodium, and no more than 0.2% of other impurities, the respective quantities of the components being such that, added together, they do not exceed 100%.

Abstract: An elastic holding organ for fastening a timepiece component on a support element, including a rigid portion provided with an inner face including at least three deformable arms provided with free ends defining an opening into which the support element can be inserted, the arms being configured to perform a coupling with the support element by an elastic clamping in compression of this support element in the opening.

Abstract: A balance spring intended to equip a balance of a horological movement, wherein the balance spring is made of an alloy consisting of Nb, Ti, H and possible traces of other elements selected from O, C, Fe, N, Ni, Si, Cu and Al, with the following weight percentages: a Ti content comprised between 1 and 80 wt %, a H content comprised between 0.17 and 2 wt %, a total content of all other elements of less than or equal to 0.3 wt %, the remainder to 100 wt % consisting of Nb. A manufacturing method for the balance spring is also disclosed and includes a step of thermochemically treating a blank made of a Nb and Ti alloy in an atmosphere including hydrogen so as to enrich the Nb and Ti alloy with hydrogen in interstitial form.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a balance spring intended to equip a balance of a horological movement, including a step of producing a blank made of a niobium and hafnium alloy including between 5 and 60 wt %, preferably between 5 and 30 wt %, and more preferably between 8 and 12 wt % hafnium, a step of annealing and cooling the blank, at least one step of deforming the annealed blank in order to form a wire. The method includes, before the deformation step, a step of depositing, on the blank, a layer of a ductile material chosen from the group consisting of copper, nickel, cupronickel, cupro-manganese, gold, silver, nickel-phosphorus Ni—P and nickel-boron Ni—B, in order to facilitate the wire shaping operation. A balance spring can be produced by the manufacturing method.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an escapement wheel (10) including steps of creating an escapement wheel ébauche having a hub (11) connected to a felloe (12) by radial arms (13), and teeth (14) regularly distributed around the periphery of the felloe (12), and simultaneously machining a reduction of cross-section of the free end of each tooth (14), by a cutting tool (20) aligned coaxially with the escapement wheel ébauche.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a spiral spring may include: (a) providing a blank with an Nb—Ti core; (b) beta-quenching the blank; (c) deforming the blank in several sequences; (d) winding to form the spiral spring; (e) final heat treatment on the spiral spring. The blank in (a) may include a layer of X including Cu, Sn, Fe, Pt, Pd, Rh, Al, Au, Ni, Ag, Co and Cr or an alloy of one of these elements around the Nb—Ti core. The method may include heat treating to partially transform the layer of X into a layer of X, Ti intermetals around the Nb—Ti core, and may be carried out between (b) and (c) or between two sequences of (c). The method may include removing the part of the layer of X, which may be carried out between (b) and (c), between two sequences of (c) or between (c) and (d).

Abstract: A balance for a horological movement, including rigid parts constituted by a hub defining the pivot axis of the balance, at least one felloe sector, at least one arm connecting the at least one felloe sector to said hub, and including a slot for receiving and gripping in position an inertia-block, the slot opening into a housing delimited on the one hand by a rigid part of the balance, and on the other hand an elastic arm including a first end integral with a rigid part of the balance, and a second free distal end. The elastic arm can have a body of a non-constant section, a part of the body having a greater thickness than the rest of the elastic arm so as to have a larger volume of material under stress and store a maximum of elastic energy.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing metallic horological components includes the steps of forming a LIGA-UV type method a multi-level photosensitive resin mould and of galvanically depositing a layer of at least one metal using at least two conductive layers to form a block substantially reaching the top surface of the photosensitive resin.

Abstract: A spiral spring intended to equip a balance of a horological movement, wherein the spiral spring is made of an alloy consisting of Nb, Ti and at least one element selected from Zr and Hf, optionally at least one element selected from W and Mo, possible traces of other elements selected from O, H, Ta, C, Fe, N, Ni, Si, Cu, Al, with the following weight percentages: a content of Nb comprised between 40 and 84%, a total content of Ti, Zr and Hf comprised between 16 and 55%, a content for W and Mo respectively comprised between 0 and 2.5%, a content for each of said elements selected from O, H, Ta, C, Fe, N, Ni, Si, Cu, Al comprised between 0 and 1600 ppm with the sum of said traces less than or equal to 0.3% by weight. The method for manufacturing the spiral spring is also disclosed.