Abstract: A sensing system, and method of operating same, can act as a highly sensitive gradiometer. A first non-magnetic element, such as a sphere, is driven at a first resonance frequency along an axis. A magnet is attached to a second non-magnetic element, such as a plate, and driven at a second resonance frequency along the axis. The first non-magnetic element and the second non-magnetic element are coupled by a force along the axis, in resonance. The gradiometer is configured to determine a gradient magnetic field acting on one or more of the first non-magnetic element and magnet based on change in at least one resonance characteristic.

Abstract: A horological movement includes an analogue time display, a gear train, a barrel driving the analogue display via the gear train, and an oscillator formed of a resonator, including a balance and a piezoelectric spring, and a mechanical escapement coupling the balance to the gear train. This horological movement further includes an electric energy source which is associated with the electronic control circuit, which is arranged to be able to control the application of an electrical supply voltage to the piezoelectric spring so as to excite the oscillator to obtain a functional oscillation of the resonator and then to maintain this functional oscillation. The mechanical escapement is configured so as to be an escapement for counting the alternations of the functional oscillation, so as to pace the running of the horological movement, without the resonator being able to receive from the barrel via this mechanical escapement enough mechanical energy to maintain the functional oscillation.

Abstract: A timepiece (2) includes an actuator, which applies braking pulses to the balance, which has an electromechanical device (6) and an electric control circuit (8). The device (6) includes a flexible member (16), formed by an elastic blade (20) and a mechanical element (22) defining a braking pad, and an electromagnetic system (10) formed by a coil carried by the flexible member and by a permanent magnet rigidly connected to a support (18) of the electromechanical device. When an electric pulse is provided to the coil, an electromagnetic force of repulsion is engendered between the coil and the permanent magnet so the mechanical element moves to a position of contact with the balance. To stabilise the rest position of the flexible member, a magnetic element (26) is rigidly connected to the coil to exert a magnetic return force complementary to the force of the elastic blade is provided.

Abstract: A sensing system, and method of operating same, can act as a highly sensitive gradiometer. A first non-magnetic element, such as a sphere, is driven at a first resonance frequency along an axis. A magnet is attached to a second non-magnetic element, such as a plate, and driven at a second resonance frequency along the axis. The first non-magnetic element and the second non-magnetic element are coupled by a force along the axis, in resonance. The gradiometer is configured to determine a gradient magnetic field acting on one or more of the first non-magnetic element and magnet based on change in at least one resonance characteristic.

Abstract: A watch (10) including a case provided with a back, with a crystal (12), with a set of components forming a horological movement (13), and with a dial (14) disposed between the movement and the crystal (12), the dial (14) including a photovoltaic cell module (16) connected to an electric accumulator (17) intended to provide an electrical energy source to the watch (10), the dial (14) further including a shutter device (18) arranged between the photovoltaic cell module (16) and the crystal (12) of the watch (10), and configured to occupy a shutter state wherein it masks the entire photovoltaic cell module (16) and an exposure state wherein it exposes all or part of the photovoltaic cell module (16).

Abstract: A gradiometer includes a at least one magnet attached to a beam. The magnet moves in response to a magnetic force. A sensing element is configured to measure movement or deflection of the beam or magnet. The gradiometer is configured to determine a gradient of a magnetic field acting on the first magnet based on movement of the magnet. The gradiometer can further measure higher order gradients.

Abstract: A system and method of effectively measuring a change in a gradient of a magnetic field. The systems include a first magnet and a second magnet mechanically coupled together and aligned along a polarization axis. The first magnet and the second magnet are positioned such that a pair of like magnetic poles of the first magnet and the second magnet face in opposite directions. Further, the first magnet and the second magnet are configured to move along the polarization axis in response to a magnetic field. A sensing system is configured to measure a change in a gradient of the magnetic field based on the movement of the first magnet and second magnet along the polarization axis in response to the magnetic field.

Abstract: An annular fluidic device includes a closed annular tube, wherein the tube includes at least one portion of transparent wall and contains a rigid torus bathed in a fluid filling the internal volume of the tube, in that the torus is arranged to be movable in the tube, and wherein at least one permanently polarised magnetic element integral with the torus allows it to undergo a moment of force causing it to be aligned in the direction of the external magnetic vector. A watch case can include this device.

Abstract: A power management method for a solar watch or a solar automatic watch. The power management method including at least one providing a primary power supply from at least one energy supplier. The primary power supply is converted to a secondary power supply when the primary power supply reaches at least one primary threshold and/or at least one secondary threshold. A motor is supplied with the secondary power supply such as to wind a mainspring via the motor.

Abstract: An embedded winding mechanism for a watch or an automatic watch. The watch or the automatic watch including a mainspring wheel configured to wind a mainspring, at least one electric motor and at least one oscillating weight. The embedded winding mechanism including at least one primary ratchet gear configured to mesh the mainspring wheel of the watch or an automatic watch when the at least one oscillating weight meshes the at least one primary ratchet gear, and at least one secondary ratchet gear configured to actuate the mainspring wheel of the watch or an automatic watch when the at least one electric motor actuates the at least one secondary ratchet gear.

Abstract: Winding device (1000) including motorisation means (2) driving a watch holder (1) carrying at least one automatic watch (100) with a movable oscillating mass, and measuring means (3) measuring the amplitude of the resonator of each watch (100), and watch (100) identification means (300), providing the identification of a particular watch (100) to control means (200) including an internal database (400) with the history of the amplitude measurements of the resonator of this particular watch (100) and/or the value of its nominal amplitude, and/or communication means (500) communicating with an external database (600) for extracting these values.

