Abstract: A balance spring (1) intended to be fitted to a timepiece balance having fixed inertia, the balance spring (1) being formed of a core (10) having lateral faces (10c) connecting an upper face (10a) to a lower face (10b), the balance spring (1) including on one of the lateral faces (10) in one portion of the outer coil (5), a coating formed of one or more layers, the coating including two layers with a first electrically conductive layer (12) coated with a second outer layer (13) made of a ceramic, or a combined layer (13), made of an electrically conductive ceramic. Also a method of manufacturing this balance spring.

Abstract: A system including two components intended to be in friction contact with each other in a given direction, wherein the friction occurs in a functional area, wherein the system is at least one of the two components including, on a surface in the functional area, a texture formed of a series of troughs of rounded shape separated by peaks or a series of bumps of rounded shape separated by troughs, the troughs extending parallel in the given direction and allowing for the evacuation of debris produced by friction and serving as a reservoir for a lubricant. A method for manufacturing at least one component or a mold by the DRIE (deep reactive ion etching) process, wherein surface defects on the sidewalls machined by the DRIE process are used to form the troughs.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a mould including: a) providing a first substrate made of photosensitive glass of thickness of at least equal to the height of the mould, b) illuminating the first substrate with UV rays through a mask the windows of which correspond to the depression of the mould in order to create illuminated zones, c) carrying out a heat treatment on the first substrate obtained in step b) in order to crystallize the illuminated zones, d) providing a second substrate having at least one conductive layer on its surface, e) joining the first substrate obtained in step c) with the second substrate so that the conductive layer is located between the first substrate and the second substrate, f) removing the illuminated and crystallized zones of the first substrate so as to uncover the conductive layer, forming a cavity with sidewalls and a bottom occupied by the conductive layer of the mould.

Abstract: A method of setting inertia of and/or poizing a timepiece sprung balance assembly including: manufacturing a balance and a balance spring irreversibly assembled to each other; fixing an outer coil of the balance spring in position in a tamperproof manner to a balance spring stud which is immobilized in a tamperproof manner by irreversible attachment to a balance cock; determining a peripheral surface of the balance, every point of which is remote from the balance spring by a first predefined distance; performing a re-machining operation only on the peripheral area.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pivot arbor (1) for a timepiece movement comprising at least one pivot (3) made of a first non-magnetic metal material (4) at one of the ends thereof in order to limit the sensitivity thereof to magnetic fields. At least the outer surface of said pivot (3) is coated with a layer (5) of a second material selected from the group comprising Ni and NiP, and preferably chemical NiP. The invention concerns the field of timepiece movements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pivot arbor comprising a metal pivot (3) at each of its ends. The metal is a non-magnetic copper alloy in order to limit its sensitivity to magnetic fields, and at least the outer surface (5) of one of the two pivots (3) is deep-hardened to a predetermined depth with respect to the rest of the arbor to harden the pivot or pivots (3). The invention concerns the field of timepiece movements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a timepiece component (1) comprising at least one portion (3) machined by chip removal. Said portion (3) is made of a non-magnetic copper alloy in order to limit its sensitivity to magnetic fields, said copper alloy containing between 10 wt % and 20 wt % of Ni, between 6 wt % and 12 wt % of Sn, X wt % of additional elements, wherein X is comprised between 0 and 5, and the remainder is Cu. The invention concerns the field of timepiece movements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pivot arbor comprising a metal pivot (3) at each of its ends. The metal is a non-magnetic aluminium alloy in order to limit its sensitivity to magnetic fields, and at least the outer surface (5) of one of the two pivots (3) is deep-hardened to a predetermined depth with respect to the rest of the arbor to harden the pivot or pivots (3).

Abstract: The invention relates to a pivot arbor (1) for a timepiece movement comprising at least one pivot (3) made of a first non-magnetic metal material (4) at at least one of the ends thereof in order to limit the sensitivity thereof to magnetic fields, at least the outer surface of said pivot (3) being coated with a first layer (5) of a second material selected from the group comprising Ni, NiB and NiP, and preferably chemical NiP. At least the first layer (5) of second material is at least partially coated with a second layer (6) of a third material selected from the group comprising gold, silver, copper, platinum, rhodium, palladium and their alloys. The invention concerns the field of timepiece movements.

Abstract: A method adjusting oscillation frequency of a sprung balance assembly formed at random from balance springs and balance wheels. A production mechanism is set to limit a sample standard deviation of a single batch of balance springs to a predetermined maximum value, and to limit a sample standard deviation of a single batch of balance wheels to a predetermined maximum value within a given unbalance tolerance. The mean of the balance population is classified according to the mean of the balance springs, to obtain a difference corresponding to a maximum inertia decrease value of the balances, between extreme gaussian distribution values of balances and of balance springs. A random balance spring sample is taken from the single batch of balance springs and a random balance from among the single batch of balances. The inertia of the balance is adjusted according to a torque value of the balance spring sample.

Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly system including a member made of at least a first material including a staff and a shoulder, the staff of the member being received in an aperture of a part made of a second material having little or no plastic domain. According to the invention, the assembly system includes a locking element made of a third material arranged to elastically attach the part between the shoulder of said member and the locking element and in that the locking element is a washer whose internal wall radially grips the staff of said member and whose peripheral portion exerts an elastic radial force vertical to the shoulder of said member in order to secure the assembly of the member-part-locking element.

Abstract: Timepiece sub-assembly including a balance spring stud arranged to be fastened to a balance cock, and a balance spring comprising an outer coil and an end plate of larger section than that of the outer coil, this stud including a housing arranged, in a first free state of the sub-assembly, to loosely contain the end plate with tangential mobility with respect to the outer coil, and, in a second immobilized state of the sub-assembly, to immobilize the end plate to which the housing is joined by a layer of adhesive covering a change-of-section shoulder and which forms a mechanical seal for the balance spring in a longitudinal direction of the housing, and the end plate includes an eye communicating with the layer in the second immobilized state.

Abstract: A method of improving pivoting of a wheel set for a scientific instrument, including an arbor pivoting or oscillating about an axis, in which: static balancing of the wheel set is performed to bring the center of gravity onto the axis; a desired value is determined for resulting unbalance moment of the wheel set about the axis, corresponding to a predetermined divergence between a first principal longitudinal axis of inertia of the wheel set, and the axis; at a predetermined speed about the axis, the resulting unbalance moment is measured with regard to the axis; and an adjustment of the resulting unbalance moment is made within a given determined tolerance with regard to the desired value, and performed by machining both sides of a median plane including the two secondary axes of inertia of the wheel set.

Abstract: Timepiece sub-assembly including a balance spring stud arranged to be fastened to a balance cock, and a balance spring comprising an outer coil and an end plate of larger section than that of the outer coil, this stud including a housing arranged, in a first free state of the sub-assembly, to loosely contain the end plate with tangential mobility with respect to the outer coil, and, in a second immobilised state of the sub-assembly, to immobilise the end plate to which the housing is joined by a layer of adhesive covering a change-of-section shoulder and which forms a mechanical seal for the balance spring in a longitudinal direction of the housing, and the end plate includes an eye communicating with the layer in the second immobilised state.

Abstract: An assembly system includes a member made of a first material including a staff and a shoulder, the staff of the member being received in an aperture of a part made of a second material having little or no plastic domain. The assembly system includes a locking element made of a third material arranged to elastically attach the part between the shoulder of the member and the locking element, and the locking element is a conical washer including an internal wall which radially grips the staff of the member. A peripheral portion of the locking element exerts an elastic radial force vertical to the shoulder of the member in order to secure assembly of the member, the part, and the locking element.

Abstract: An assembly of a member, made of a first material in an aperture of a part, made of a second material having no plastic domain, using an intermediate part made of a third material, mounted between the member and the part. The intermediate part includes a hole for receiving the member. The part includes pierced holes forming a deformation mechanism distributed around the aperture thereof. The elastically and plastically deformed intermediate part radially grips the member and stresses the elastic deformation mechanism of the part so as to secure the assembly in a manner that is not destructive for the part. Such an assembly can for example be used in the field of timepieces.

Abstract: The invention relates to a double balance spring (21) including, made in a layer of silicon-based material (11), a first balance spring (23) coaxially mounted on a collet (13, 27), the collet (13, 27) including an extending part (9) that projects from said balance spring and which is made in a second layer of silicon-based material (5). According to the invention, said extending part extends (17) into a third layer (7) of silicon-based material coaxially with a second balance spring (25) so as to form a one-piece double balance spring (21) made of silicon-based materials. The invention also relates to a timepiece including a balance spring of this type and the method of manufacturing the same. The invention concerns the field of timepiece movements.

Abstract: A method for adjusting an oscillation frequency of a sprung balance assembly, in which a removal or a displacement of material is conducted on a component of this sprung balance assembly under an effect of a pulse of a laser source to conduct a micromachining or microfusion operation on the material of this component to vaporize or displace this material. This pulse is controlled by a controller configured to generate, sequence, interrupt any pulse and to control movements of a beam of this laser source, and the controller is automatically controlled by a measuring or comparing mechanism.

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.