Abstract: A timepiece resonator including an inertial element moveable in relation to a fixed structure, and suspended to a flexible guide including flexible strips crossed in projection on a plane XY at a single crossing zone ZC, each one deformable in a plane parallel to the plane XY each one extending in a ribbon on either side of a neutral surface perpendicular to the plane XY and joining the first recess with the structure and the second recess with the inertial element, and including at least one rib asymmetrical in relation to its neutral surface, and, at the crossing zone ZC, either each flexible strip does not include any rib, or each rib is asymmetrical in relation to its neutral surface.

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: Disclosed is an escapement mechanism (1) for a timepiece, designed to cooperate with an oscillator arranged to carry out oscillations, said mechanism (1) comprising:—a count wheel (7) arranged for step-wise forward rotation depending on the oscillations of the oscillator;—an impulse wheel (11) designed to be kinematically linked to a power source, said impulse wheel (11) being arranged to be periodically blocked and released under the control of the count wheel (7) and to supply impulses to the oscillator, characterized in that:—when said escapement mechanism (1) is operating, the count wheel (7) is continuously subjected to a torque;—and the count wheel (7) is arranged to rotate forward by one half-step of its toothing for every vibration of the oscillator.

Abstract: The invention includes systems having a cover attached to a frame, and a transmission unit with a rotational device connected to or part of the frame. The cover is mechanically connected to the at least one rotational device. A vibration dampening unit mechanically connected to the transmission unit such that translational movement (e.g. vertical movements) of the cover causes rotational movement of the rotational device. The rotational movement is, in turn, transmitted to the vibration dampening unit via the transmission unit. Preferably, the vibration dampening unit is a passive unit and also a resistance force modulated vibration dampening unit.

Abstract: A watch component includes a shaft member including a shaft and a flange portion formed to protrude in a direction intersecting with an axial direction of the shaft, a body portion made of silicon and provided with an insertion hole through which the shaft is inserted, and a fixing member mounted on the shaft at a side of the body portion opposite from the flange portion. The body portion includes an accommodating recessed portion configured to accommodate the flange portion, and is fixed to the shaft member by being interposed between the flange portion and the fixing member.

Abstract: A mechanical timepiece movement in the form of a modular unit. The movement includes at least one modular unit for performing a particular timepiece function, which is irremovably pre-adjusted by irremovably securing adjustment and/or assembling components included in the functional module after the particular horological function has been adjusted and function checked on the test bench. The pre-adjusted functional module is irremovably secured to a plate included in the movement or included in another pre-adjusted functional module of the movement, or irremovably secured to another pre-adjusted functional module included in the movement.

Abstract: A mechanical clock movement includes a resonator, an escapement linked to the resonator, and a display of at least one item of time information. The display is driven by a mechanical drive device via a counter wheel train, the work rate of which is set by the escapement. At least the resonator is housed in a chamber, in which a reduced pressure in relation to atmospheric pressure prevails. The escapement is a magnetic escapement including an escape wheel coupled directly or indirectly to the resonator via a non-contact magnetic coupling system, wherein the magnetic coupling system is formed so that a non-magnetic wall of the chamber runs through the magnetic escapement so that a first part of the escapement is located inside the chamber whereas a second part of the escapement is located outside the chamber.

Abstract: A timepiece escapement mechanism with improved tribology includes at least one pair of components including a first component and a second component respectively including a first friction surface and a second friction surface which are arranged to cooperate in contact with each other. The second friction surface includes at least one silicon-based material taken from a group including silicon, silicon dioxide, amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, porous silicon, or a mixture of silicon and silicon oxide. The first friction surface is formed by a surface of a solid element which is made of solid silicon nitride in a stoichiometric formulation Si3N4. A method for making the escapement mechanism is also provided.

Abstract: A timepiece sub-assembly includes, irreversibly fixed to a main plate and each irreversibly pre-adjusted by the irreversible securing of adjustment and/or assembly components, after the particular timepiece function thereof has been adjusted and function checked on the test bench, functional modules including a gear train module, a display module, and a time-setting module. Other mechanical sub-assemblies, each irreversibly fixed to the preceding lower order mechanical sub-assembly, include various modules including motor module, frame-mounted self-winding device module, escapement holder regulating module, motion work train, date module, and self-winding module. A mechanical movement including at least one mechanical sub-assembly of this type and a watch including a mechanical movement of this type are also disclosed. A method of assembling mechanical sub-assemblies of this type by the irreversible securing of mechanical sub-assemblies and irreversibly pre-adjusted modules is also disclosed.

