The invention relates to a removable fitting frame (10) suitable for being removably mounted on an optical monitoring device, particularly a motorised monitoring device, for inspecting components (100, 102, 104, 106, 108). The fitting frame (10) comprises a rigid cage (10a), a component holder (22; 24; 26; 34; 40) mounted inside the rigid cage (10a), and at least one rotating part (44a, 44b) serving as an interface between the rigid cage (10a) and at least one rotating element (68a, 68b) of the monitoring device or between the rigid cage (10a) and an intermediate element (64a, 64b) mounted on the rotating element (68a, 68b) when the fitting frame (10) is mounted on the monitoring device, so as to use the torque generated by the monitoring device during the inspection of the component (100, 102, 104, 106, 108) in order to enable the rotation of said rigid cage (10a) and/or of said rotating part (44a, 44b) about an axis of rotation coaxial with the axis of rotation of said at least one rotating element (68a, 68b).

A device is disclosed for verifying the state of a watch and resetting it to the correct time. In a case of the device, a watch can be disposed on a watch support, which can be moved from a position without measurement to a measurement position in a vision system, or vice versa. In a position without measurement, the watch on its support can be observed from the outside of the case of the device through at least one electronic shutter activated or an optical valve activated to be in a transparent state, whereas in the measurement position, the electronic shutter or the optical valve is deactivated to be made opaque.

A method for tuning a gong of a striking watch. The gong is fastened at one end to a gong holder, which can be mounted in a watch case. The gong is struck by a hammer to be vibrated on a support of the measuring instrument to determine by a fast Fourier transform frequency peaks in a band of audible frequencies. A comparison in a first natural mode of a vibration frequency in the plane XY with a vibration frequency outside the plane Z is performed and a ratio calculation r=|f1p?f1h|/f1p, where f1p is the vibration frequency in the plane XY, and f1h is the vibration frequency outside the plane Z. If the ratio r is less than or equal to a desired value of 0.006, the gong is tuned. If it is greater, the method is repeated until the ratio value is achieved.

A method for tuning a gong of a striking watch. The gong is fastened at one end to a gong holder, which can be mounted in a watch case. The gong is struck by a hammer to be vibrated on a support of the measuring instrument to determine by a fast Fourier transform frequency peaks in a band of audible frequencies. A comparison in a first natural mode of a vibration frequency in the plane XY with a vibration frequency outside the plane Z is performed and a ratio calculation r=|f1p?f1h|/f1p, where f1p is the vibration frequency in the plane XY, and f1h is the vibration frequency outside the plane Z. If the ratio r is less than or equal to a desired value of 0.006, the gong is tuned. If it is greater, the method is repeated until the ratio value is achieved.

A sympathetic timepiece assembly (1000), which includes a clock (100) and at least one watch (200) arranged to be deposited in a receptacle 150 included in the clock, in a single transfer position, this sympathetic assembly (1000) including a connection mechanism between the clock (100) and each watch (200) when the watch (200) is deposited in the receptacle 150 in the transfer position, this connection mechanism includes at least two separate transmission lines, one for transferring power or movement, and the other for selecting a function to be performed or a display variable to be adjusted.

A sympathetic timepiece assembly (1000), which includes a clock (100) and at least one watch (200) arranged to be deposited in a receptacle 150 included in the clock, in a single transfer position, this sympathetic assembly (1000) including a connection mechanism between the clock (100) and each watch (200) when the watch (200) is deposited in the receptacle 150 in the transfer position, this connection mechanism includes at least two separate transmission lines, one for transferring power or movement, and the other for selecting a function to be performed or a display variable to be adjusted.

A testability method (500) for testing the operation of a thermoelectric element (110) of a thermoelectric watch (100) including the thermoelectric element (110), a power circuit supplied by primary storage elements (101) and secondary storage elements (102) so as to move at least one moveable element (190) or display information on an electro-optical display device. The testability method (500) includes steps of applying a heat source (540) to the thermoelectric element (110) so as to make it possible to electrically charge (550) or recharge (550) the secondary storage elements (102) in order to move at least one moveable element (190) or display information on an electro-optical display device, and thus check the functionality of the thermoelectric element (110).

The method for test the rate of an electronic watch with a time base device (1) comprises three main steps for the test on test equipment. The time base device comprises at least one watch module (2) with a resonator (3) connected to an oscillator of an electronic circuit (4), which is followed by a divider circuit, which is controlled by an inhibition circuit, and which provides a divided timing signal for a motor. In a first step, a measurement is made of the frequency of the oscillator reference signal in at least one measurement period without inhibition. A second step is provided for acquiring the current inhibition value to inhibit a certain number of clock pulses in a subsequently inhibition period and to determine the inhibition value. Finally, a third step is provided for calculating the corresponding rate frequency of the watch.

A device that tests the chronometric precision of a watch movement or a watch includes a control device controlling a predefined cycle of motions passing through standard chronometric test positions, and a fine control device including a sequencer arranged to control the changes of chronometric test position of this movement, or respectively of this watch, in a multi-position sequence, after each measurement per position, and to start another multi-position sequence as soon as the preceding sequence finishes and which observes the predefined total duration of one cycle of several successive multi-position sequences. This sequencer is also arranged to manage the rate stabilisation durations, durations of measurement per position, and multi-position sequence durations.

In some embodiments, an apparatus and a system, as well as a method and an article, may operate to receive a derived clock signal downhole, the derived clock signal being derived from a surface clock signal (associated with a surface clock), such that the frequency of the derived clock signal is less than the frequency of the surface clock signal. Further activity may include measuring the frequency of the derived clock signal in terms of an uncorrected downhole clock frequency (associated with a downhole clock) to provide a measured frequency equivalent, and correcting time measurements made using the downhole clock, based on the measured frequency equivalent, or based on an actual frequency of the downhole clock determined according to the measured frequency equivalent. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are described.