A method for manufacturing a micromechanical component made of a first material, the first material being a material that can become at least partially amorphous, the method including: a) providing a mold made of a second material, the mold including a cavity forming the negative of the micromechanical component; b) providing the first material and forming the first material in the cavity of the mold, the first material having undergone, at a latest at a time of the forming, treatment allowing the first material to become at least partially amorphous; c) separating the micromechanical component thus formed from the mold.

A piezoelectric element for an automatic frequency control circuit. The element includes a balance spring formed of a piezoelectric crystal strip, a first electrode connected to the automatic control circuit, and disposed on at least a first side of the strip, and a second electrode connected to the automatic control circuit and disposed on at least a second side of the strip. The first and second electrodes are placed on one portion or over the entire length of the balance spring in a predetermined angular distribution.

A process for fabricating a hairspring having a final stiffness includes the steps of fabricating a hairspring to thickened dimensions, and determining the initial stiffness of the hairspring formed in order to remove the volume of material to obtain the hairspring having the dimensions required for said final stiffness.

Disclosed is a method including the following steps: a) providing a substrate including a first silicon layer, a second silicon layer and an intermediate silicon oxide layer therebetween; b) etching the first silicon layer in order to form the timepiece components therein; c) releasing from the substrate a wafer formed by at least all or part of the etched, first silicon layer and including the timepiece components; d) thermally oxidizing and then deoxidizing the timepiece components; e) forming by thermal oxidation or deposition a silicon oxide layer on the timepiece components; f) detaching the timepiece components from the wafer.

Disclosed is a method including the following steps: a) providing a substrate including a first silicon layer, a second silicon layer and an intermediate silicon oxide layer therebetween; b) etching the first silicon layer in order to form the timepiece components therein; c) releasing from the substrate a wafer formed by at least all or part of the etched, first silicon layer and including the timepiece components; d) thermally oxidizing and then deoxidizing the timepiece components; e) forming by thermal oxidation or deposition a silicon oxide layer on the timepiece components; f) detaching the timepiece components from the wafer.

A watch includes a chargeable power supply, a crystal oscillation circuit including a crystal oscillator and an oscillation circuit and configured to stop oscillating when a power supply voltage falls below an oscillation stop voltage and to start oscillating when the power supply voltage exceeds an oscillation start voltage, which is higher than the oscillation stop voltage, and a divider circuit that outputs a reference signal by dividing an oscillation signal output from the oscillation circuit. The watch also includes a temperature compensation circuit that performs a temperature compensation function operation that compensates for variation of the reference signal due to a temperature, a first voltage detection circuit that detects that the power supply voltage exceeded a first voltage that is set higher than the oscillation start voltage, and a control circuit that starts the temperature compensation function operation of the temperature compensation circuit when the first voltage detection circuit detects that the power supply voltage exceeded the first voltage, and subsequently continues the temperature compensation function operation even when the power supply voltage falls below the first voltage.

A watch includes a chargeable power supply, a crystal oscillation circuit including a crystal oscillator and an oscillation circuit and configured to stop oscillating when a power supply voltage falls below an oscillation stop voltage and to start oscillating when the power supply voltage exceeds an oscillation start voltage, which is higher than the oscillation stop voltage, and a divider circuit that outputs a reference signal by dividing an oscillation signal output from the oscillation circuit. The watch also includes a temperature compensation circuit that performs a temperature compensation function operation that compensates for variation of the reference signal due to a temperature, a first voltage detection circuit that detects that the power supply voltage exceeded a first voltage that is set higher than the oscillation start voltage, and a control circuit that starts the temperature compensation function operation of the temperature compensation circuit when the first voltage detection circuit detects that the power supply voltage exceeded the first voltage, and subsequently continues the temperature compensation function operation even when the power supply voltage falls below the first voltage.

An electronically controlled mechanical watch includes a mechanical energy source, a power generator including a rotor driven by the mechanical energy source, a capacitor configured to be chargeable and accumulate electrical energy generated by the power generator, and a crystal oscillation circuit including a crystal oscillator and an oscillation circuit and configured to stop oscillating when a voltage of the capacitor falls below an oscillation stop voltage and to start oscillating when the voltage exceeds an oscillation start voltage higher than the oscillation stop voltage. The watch also includes a temperature compensation circuit configured to perform a temperature compensation function operation compensating for variation of a reference signal due to a temperature, a first voltage detection circuit configured to detect that the voltage exceeded a first voltage that is set higher than the oscillation start voltage, and a control circuit configured to stop the temperature compensation function operation of the temperature compensation circuit until the first voltage detection circuit detects that the voltage exceeded the first voltage.

An electronically controlled mechanical watch includes a mechanical energy source, a power generator including a rotor driven by the mechanical energy source, a capacitor configured to be chargeable and accumulate electrical energy generated by the power generator, and a crystal oscillation circuit including a crystal oscillator and an oscillation circuit and configured to stop oscillating when a voltage of the capacitor falls below an oscillation stop voltage and to start oscillating when the voltage exceeds an oscillation start voltage higher than the oscillation stop voltage. The watch also includes a temperature compensation circuit configured to perform a temperature compensation function operation compensating for variation of a reference signal due to a temperature, a first voltage detection circuit configured to detect that the voltage exceeded a first voltage that is set higher than the oscillation start voltage, and a control circuit configured to stop the temperature compensation function operation of the temperature compensation circuit until the first voltage detection circuit detects that the voltage exceeded the first voltage.

A method for manufacturing a balance spring intended to equip a balance of a horological movement, including a step of producing a blank made of a NbZr alloy including between 10 and 30 wt % Zr, a step of annealing and cooling the blank, at least one step of deforming the annealed blank in order to form a wire, wherein, before the deformation step, a step of depositing, on the blank, a layer of a ductile material chosen from copper, nickel, cupronickel, cupro-manganese, gold, silver, nickel-phosphorus NiP and nickel-boron NiB, in order to facilitate the wire shaping operation, the thickness of the ductile material layer deposited being chosen such that the ratio of the area of ductile material to the area of the alloy for a given wire cross-section is less than 1, preferably less than 0.5, and more preferably lies in the range 0.01 to 0.4.