A method of producing a case hardened workpiece of a Group IV metal including: placing a workpiece of a Group IV metal in a vessel, creating a low pressure environment in the vessel in which the pressure, pvac, is less than or equal to 10-5 bar, providing oxygen to the vessel to create a reactive atmosphere in the vessel, the reactive atmosphere comprising oxygen at a partial pressure, pO2, in the range of 10 5 bar to 0.01 bar, heating the workpiece to a hardening temperature in the range of 650° C. to 800° C. in the reactive atmosphere or before the reactive atmosphere is created, maintaining the workpiece in the reactive atmosphere at the hardening temperature for a reactive period of at least 5 hours, cooling the workpiece from the hardening temperature to ambient temperature in the reactive atmosphere or in an inert atmosphere.

An external element made from a first material for a wearable object, the first material being an insulating ceramic, wherein a surface of the external element is at least partially treated to include at least one conversion with an electrical conductivity.

An external element made from a first material for a wearable object, the first material being an insulating ceramic, wherein a surface of the external element is at least partially treated to include at least one conversion with an electrical conductivity.

An item produced in a cermet material including by weight between 85 and 94% of a ceramic phase and between 6 and 15% of a metal binder phase, the ceramic phase mostly including a tungsten carbide phase and optionally one or more phases of one or more secondary carbides selected from the elements Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr and Mo, the metal binder comprising Ag, Pd, Ru and Co. The invention generally relates to the method for manufacturing said item.

A method for disassembling first and second watch-surfaces of a watch includes the steps of removing a decorative cover from the watch; rotating an adjusting screw to move an H-shaped snapping member toward a casing so that the H-shaped snapping member abuts against the adjusting screw; rotating a snapping ring so that an engaging protrusion does not overlap a pressing protrusion and the snapping ring can be removed from the casing; opening the watch; using a tool to press against a platform of the connecting sleeve; rotating the main screw to remove the connecting sleeve; removing the first watch-surface from the casing; removing first and second positioning rings and suspension columns; turning the casing to remove the snapping ring; opening the watch; using the tool to press against the platform; rotating the main screw to remove the connecting sleeve; and removing the second watch-surface from the casing.

A method for disassembling first and second watch-surfaces of a watch includes the steps of removing a decorative cover from the watch; rotating an adjusting screw to move an H-shaped snapping member toward a casing so that the H-shaped snapping member abuts against the adjusting screw; rotating a snapping ring so that an engaging protrusion does not overlap a pressing protrusion and the snapping ring can be removed from the casing; opening the watch; using a tool to press against a platform of the connecting sleeve; rotating the main screw to remove the connecting sleeve; removing the first watch-surface from the casing; removing first and second positioning rings and suspension columns; turning the casing to remove the snapping ring; opening the watch; using the tool to press against the platform; rotating the main screw to remove the connecting sleeve; and removing the second watch-surface from the casing.

The present invention relates to a manufacturing process for a watch component (50) in composite material with a ceramic matrix comprising the following steps: depositing in a mould a succession of layers (10, 20, 30, 40) each comprising a ceramic powder (12), at least one layer (10; 10, 30; 10, 20, 30, 40) further including fibres (14) mixed with the ceramic powder (12), the fibres (14) being arranged randomly; performing a FAST/SPS sintering operation; demoulding the sintered watch component comprising the succession of layers (10, 20, 30, 40), and optionally machining the sintered component to the final dimensions of the watch component (50). The fibres (14) are visible on the surface of the watch component (50).

The present invention relates to a manufacturing process for a watch component (50) in composite material with a ceramic matrix comprising the following steps: depositing in a mould a succession of layers (10, 20, 30, 40) each comprising a ceramic powder (12), at least one layer (10; 10, 30; 10, 20, 30, 40) further including fibres (14) mixed with the ceramic powder (12), the fibres (14) being arranged randomly; performing a FAST/SPS sintering operation; demoulding the sintered watch component comprising the succession of layers (10, 20, 30, 40), and optionally machining the sintered component to the final dimensions of the watch component (50). The fibres (14) are visible on the surface of the watch component (50).

A watch component includes an austenized ferritic stainless steel including a base including a ferrite phase, a surface layer formed on a surface of the base, the surface layer including an austenized phase, and a mixed layer formed between the base and the surface layer, the mixed layer being a layer in which the ferrite phase and the austenized phase are mixed. In a cross section taken along a depth direction from the surface, a thickness of the mixed layer is 45% or less of a thickness of the surface layer.

A watch component includes an austenized ferritic stainless steel including a base including a ferrite phase, a surface layer formed on a surface of the base, the surface layer including an austenized phase, and a mixed layer formed between the base and the surface layer, the mixed layer being a layer in which the ferrite phase and the austenized phase are mixed. In a cross section taken along a depth direction from the surface, a thickness of the mixed layer is 45% or less of a thickness of the surface layer.