Abstract: The horological movement includes a mechanical resonator and an escapement including an escapement wheel, which has a plurality of teeth, and an anchor formed by a stick and two arms having respectively two mechanical pallets likely to come into contact, when the anchor is subject to an alternative movement, with any of the teeth according to the angular position of the escapement wheel. To avoid damage to the escapement during rocking of the anchor while the escapement wheel is positioned in an unfavourable angular position, the anchor is arranged, during the rocking of this anchor, to be able to bend being subjected to an elastic deformation. The anchor has an elastic capacity between each of the two mechanical pallets and a fork of the anchor, enabling it to absorb elastically, during the elastic deformation, a maximum mechanical energy that the mechanical resonator can have during the normal functioning of the horological movement.

Abstract: A detent escapement includes an escape wheel with teeth regularly spaced along a perimeter and a balance having an impulse pallet and receiving driving impulses via the teeth, the balance performing an alternation during which it receives a driving impulse and an alternation without a driving impulse, the detent escapement also including a hook pivotally mounted on the balance and held bearing by an elastic member against an abutment, the detent escapement including a pivotable detent which includes a first arm which collaborates with the escape wheel to block the latter before the start of the driving impulse, as well as a second arm to allow the escape wheel to disengage from its engagement with the first arm at the start of the driving impulse, and which limits the pivoting of this detent to only part of the oscillation of the balance, the detent being configured to again block the escape wheel after the latter has finished providing the driving impulse to the impulse pallet of the balance.

Abstract: A horological movement includes an escapement with a magnetic system to generate magnetic force impulses, so as to sustain the oscillation of the mechanical resonator associated with the escapement. In order to make possible an effective self-starting of the assembly formed of the mechanical resonator and of the escapement during a winding of the barrel, after a stop of the horological movement due to the unwound barrel spring, the escape wheel includes teeth and the pallet assembly includes two mechanical pallet-stones arranged to receive, upon starting, at least one mechanical force impulse of the escape wheel via one of the teeth thereof, the mechanical force impulse generating a starting force torque on the pallet assembly that is transmitted to the balance of the mechanical resonator to begin an oscillation of the latter so that the assembly can operate normally after a starting phase.

Abstract: A timepiece movement includes a magnetic escapement formed of a magnetic escape wheel with an annular magnetized structure and a pallet fork whose shaft is formed by a ferromagnetic material. The pallet shaft exerts on the escape wheel a magnetic disturbance torque due to the fact that the annular magnetized structure exhibits an angular variation of at least one defining physical parameter thereof, such that the magnetic attraction varies as a function of the angular position of the escape wheel and has a tangential component. A magnetic compensation pin is incorporated in the timepiece movement, this magnetic compensation pin being arranged such that the second magnetic disturbance torque that it exerts on the escape wheel exhibits an angular phase shift relative to the first magnetic disturbance torque generated by the pallet shaft, so as to compensate largely for this first magnetic disturbance torque.

Abstract: The timepiece includes a tourbillon including a carriage that bears a sprung balance and a magnetic escapement device, the latter including an escape wheel set, formed of an annular magnetic structure, and a magnetic element coupled with the magnetic structure and having an oscillating movement that is synchronous with the oscillation of the mechanical resonator. The mechanical escapement is arranged so as to have alternately energy accumulation phases, from a conversion of mechanical energy supplied by the barrel into magnetic potential energy in the magnetic escapement, and transfer phases of energy accumulated in the magnetic escapement to the magnetic resonator. During the energy transfer phases, the magnetic element is subjected to a magnetic force such that the magnetic escapement then converts into mechanical energy magnetic potential energy accumulated in the preceding energy accumulation phase to be able to maintain the oscillation of the mechanical resonator.

Abstract: A timepiece striking mechanism including a mechanism for controlling a hammer arranged to strike a resonant component in an impact position, and movable within a working zone between a recoil and rest position and this impact position, this mechanism includes a device for limiting recoil of the hammer after impact, formed either by eddy current braking means arranged to brake the hammer when it enters a back zone, connected and contiguous to the working zone and opposite the impact position, and/or by mechanical friction and/or elastic return means integral with the hammer or an anchor-piece integral with the hammer, and arranged for friction and/or abutting engagement with a moving braking component or a surface of a fixed part of the striking mechanism.

