Abstract: The invention concerns a device for regulating the relative angular speed between a magnetic structure and a resonator magnetically coupled to each other and forming an oscillator which defines a magnetic escapement. The magnetic structure includes at least one annular magnetic path at least partially formed of a magnetic material of which one physical parameter is correlated to the magnetic potential energy of the oscillator, the magnetic material being arranged along the annular path so that the physical parameter varies angularly in a periodic manner. The annular path includes, in each angular period, an area of accumulation of magnetic potential energy in the oscillator, radially adjacent to an impulse area. The magnetic material, in each accumulation area, is arranged so that the physical parameter of said magnetic material gradually increases angularly or gradually decreases angularly.

Abstract: A timepiece resonator including a mobile component ring-shaped about an axis and capable of oscillation about an axis, and a drive member subjected to a torque inside a timepiece movement. The resonator is an annular magnetic or electrostatic resonator whose mobile component is periodically excited under action induced by motion of the drive member. The drive member can exert a contactless effort on the mobile component. The mobile component includes a first quantity of first pole pieces magnetically or electrically charged at a first pitch angle, and the drive member includes a second quantity of second pole pieces magnetically or electrically charged at a second pitch angle different from the first pitch angle, arranged to cooperate in attraction or in repulsion with the first pole pieces, such that the mobile component and the drive member together form a speed reducing or increasing mechanism.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for regulating the relative angular speed between a magnetic structure and a resonator magnetically coupled to each other and forming an oscillator which defines a magnetic escapement. The magnetic structure includes at least one annular magnetic path at least partially formed of a magnetic material and the resonator includes at least one element for magnetic coupling to the annular magnetic path, this coupling element being formed of a magnetic material having a physical parameter correlated to the magnetic potential energy of the oscillator. The radial dimension of the annular magnetic path is smaller than a corresponding dimension of the coupling element, and the magnetic material is arranged so that the physical parameter of said magnetic material gradually increases angularly or gradually decreases angularly in order to obtain an angularly extended magnetic potential energy area in each angular period of the annular magnetic path.

Abstract: A timepiece oscillator comprising a structure and distinct, temporally and geometrically offset, primary resonators, each comprising a mass returned to the structure by an elastic return means, this timepiece oscillator comprises coupling means for the interaction of the primary resonators, comprising a wheel set subjected to a torque or drive force, this wheel set comprising drive and guide means arranged to drive and guide a control means articulated with transmission means, each articulated, remote from the control means, with a mass of a primary resonator, and the primary resonators and the wheel set are arranged such that the axes of articulation of any two of the primary resonators and the axis of articulation of the control means are never coplanar.

Abstract: Timepiece movement including a date display drive device formed of a display disc including a toothing, said drive device including driving means and a drive source. The driving means includes a wheel set including pins, having a toothed wheel and a pinion including pins, and an engaging wheel engaging said toothed wheel. The pinion with pins includes a pair of pins configured to be positioned on either side of any tooth of the toothing. The toothed wheel of the pin wheel and the engaging wheel respectively have complementary non-circular profiles. When the two pins are oriented in a tangential direction to the toothing, these two wheels have a first gear ratio that is lower than a second gear ratio between them when the two pins are in perpendicular alignment to said tangential direction.

Abstract: A timepiece oscillator comprising a structure and distinct, temporally and geometrically offset, primary resonators, each comprising a mass returned to the structure by an elastic return means, this timepiece oscillator comprises coupling means for the interaction of the primary resonators, comprising a wheel set subjected to a torque or drive force, this wheel set comprising drive and guide means arranged to drive and guide a control means articulated with transmission means, each articulated, remote from the control means, with a mass of a primary resonator, and the primary resonators and the wheel set are arranged such that the axes of articulation of any two of the primary resonators and the axis of articulation of the control means are never coplanar.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for regulating the relative angular speed between a magnetic structure and a resonator magnetically coupled to each other and forming an oscillator which defines a magnetic escapement. The magnetic structure includes at least one annular magnetic path at least partially formed of a magnetic material of which one physical parameter is correlated to the magnetic potential energy of the oscillator, the magnetic material being arranged along the annular path so that the physical parameter varies angularly in a periodic manner. The annular path includes, in each angular period, an area of accumulation of magnetic potential energy in the oscillator, radially adjacent to an impulse area. The magnetic material, in each accumulation area, is arranged so that the physical parameter of said magnetic material gradually increases angularly or gradually decreases angularly.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for regulating the relative angular speed between a magnetic structure and a resonator magnetically coupled to each other and forming an oscillator which defines a magnetic escapement. The magnetic structure includes at least one annular magnetic path at least partially formed of a magnetic material and the resonator includes at least one element for magnetic coupling to the annular magnetic path, this coupling element being formed of a magnetic material having a physical parameter correlated to the magnetic potential energy of the oscillator. The radial dimension of the annular magnetic path is smaller than a corresponding dimension of the coupling element, and the magnetic material is arranged so that the physical parameter of said magnetic material gradually increases angularly or gradually decreases angularly in order to obtain an angularly extended magnetic potential energy area in each angular period of the annular magnetic path.

