A spiral timepiece spring with a two-phase structure, made of a niobium and titanium alloy, and method for manufacturing this spring, including producing a binary alloy containing niobium and titanium, with niobium: the remainder to 100%; titanium between 45.0% and 48.0% by mass of the total, traces of components among O, H, C, Fe, Ta, N, Ni, Si, Cu, Al, of between 0 and 1600 ppm by mass of the total individually, and less than 0.3% by mass combined; applying deformations alternated with heat treatments until a two-phase microstructure is obtained including a solid solution of niobium with -phase titanium and a solid solution of niobium with -phase titanium, the -phase titanium content being greater than 10% by volume, with an elastic limit higher than 1000 MPa, and a modulus of elasticity higher than 60 GPa and less than 80 GPa; wire drawing to obtain wire able to be calendered; calendering or winding.

A timepiece includes a mechanical oscillator, formed by a balance and a piezoelectric balance spring, and a control device for controlling the frequency of the mechanical oscillator. This control device is arranged to be capable of generating time-separated control pulses, each including a momentary decrease in an electrical resistance applied by the control device between two electrodes of the piezoelectric balance spring relative to a nominal electrical resistance. The control device is arranged to be capable of applying a plurality of control pulses during each time of a series of distinct correction times or without interruption in a continuous time window, in order to respectively synchronize the mechanical oscillator at a correction frequency whose value depends on a detected positive or negative temporal drift or at a desired frequency for the mechanical oscillator.

A regulating member (1) for a horological movement including an oscillating weight, for example a balance, and a balance spring including a flexible strip (2) wound about itself in a plurality of turns, the strip (2) having a predefined rigidity to allow the oscillating weight to undergo a rotary oscillatory motion, the strip (2) including an outer end (9), wherein the regulating member (1, 10) includes a temperature-compensating resilient device configured to adapt the stiffness thereof as a function of the temperature to compensate for the effect of temperature on the regulating member (1, 10), the resilient device including a resilient element (5) connecting the outer end (9) to a first support (7) that is stationary relative to the horological movement, as well as preloading means (6) for applying a variable force or torque to the resilient element (5) as a function of the temperature.

A member for a horological movement including an oscillating mass, for example a balance, a flexible guide including at least two main flexible blades connecting a movable support to the oscillating mass to enable the oscillating mass to make a rotary movement about a virtual pivot, wherein the regulating member includes an elastic device for compensating for the temperature arranged so as to connect the movable support to a securing device for securing the regulating member on the horological movement, the elastic compensation device being configured to adapt its stiffness according to the temperature in order to compensate for the effect of temperature on the regulating member.

A member for a horological movement including an oscillating mass, for example a balance, a flexible guide including at least two main flexible blades connecting a movable support to the oscillating mass to enable the oscillating mass to make a rotary movement about a virtual pivot, wherein the regulating member includes an elastic device for compensating for the temperature arranged so as to connect the movable support to a securing device for securing the regulating member on the horological movement, the elastic compensation device being configured to adapt its stiffness according to the temperature in order to compensate for the effect of temperature on the regulating member.

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 balance spring for an oscillator of a timepiece, wherein it comprises a component part, in particular at least a coil or a portion of a coil, provided with heavily doped silicon having an ion density greater than or equal to 10.sup.18 at/cm.sup.3, in order to permit the thermo-compensation of the oscillator.

A balance spring for an oscillator of a timepiece, wherein it comprises a component part, in particular at least a coil or a portion of a coil, provided with heavily doped silicon having an ion density greater than or equal to 10.sup.18 at/cm.sup.3, in order to permit the thermo-compensation of the oscillator.

Disclosed is a support member for supporting a wafer during a heat treatment of the wafer. The support member includes a support plate and spacers and retaining elements carried by the support plate. The spacers serve to maintain a gap between the support plate and the wafer. The retaining elements serve to prevent the wafer from moving horizontally. The support plate may be made of silicon, quartz or silicon carbide. The spacers and the retaining elements may be fixed to the support plate by bayonet-type connections.