Abstract: A detent escapement includes an escape wheel with teeth regularly spaced along a perimeter and a balance having an impulse pallet and receiving driving impulses via the teeth, the balance performing an alternation during which it receives a driving impulse and an alternation without a driving impulse, the detent escapement also including a hook pivotally mounted on the balance and held bearing by an elastic member against an abutment, the detent escapement including a pivotable detent which includes a first arm which collaborates with the escape wheel to block the latter before the start of the driving impulse, as well as a second arm to allow the escape wheel to disengage from its engagement with the first arm at the start of the driving impulse, and which limits the pivoting of this detent to only part of the oscillation of the balance, the detent being configured to again block the escape wheel after the latter has finished providing the driving impulse to the impulse pallet of the balance.

Abstract: A magnetic device for centring a shaft on a predetermined axis in a clockwork movement includes at least one first magnetic bearing provided with a magnet to exert an attractive force on a first ferromagnetic end pivot of the shaft. The first magnetic bearing includes a central part made of soft ferromagnetic material mounted between the magnet and the first end pivot of the shaft. The central part is positioned centrally in a washer made of non-magnetic material so as to centre the magnetic field flux generated by the permanent magnet through the central part in order to magnetically attract the first end pivot of the shaft on the predetermined axis. The diameter of the central part can be identical to, or 0 to 20% less than, or 0 to 20% greater than, the diameter of the first end pivot.

Abstract: The horological movement includes a mechanical resonator and an escapement including an escapement wheel, which has a plurality of teeth, and an anchor formed by a stick and two arms having respectively two mechanical pallets likely to come into contact, when the anchor is subject to an alternative movement, with any of the teeth according to the angular position of the escapement wheel. To avoid damage to the escapement during rocking of the anchor while the escapement wheel is positioned in an unfavourable angular position, the anchor is arranged, during the rocking of this anchor, to be able to bend being subjected to an elastic deformation. The anchor has an elastic capacity between each of the two mechanical pallets and a fork of the anchor, enabling it to absorb elastically, during the elastic deformation, a maximum mechanical energy that the mechanical resonator can have during the normal functioning of the horological movement.

Abstract: A horological movement includes an escapement with a magnetic system to generate magnetic force impulses, so as to sustain the oscillation of the mechanical resonator associated with the escapement. In order to make possible an effective self-starting of the assembly formed of the mechanical resonator and of the escapement during a winding of the barrel, after a stop of the horological movement due to the unwound barrel spring, the escape wheel includes teeth and the pallet assembly includes two mechanical pallet-stones arranged to receive, upon starting, at least one mechanical force impulse of the escape wheel via one of the teeth thereof, the mechanical force impulse generating a starting force torque on the pallet assembly that is transmitted to the balance of the mechanical resonator to begin an oscillation of the latter so that the assembly can operate normally after a starting phase.

Abstract: A horological movement including a mechanical resonator and a hybrid escapement including an escapement wheel and a pallet assembly with at least one magnetic pallet-stone formed of a magnet and associated with a mechanical banking, the escapement wheel including a periodic magnetised structure defining increasing gradients of magnetic potential energy for the magnetic pallet-stone, and protruding parts associated with the increasing gradients of magnetic potential energy. When the force torque is equal to a nominal force torque or has a value within at least an upper part of a given range of values, one of the protruding parts of the escapement wheel is subjected to at least one shock on the mechanical banking of the pallet assembly after the magnetic pallet-stone has climbed any one of the increasing gradients of magnetic potential energy, thus dissipating at least partially a kinetic energy of the escapement wheel.

Abstract: A timepiece movement includes a magnetic escapement formed of a magnetic escape wheel with an annular magnetized structure and a pallet fork whose shaft is formed by a ferromagnetic material. The pallet shaft exerts on the escape wheel a magnetic disturbance torque due to the fact that the annular magnetized structure exhibits an angular variation of at least one defining physical parameter thereof, such that the magnetic attraction varies as a function of the angular position of the escape wheel and has a tangential component. A magnetic compensation pin is incorporated in the timepiece movement, this magnetic compensation pin being arranged such that the second magnetic disturbance torque that it exerts on the escape wheel exhibits an angular phase shift relative to the first magnetic disturbance torque generated by the pallet shaft, so as to compensate largely for this first magnetic disturbance torque.

Abstract: A timepiece movement with a movable element capable of being momentarily immobilized in any one of N discrete positions, and with a device including a lever and a first magnet integral with the lever, with N second magnets integral with the movable element and arranged along an axis of displacement, and with a magnetically permeable element arranged facing one polar end of the first magnet located on the side of the movable element. The polarity of the first magnet is reversed with respect to that of the second magnets. A first magnetic torque exerted on the lever has a first direction over a first section and a second direction, opposite to the first direction, over a second section of the distance between two successive stable positions, the first direction defining a return torque towards the movable element for a contact portion of the lever.