Abstract: This timepiece is furnished with a direct impulse escapement comprising a locking lever (2) for locking the escapement wheel furnished with two locking pallets (2a, 2b), with a fork (2c) and with a guard pin (2d). The guard pin is mounted so as to pivot on the fork about an axis parallel to the pivoting axis of the locking lever (2). It comprises displacement means (2d1, 2d2, 2d3), designed to engage with drive means secured to said frame, so as to amplify the angular displacement of the guard pin (2d), caused by the locking lever (2) passing from one to the other of its two positions. This invention also applies to the guard pin of a pallet assembly of an indirect impulse escapement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a timepiece (1) comprising a first resonator (R1) oscillating at a first frequency (f1) and connected by a main gear train (T2) to a main energy source (B2) via a main escapement (D2). According to the invention, the timepiece comprises a second resonator (R2) oscillating at a second frequency (f2) which is lower than the first frequency and cooperating with the main escapement (D2) in order to synchronise maintenance of the first resonator (R1) to said second frequency (f2). The invention concerns the field of coupled oscillators.

Abstract: Mechanical watch movement comprising a mechanical chronograph with a regulator organ for regulating the running of the chronograph, characterized in that the regulator organ of the chronograph is placed in an imaginary circle (A) coaxial to the movement and having a radius (r1) smaller than 50% of the maximum outer radius of the movement.

Abstract: A piezoelectric drive device has a piezoelectric actuator that has a vibrator with a piezoelectric element, and a rotor that is rotated by the vibrator, an elastic device that can store the rotational energy of the rotor as elastic energy, and a driven body that is rotated by the elastic energy stored by the elastic device.

Abstract: A mechanical oscillator isochronism corrector includes: a frame (12), a flexible blade (14) integral with the frame to act on the mechanical oscillator at a contact portion (14a) presented by the blade, first element for adjusting the pre-stress of the flexible blade including a pre-stress finger (22) acting on the flexible blade, the first adjustment element being integral with the frame.

Abstract: A timepiece movement having at least two regulating members with their escapement and elements for alternately stopping and releasing the operation of the regulating members, such that a single regulating member is thus driven at any one time by means of the energy source of the timepiece.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, for each GOP, frames from an I frame present at a leading position of GOP to an I frame contained in a succeeding GOP and B frames referencing the I frame contained in the succeeding GOP are managed as a new GOP. For each new GOP, video frames from a leading I frame to a last I frame are subjected to a decoding process in order of increasing PTS value. For each new GOP with the last I frame of the video frames discarded, the video frames are subjected to video display in order of decreasing PTS value.

Abstract: An automatic pawl winding mechanism for a watch movement has a rotor solidly attached to a rotor wheel and oscillating about the axis of a rotor pivot, a pawl wheel to which an oscillating motion of rotor is transmitted by the rotor wheel being pivoted about the axis of a pawl wheel shaft, at least one pawl being eccentrically attached to the pawl wheel shaft, and an automatic wheel cooperating with the pawl or pawls. The oscillating motion of the rotor wheel is thus transformed into a unidirectional rotary motion of the automatic wheel, and this rotary motion is transmitted to a ratchet wheel via a transformation gear train. The rotor, the gear train from the rotor with rotor wheel to the pawl wheel with the pawl or pawls is mounted on an independent rotor bridge while no other organ of the mechanism is mounted on this bridge.

Abstract: A pallet stone cooperates with the teeth of an escapement wheel of a watch or clock movement, and includes a trailing plane and an impulse plane and at least one capillary channel acting as a tank for a lubricant, characterized in that the capillary channel connects the trailing plane to the impulse plane.

Abstract: In the clockwork, according to the present invention, the bearing journals of the balance staff, and also of the pallet staff, have a larger diameter than in known clockworks, since a DLC coating of these bearing journals and the corresponding surfaces of the bearings provides for very low friction, which enables an increase in the bearing journal diameter without diminishing the function and accuracy. The enlargement of the bearing journal diameter results in improved shock-resistance in addition to making the elements provided for shock resistance in conventional clockworks (spring-mounted bearings for the balance staff) partially, or wholly, unnecessary.

Abstract: In a governor of the type which is used for regulating the angular velocity of a toothed gear wheel which is biased to rotate, the improvement which comprises an inertial mass affixed to one end of a spring, the other end of the spring being affixed to a ratchet bar of the governor whereby said end of the spring affixed to the inertial mass moves from an unloaded position just before a change in direction of oscillation, to a loaded position, and then back to an unloaded position just after the direction of oscillation has changed.

Abstract: A mechanical, seismic-shock-absorbing snubber adapted to accept extremely high impact loads that may be imposed upon it by reason of its interposition between heavy, relatively moveable structures. While permitting essentially unrestricted, slow, relative motion between the structures, such as may be caused by thermal effects (e.g., the expansion or contraction of a high pressure steam pipe yieldably attached by way of hangers or supports to a building structure as in a nuclear power plant), the snubber limits both the velocity and acceleration of relative motion between the structures such as might result from violent seismic shock or vibration. The snubber employs, as its damping mechanism, an escapement wheel, which rotates in response to relative movement of the structures between which the snubber is interposed and employs a cooperating, pivoted, pallet member of predetermined effective mass driven by the escapement wheel into oscillation.