The invention relates to a process for the production of a part provided with an external element, wherein the process comprises the following steps: provide an electrically conductive substrate having an upper surface and a raised pattern on said upper surface, wherein the pattern has an crest deposit an electrically insulating layer onto the upper surface of the substrate around the pattern to a thickness less than or equal to the distance between the crest and the upper surface deposit a metal layer onto the crest of the pattern by galvanic growth so that at the end of this step the metal layer partly rests on the insulating layer dissolve the insulating layer cover an assembly comprising the substrate and the metal layer with a mass of a base material of the part, wherein the mass forms an imprint of the assembly separate the mass and the metal layer from the substrate, wherein the mass then exhibits an external element formed by a recess, the shape of which corresponds to the imprint of the pattern and the base of which interfaces with the metal layer.

A manufacturing method includes a first repeating step of irradiating a base material with a pulse laser, having a spot diameter S, while relatively moving a laser head and the base material in a first direction, moving the laser head by a predetermined pitch width Pin a second direction that intersects the first direction, and repeating irradiation by the pulse laser along the first direction and movement of the laser head in the second direction, and a second repeating step of irradiating the base material with the pulse laser while relatively moving the laser head and the base material in the second direction, moving the laser head by the pitch width in the first direction, and repeating irradiation by the pulse laser along the second direction and movement of the laser head in the first direction, wherein S<P<100 μm.

A component for the internal parts or the movement for a timepiece or a piece of jewellery including a substrate partially coated with a black layer and decorated with at least one stone, the black layer including carbon nanotubes or aluminium oxide, the substrate being at least devoid of the black layer on the portion facing the stone. It also relates to the method for manufacturing this component for the timepiece or the piece of jewellery.

A method for depositing a rare material in a thin layer at the surface of an horological or jewellery external part includes providing a rough part of rare material, shaping the rough part of rare material so that it is adapted to be used as a target part for a PVD method, depositing material of the target part at the surface of a substrate consisting of an horological or jewellery eternal part by a PVD method so as to cover the external part.

The invention relates to a method for decorating a timepiece component comprising: a) a step of preparation of the timepiece component optionally comprising a first step of depositing a first material on the timepiece component to form a first sub-layer, b) a second step of depositing a second material on the timepiece component obtained in step a) to form a second sub-layer, c) a colouring step comprising the deposition of a third coloured material on the timepiece component obtained in step b) to form a coloured external decorative layer,

According to the invention, at least step b) and step c) are achieved by a physical vapour deposition method.

The invention relates to a method for decorating a timepiece component comprising: a) a step of preparation of the timepiece component optionally comprising a first step of depositing a first material on the timepiece component to form a first sub-layer, b) a second step of depositing a second material on the timepiece component obtained in step a) to form a second sub-layer, c) a colouring step comprising the deposition of a third coloured material on the timepiece component obtained in step b) to form a coloured external decorative layer, According to the invention, at least step b) and step c) are achieved by a physical vapour deposition method.

A layer of lanthanum boride of stoichiometry LaB.sub.x where x is between 9 and 12 is deposited on substrate, for example a stainless steel watch dial, and subsequently treated with a laser, such that the portion(s) of the layer treated with the laser change colour according to the laser power. This produces multicoloured surfaces having high resistance to corrosion and abrasion. The layer of LaB.sub.x is deposited by PVD and by cathode sputtering, using a LaB.sub.6 target of purple-violet colour, such that the colour of the deposited layer differs from the colour of the target. The laser treatment at specific powers changes the stoichiometry of the layer in the treatment portions, such that the colour of these portions changes according to the stoichiometry obtained. At higher powers, the laser will remove the layer of LaB.sub.x. Thus the colour of the treated portions is determined by the material of the substrate.

A method of manufacturing a watch component is a method of manufacturing a watch component in which while a laser irradiation unit and a base member made of metal are moved relatively, laser irradiation is performed to decorate the base member, and includes a first step of irradiating the base member with the laser to form a recessed portion in the base member, a second step of irradiating, with the laser, the base member in which the recessed portion is formed at irradiation intensity less than irradiation intensity of the first step, to clean the base member, and a third step of performing surface treatment on the base member after the cleaning.

An external part component (10) of a watch, of a fashion item or of a jewellery item, including a substrate (11) made of a transparent material, the substrate (11) including an upper face (110) opposite to a lower face (111), the external part component (10) including a base layer (12) deposited over a first portion (1101) of the upper face (110) and at least one secondary layer (13) deposited over the base layer (12) and over a second portion (1102) of the upper face (110), the first and second portions (1101, 1102) of the upper face (110) having different surface conditions.

A method for manufacturing an applique including an upper surface and a rim intended to be seen by a user, a lower surface for its resting on a dial or a structure of a timepiece and at least one foot protruding from the lower surface, the method making it possible to obtain a varnished applique.