Abstract: The timepiece includes a tourbillon including a carriage that bears a sprung balance and a magnetic escapement device, the latter including an escape wheel set, formed of an annular magnetic structure, and a magnetic element coupled with the magnetic structure and having an oscillating movement that is synchronous with the oscillation of the mechanical resonator. The mechanical escapement is arranged so as to have alternately energy accumulation phases, from a conversion of mechanical energy supplied by the barrel into magnetic potential energy in the magnetic escapement, and transfer phases of energy accumulated in the magnetic escapement to the magnetic resonator. During the energy transfer phases, the magnetic element is subjected to a magnetic force such that the magnetic escapement then converts into mechanical energy magnetic potential energy accumulated in the preceding energy accumulation phase to be able to maintain the oscillation of the mechanical resonator.

Abstract: A timepiece movement includes a date ring having display positions, and a device for positioning the ring in a display position. The positioning device includes a lever and a first fixed magnet, a second magnet integral with the lever and a magnetic structure integral with the ring and moving between the two magnets, this magnetic structure being formed of a magnetically permeable material and having a radial dimension that varies periodically to define periods corresponding to the distances between the display positions. The magnetic axes of the two magnets are substantially aligned and their respective polarities are opposite. The magnetic torque applied to the lever can vary, so that it is pressed against the ring in the display positions but tends to move away from the ring on one part of the angular movement between these display positions.

Abstract: Sub-assembly for watches, including an arbor including a magnetized or electrically charged surface pivoting inside a housing, and a pole piece subjecting this surface to a magnetic or electrostatic field about an axis, one pole piece cooperating axially with this surface to absorb a shock and then return the arbor to an operating position, and creating, in proximity to this surface, a magnetic or electrostatic field, which radially attracts the arbor towards a wall of the housing.

Abstract: Timepiece movement including a mechanism, a spring barrel for driving the mechanism, and an equalization device connected to the spring barrel. The spring barrel includes a drum and a motor spring to exert a driving torque which is variable as a function of the degree of winding-up of the motor spring. The equalization device is driven by the spring barrel and exerts an auxiliary torque which varies as a function of the degree of winding-up of the motor spring to counter variations in the motor torque. The equalization device includes a first and second magnetic elements being displaced from each other by exerting a magnetic force which varies as a function of the relative position of the first and second magnetic elements and produces the auxiliary torque.

Abstract: The timepiece includes a chronograph mechanism with a coupling device including an operating member and a switching member which can be switched alternately between two stable positions coupled state and uncoupled state. This timepiece includes a magnetic system formed of a first bipolar magnet fixed to the switching member, a second bipolar magnet fixed to the support of the switching device in order to continually offer a magnetic interaction with the first bipolar magnet, and at least one highly magnetically permeable element forming the operating member and able to undergo a reciprocating motion between two operating positions. The switching device is arranged so that, when the highly magnetically permeable element is in its first operating position, the two magnets generate between them a force of magnetic repulsion and so that, when the highly magnetically permeable element is in its second operating position, the two magnets generate between them a force of magnetic attraction.

Abstract: An electrical or electromechanical installation includes a central processor for controlling operation of the electrical or electromechanical installation, a computer communicatively coupled to the central processor to output a control signal to the central processor, and a first video camera communicatively coupled to the computer to output an image signal to the computer. The computer has a memory storing computer instructions to determine facial characteristics from a person's face data comprised in the image signal, to categorizing the facial characteristics into at least one of predefined emotion categories, and to generate a control signal corresponding to the at least one of predefined emotion categories. The central controller operates the electrical or electromechanical installation in accordance with one of several operational modes, wherein the one of several operational modes is selected as a function of the control signal.

Abstract: A timepiece striking mechanism including a mechanism for controlling a hammer arranged to strike a resonant component in an impact position, and movable within a working zone between a recoil and rest position and this impact position, this mechanism includes a device for limiting recoil of the hammer after impact, formed either by eddy current braking means arranged to brake the hammer when it enters a back zone, connected and contiguous to the working zone and opposite the impact position, and/or by mechanical friction and/or elastic return means integral with the hammer or an anchor-piece integral with the hammer, and arranged for friction and/or abutting engagement with a moving braking component or a surface of a fixed part of the striking mechanism.