Abstract: The invention concerns a timepiece comprising a timepiece movement cooperating with a display device, the timepiece movement comprising a mechanical energy source and a system of energy transmission from the energy source to at least one resonator including a first distribution device controlled by the at least one resonator. According to the invention, the timepiece also comprises a counting system mounted between the at least one resonator and the display device, and including a second distribution device controlled by the at least one resonator and cooperating with the display device to uncouple the energy transmission means from the counting means.

Abstract: A digital day/night display device includes an hour disc provided with ciphers 1-12 representing the hours, and made such that light can pass either through the ciphers or through parts of the hours disc surrounding these ciphers; a rotative day/night disc located under the hours disc including a first zone and a second zone of different colors or shadings; and a mechanism for driving in rotation the hours disc and the day/night disc. The zones extend under the ciphers of the hours disc. Also provided are elements for driving the hours disc in a continuous way and at a constant speed at the rate of two revolutions in twenty-four hours and other elements for driving in a continuous way but intermittently the day/night disc at a rate of one revolution in twenty-four hours. A time piece provided with this digital day/night display device is also described.

Abstract: A digital day/night display device includes an hour disc provided with ciphers 1-12 representing the hours, and made such that light can pass either through the ciphers or through parts of the hours disc surrounding these ciphers; a rotative day/night disc located under the hours disc including a first zone and a second zone of different colors or shadings; and a mechanism for driving in rotation the hours disc and the day/night disc. The zones extend under the ciphers of the hours disc. Also provided are elements for driving the hours disc in a continuous way and at a constant speed at the rate of two revolutions in twenty-four hours and other elements for driving in a continuous way but intermittently the day/night disc at a rate of one revolution in twenty-four hours. A time piece provided with this digital day/night display device is also described.

Abstract: A barrel spring (10) for a mechanism driven by a mainspring, in particular for a timepiece, includes a unitary ribbon of metallic glass. The object is to integrate at least one additional function to the spring function, implemented by a functional portion integrated in the spring.

Abstract: There is disclosed a timepiece (40) including optical means for forming a decorative pattern, in the form of a figurative image, in response to an action by the user. The optical means forming a figurative image include an optical guide (1, 51) having two large faces (10, 11) and at least one lateral face (12). Optical extractors (19) each having at least one light reflective surface (20) are arranged in at least one of the large faces (11). A light source (8, 8a, 8b, 8c) is arranged so as to emit light in the direction of the reflective surfaces (20), via the lateral face (12) of the optical guide. Thus, each of the reflective surfaces causes a reflected light beam to form in a well defined direction, the set of light beams forming a figurative image in that direction, which can typically be selected as the normal with respect to the mid-plane of the watch.

Abstract: The invention proposes a liquid crystal (38) display device (12) including a liquid crystal (38) cell (30), a control unit (26), and a backlighting module (48) including at least a first (50) and a second (52) light source of different colours which transmit light rays (Rr, Rb) inside a light guide (54), characterized in that the light guide (54) includes a plurality of prisms (64, 66) which deflect the light rays (Rr, Rb) towards the display face (28), a first series (S1) of prisms (64, 66) being orientated towards the first light source (50) and a second series (S2) of prisms (52) being orientated towards the second light source (52), and in that the prisms (64, 66) are distributed in zones of the light guide (54) which are located underneath the electrodes (40). The invention also proposes a timepiece (10) fitted with this device (12).

