A mechanical timepiece includes: a hairspring; a permanent magnet; a soft magnetic core; a control circuit for performing rate adjustment based on a counter-electromotive voltage caused in a coil by a motion of the permanent magnet accompanying a forward direction motion and a reverse direction motion of the balance wheel. The permanent magnet is arranged so that, under a state in which the hairspring is brought to an equilibrium length, a direction of magnetization is directed to the first end portion side or the second end portion side.

A movement includes a driver having ON and OFF states, and outputting a drive signal to a coil of a motor, a lower limit detector detecting that a current flowing through the coil is less than a lower limit, a drive controller bringing the driver into the ON state based on a result of the lower limit detector, and bringing the driver into the OFF state based on an elapsed time from the ON state, a polarity switcher switching a polarity of the drive signal when an elapsed time from the OFF state of the driver satisfies a switching condition, and a drive stopper stopping driving of the driver when the OFF time satisfies a stopping condition.

A timepiece includes a mechanical movement with a mechanical oscillator and an electronic device for regulating the medium frequency of this mechanical oscillator. It includes an electromagnetic transducer and an electric converter which includes a primary storage unit for powering the regulation circuit. The electromagnetic transducer is arranged to supply a voltage signal exhibiting first voltage lobes in first half-alternations and second voltage lobes in second half-alternations of the oscillations of the mechanical oscillator. The regulating device includes a load pump arranged to transfer electric loads from the primary storage unit into a secondary storage unit, these electric loads being extracted selectively in different time zones according to a time drift detected in the functioning of the mechanical oscillator relative to an auxiliary oscillator, particularly quartz-based.

A timepiece includes a mechanical oscillator and an electromechanical transducer formed by an electromagnetic assembly including a coil and a magnet mounted on the balance of the mechanical oscillator. The induced voltage signal, produced by the electromagnetic transducer during each oscillation, exhibits, in a first half-alternation between the oscillator passes via the neutral position thereof, a first lobe of maximum amplitude having a first polarity and, in a second half-alternation following a passage via the neutral position, a second lobe of maximum amplitude having a second polarity opposite the first. An electric converter includes two power supply capacitors and a device for regulating the medium frequency of the mechanical oscillator. The first power supply capacitor is charged merely with a positive voltage whereas the second capacitor is charged merely with a negative voltage. A load pump is arranged to transfer electric loads between the two capacitors according to a time drift of the mechanical oscillator relative to a time base.

A timepiece (2) includes an actuator, which applies braking pulses to the balance, which has an electromechanical device (6) and an electric control circuit (8). The device (6) includes a flexible member (16), formed by an elastic blade (20) and a mechanical element (22) defining a braking pad, and an electromagnetic system (10) formed by a coil carried by the flexible member and by a permanent magnet rigidly connected to a support (18) of the electromechanical device. When an electric pulse is provided to the coil, an electromagnetic force of repulsion is engendered between the coil and the permanent magnet so the mechanical element moves to a position of contact with the balance. To stabilise the rest position of the flexible member, a magnetic element (26) is rigidly connected to the coil to exert a magnetic return force complementary to the force of the elastic blade is provided.

Timepiece regulating mechanism including an energy storage means delivering an output torque (CS), via a train (3), to a wheel set (4) forming a magnetic escapement mechanism (10) with a resonator wheel set (5) subjected to the torque from a return means (6) and cooperating therewith, either directly or via a magnetic stop member (7), this magnetic escapement mechanism (10) being arranged to operate when the wheel set (4) receives a torque higher than or equal to a maintenance torque (CE), and the train (3) includes a torque regulating means (30) arranged to deliver to the wheel set (4) a constant torque comprised between 1.0 and 2.0 times the maintenance torque (CE), the torque regulating means (30) including a fusee (8) of continuously variable cross-section, from which unwinds a chain (9), wound by a drum (21), directly or indirectly driven by the energy storage means (2).

Timepiece regulating mechanism including an energy storage means delivering an output torque (CS), via a train (3), to a wheel set (4) forming a magnetic escapement mechanism (10) with a resonator wheel set (5) subjected to the torque from a return means (6) and cooperating therewith, either directly or via a magnetic stop member (7), this magnetic escapement mechanism (10) being arranged to operate when the wheel set (4) receives a torque higher than or equal to a maintenance torque (CE), and the train (3) includes a torque regulating means (30) arranged to deliver to the wheel set (4) a constant torque comprised between 1.0 and 2.0 times the maintenance torque (CE), the torque regulating means (30) including a fusee (8) of continuously variable cross-section, from which unwinds a chain (9), wound by a drum (21), directly or indirectly driven by the energy storage means (2).

A mechanical watch includes a balance, an oscillation circuit configured to output a clock signal, a vibration detection unit configured to detect a vibration of the balance and output a vibration detection signal, a speed governing unit including a permanent magnet and a coil, a speed governing control unit, a storage unit configured to store an electrical energy, and a generator. One of the permanent magnet and the coil is held by the balance. The speed governing control unit compares the clock signal and the vibration detection signal and performs the speed governing control of the balance by exerting an electromagnetic force on the permanent magnet, the electromagnetic force being generated by outputting a current to the coil. When a stored energy amount is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, the speed governing control unit switches a state to a stop state where the speed governing control of the balance is stopped.

A timepiece escapement mechanism including a resonator and an escape wheel arranged to cooperate with this resonator directly or indirectly through a stopper forming part of this escapement mechanism, this escape wheel including a succession of tracks carrying magnetic or electrostatic field potential ramps arranged to cooperate with the resonator or respectively with the stopper, this escapement mechanism comprising a non-return device arranged to oppose the recoil of the escape wheel, and the stopper cooperates, on the one hand, with a plate forming part of the resonator and, on the other, with these magnetic or electrostatic field potential ramps by at least one pole shoe forming part of the stopper and arranged to move in the field corresponding to the magnetic or electrostatic field potential ramps.

A timepiece escapement mechanism including a resonator and an escape wheel arranged to cooperate with this resonator directly or indirectly through a stopper forming part of this escapement mechanism, this escape wheel including a succession of tracks carrying magnetic or electrostatic field potential ramps arranged to cooperate with the resonator or respectively with the stopper, this escapement mechanism comprising a non-return device arranged to oppose the recoil of the escape wheel, and the stopper cooperates, on the one hand, with a plate forming part of the resonator and, on the other, with these magnetic or electrostatic field potential ramps by at least one pole shoe forming part of the stopper and arranged to move in the field corresponding to the magnetic or electrostatic field potential ramps.