The present invention concerns an assembly for holding or supporting a timepiece balance spring, comprising a balance spring stud and a balance cock on which is fixed a balance spring stud-holder, wherein said stud-holder comprises a holding means provided with a housing for housing the balance spring stud therein and a gripping means, at least said gripping means being movable with respect to the holding means in order to lock the balance spring stud inside its housing.

Method for improving an iron-nickel-chromium-manganese alloy for timepiece applications, particularly for producing a balance spring, where a base alloy is chosen and produced, comprising by mass: from 9.0% to 13.0% of nickel, from 4.0% to 12.0% of chromium, from 21.0% to 25.0% of manganese, from 0 to 5.0% of molybdenum and/or from 0 to 5.0% of copper the complement in iron,
and a hardening of this alloy is effected whilst maintaining its anti-ferromagnetic properties, by introduction of carbon and of nitrogen interstitially, with, by proportion of mass of this base alloy: from 0.10% to 1.20% of carbon, and/or from 0.10% to 1.20% of nitrogen.

The invention relates to a one-piece balance spring comprising a single strip wound on itself between an inner coil and an outer coil, the strip having a geometry such that when the angle of contraction of the balance spring has a value of 360 degrees, there is a constant distance between each coil from the inner coil to the penultimate coil.

The invention relates to a one-piece balance spring comprising a single strip wound on itself between an inner coil and an outer coil, the strip having a geometry such that when the angle of contraction of the balance spring has a value of 360 degrees, there is a constant distance between each coil from the second coil to the penultimate coil.

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 timepiece balance spring made of micromachinable material including a plurality of stages, each forming a spiral wound spring, parallel to each other and all attached to a common axial collet or to the same balance staff, each stage including, at its respective outer end, its own attachment to a balance spring stud which are independent of those of the other stages, the attachment including a position adjustment with respect to a balance spring stud which are also independent of those of the other stages, the attachment and the position adjustment together forming built-in isochronism correction mechanism for the balance spring, and the position adjustment including a plurality of discrete position adjustment positions including housings each arranged to retain a stud.

A timepiece regulating mechanism including, mounted to be movable, at least in a pivoting motion, with respect to a plate, an escape wheel configured to receive a drive torque via a gear train, a first oscillator including a first rigid structure, connected to the plate by a first flexible strip and a second flexible strip, crossed with each other, a second oscillator including a second rigid structure connected to the first rigid structure by a third flexible strip and a fourth flexible strip crossed with each other, and the second structure including a guide configured to cooperate with a complementary guide included in the escape wheel, synchronizing the first oscillator and the second oscillator with the gear train.

A timepiece assembly including a combined resonator with at least two degrees of freedom which includes a first linear or rotary oscillator with reduced amplitude in a first direction relative to which oscillates a second linear or rotary oscillator with reduced amplitude in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction. The rotary oscillator includes a second weight carrying a sliding-block. A wheel set is arranged for application of a torque to the resonator, the wheel set including a groove in which the sliding-block slides with minimal play. The sliding-block is arranged at least either to follow curvature of the groove when present, or to rub with friction in the groove, or to repel the inner lateral surfaces of the groove by magnetically or electrically charged surfaces in the sliding-block.

An inertial mass (1) intended to be mounted on a regulating organ (10), particularly of a horological movement, the inertial mass being configured to be subjected to a rotary oscillation movement at a predetermined frequency, the inertial mass including a rigid main body (2), characterised in that it comprises a flexible inertial element (3) assembled with the main body (2), the flexible inertial element (3) being configured to modify the geometry of the inertial mass (1) according to the oscillation amplitude. Also, a regulating organ and a horological movement comprising such an inertial mass.

A microsystem for setting the rate of a timepiece oscillator, including a wheel/inertia block including an off-centre unbalance and a toothing and arranged to pivot with respect to a base plate of the microsystem, which includes an actuator driving a first active click arranged to drive the toothing, and includes a device for stopping the toothing in position, wherein the actuator is a thermomechanical actuator arranged to convert a flow of light energy into a displacement of a distal end of the thermomechanical actuator, which carries a first active click or directly controls a movement of a first active click, and the microsystem is capable of incorporation in a watch including a crystal transparent to predetermined wavelengths ranges and allowing the passage of a light ray to regulate the microsystem.