Abstract: There is disclosed a timepiece (40) including optical means for forming a decorative pattern, in the form of a figurative image, in response to an action by the user. The optical means forming a figurative image include an optical guide (1, 51) having two large faces (10, 11) and at least one lateral face (12). Optical extractors (19) each having at least one light reflective surface (20) are arranged in at least one of the large faces (11). A light source (8, 8a, 8b, 8c) is arranged so as to emit light in the direction of the reflective surfaces (20), via the lateral face (12) of the optical guide. Thus, each of the reflective surfaces causes a reflected light beam to form in a well defined direction, the set of light beams forming a figurative image in that direction, which can typically be selected as the normal with respect to the mid-plane of the watch.

Abstract: A timepiece (40) includes optical means for forming a decorative pattern, in the form of a figurative image, in response to user action. The optical means forming a figurative image include an optical guide (1, 51) having two large faces (10, 11) and at least one lateral face (12). Optical extractors (19), each having at least one light reflective surface (20), are arranged in at least one of the large faces (11). A light source (8, 8a, 8b, 8c) is arranged so as to emit light in the direction of the reflective surfaces (20), via the lateral face (12) of the optical guide. Thus, each of the reflective surfaces causes a reflected light beam to form in a well defined direction, and the set of light beams forms a figurative image in that direction, which can typically be selected as the normal with respect to the mid-plane of the watch.

Abstract: The invention proposes a liquid crystal (38) display device (12) including a liquid crystal (38) cell (30), a control unit (26), and a backlighting module (48) including at least a first (50) and a second (52) light source of different colours which transmit light rays (Rr, Rb) inside a light guide (54), characterized in that the light guide (54) includes a plurality of prisms (64, 66) which deflect the light rays (Rr, Rb) towards the display face (28), a first series (S1) of prisms (64, 66) being orientated towards the first light source (50) and a second series (S2) of prisms (52) being orientated towards the second light source (52), and in that the prisms (64, 66) are distributed in zones of the light guide (54) which are located underneath the electrodes (40). The invention also proposes a timepiece (10) fitted with this device (12).

Abstract: There is disclosed a timepiece (40) including optical means for forming a decorative pattern, in the form of a figurative image, in response to an action by the user. The optical means forming a figurative image include an optical guide (1, 51) having two large faces (10, 11) and at least one lateral face (12). Optical extractors (19) each having at least one light reflective surface (20) are arranged in at least one of the large faces (11). A light source (8, 8a, 8b, 8c) is arranged so as to emit light in the direction of the reflective surfaces (20), via the lateral face (12) of the optical guide. Thus, each of the reflective surfaces causes a reflected light beam to form in a well defined direction, the set of light beams forming a figurative image in that direction, which can typically be selected as the normal with respect to the mid-plane of the watch.

Abstract: There is disclosed a timepiece (40) including optical means for forming a decorative pattern, in the form of a figurative image, in response to an action by the user. The optical means forming a figurative image include an optical guide (1, 51) having two large faces (10, 11) and at least one lateral face (12). Optical extractors (19) each having at least one light reflective surface (20) are arranged in at least one of the large faces (11). A light source (8, 8a, 8b, 8c) is arranged so as to emit light in the direction of the reflective surfaces (20), via the lateral face (12) of the optical guide. Thus, each of the reflective surfaces causes a reflected light beam to form in a well defined direction, the set of light beams forming a figurative image in that direction, which can typically be selected as the normal with respect to the mid-plane of the watch.

Abstract: There is disclosed a timepiece (40) including optical means for forming a decorative pattern, in the form of a figurative image, in response to an action by the user. The optical means forming a figurative image include an optical guide (1, 51) having two large faces (10, 11) and at least one lateral face (12). Optical extractors (19) each having at least one light reflective surface (20) are arranged in at least one of the large faces (11). A light source (8, 8a, 8b, 8c) is arranged so as to emit light in the direction of the reflective surfaces (20), via the lateral face (12) of the optical guide. Thus, each of the reflective surfaces causes a reflected light beam to form in a well defined direction, the set of light beams forming a figurative image in that direction, which can typically be selected as the normal with respect to the mid-plane of the watch.