Abstract: A timepiece is provided with a mechanical movement which includes a mechanical resonator, a sensor detecting oscillations of the mechanical resonator, and a braking device arranged to generate braking pulses in response to a control signal provided by a control circuit associated with an auxiliary oscillator. The control circuit is arranged to be capable of detecting a negative or positive temporal drift in the oscillation of the mechanical resonator and to generate, in a correction period, in association with the braking device, when the temporal drift corresponds to at least a certain loss, a series of braking pulses which are applied to the mechanical resonator at a frequency FSUP in a given range of values which is preferably higher than a frequency FZ (N)=2·F0c/N, F0c being a set point frequency for the mechanical resonator and N a positive integer number.

Abstract: A magnetic microactuator (100) including a coil (6; 61; 62) controlling the axial movement of a sliding block (30) including at least one permanent magnet (2) joined or aligned with a ferromagnetic or magnetised rear arbor (42) and guiding the field lines of the magnetic field of revolution in the axial direction (D) through the coil (6; 61; 62) wherein circulates the sliding block (30), up to a rear end (43) of said rear arbor (42) that tends to cooperate by magnetic attraction with at least one first ferromagnetic restoration element (8), located in the vicinity of a rear face (25) of the structure (20) of the microactuator (100), in order to bring said sliding block (30) back into a rear end-of-travel position when no coil (6; 61; 62) is powered.

Abstract: A timepiece mechanism including a magnetic gear formed of a first wheel and a second wheel, the first wheel being provided with first alternating magnetic poles forming a magnetic toothing and the second wheel being provided with a toothing made of ferromagnetic material which has a magnetic coupling with the magnetic toothing, such that, when one of the first or second wheels is driven in rotation, this wheel rolls, via the magnetic coupling, over a geometric circle centred on the other wheel and linked to this other wheel. The magnetic gear further includes a ferromagnetic element arranged relative to the first wheel so as to offset at least most of a magnetic disturbance torque to which the first wheel is subjected, resulting from the magnetic coupling, this magnetic disturbance torque having a periodic variation in intensity according to the angular position of the first wheel.

Abstract: A wearable object (42) including an electronic unit and a power supply unit formed by an electromechanical converter (6A) which includes a rotor (44) carrying first magnets (10A), a mechanical resonator (12A) provided with an inertia mass (46) capable of oscillating at a relatively high resonant frequency and carrying second magnets (20), and coils arranged so that, when the mechanical resonator is oscillating, an induced voltage is generated in these coils. The electromechanical converter is arranged so that the first magnets and the second magnets can, during a rotational drive of the rotor, interact magnetically so as to apply to the inertia mass, momentarily or temporarily, a magnetic force torque allowing to excite the mechanical resonator, in order to generate at least one oscillation of this mechanical resonator at its resonant frequency in order to generate a relatively high induced voltage allowing to recharge an accumulator.

Abstract: A power indicator device (1) of a thermoelectric generator of a watch. The indicator device includes a first gas fluid reservoir (2), a second gas fluid reservoir (3), and at least one tubular conduit (4) connecting the two reservoirs. The first reservoir is placed on an upper surface of the thermoelectric generator in a watch case, while the second reservoir (3) is placed on a lower surface of the thermoelectric generator in contact with the back of a watch case. The tubular conduit is of the capillary type and comprises in an intermediate portion (9) a liquid forming a barrier to the gas fluid of the two reservoirs and allowing, in a display portion (24) visible from the outside of the watch case, to provide an indication of the power of the generator by measuring the temperature difference of the two reservoirs.

Abstract: A flexible timepiece component, in particular for an oscillator mechanism or for a barrel of a horological movement, the component extending along a main plane (P) and including at least a part made of a composite material (1), the composite material (1) including a matrix (2) and a multitude of nanowires (3) distributed in the matrix (2), the nanowires (3) being juxtaposed, the matrix (2) including a material (4) for filling the interstices between the nanowires (3) to join them to each other, each nanowire (3) forming a solid one-piece tube, the nanowires (3) being disposed substantially parallel to an axis (A) substantially perpendicular to the main plane (P) of the component (6, 7).

Abstract: A watch formed by a mechanical movement incorporating a mechanical resonator, including a display displaying the actual time, a correction device formed by a device for detecting the passage of at least one hand through at least one reference time position and by an electronic correction circuit allowing an overall time error for the display to be determined, and a device for braking the mechanical resonator. The correction device is arranged such that it can correct the actual time displayed as a function of the overall time error (loss or gain) previously determined. For this purpose, the correction device is arranged such that the braking device can act on the mechanical resonator during a correction period to vary the running of the drive mechanism of the display, in order to correct the actual time displayed.

Abstract: An IR radiator element suitable for use as a miniature infrared emitter (micro-hotplate) in a gas sensor, IR-spectrometer or electron microscope. The micro-hotplate comprises a plate supported by multiple support arms. The plate and arms are fabricated as a MEMS device comprising a single contiguous piece of electrically-conducting refractory ceramic such as hafnium carbide (HfC) or tantalum hafnium carbide (TaHfC). Each of the arms, in addition to providing structural cantilever support for the plate (2), acts as a heating element for the plate. The plate is heated by applying a voltage across the arms. The arms may also be shaped to absorb thermomechanical stress which arises during the heating and cooling of the arms and plate. The plate, which may have an area of less than 0.05 mm2 and a thickness of between 1% and 10% of the largest dimension of the plate, for example, can be heated to 4,000 K or more and cooled again with a duty cycle of as little 0.

Abstract: A dial for a watch includes a semi-transparent photovoltaic layer having a lower face. The dial also includes an ink-based decorative layer printed on the lower face of the photovoltaic layer. The decorative layer includes a pattern including one or more time markers.