A method for treating a surface (2) of a base (1) of a timepiece component (10), in particular a balance spring, e.g. a balance spring made of a paramagnetic NbZr alloy, includes: a first step of depositing a first layer (41) of a first oxide or first nitride or first carbide; and a second step of depositing a second layer (51) of a second oxide or second nitride or second carbide.

In manufacturing of a first electroformed component and a second electroformed component having portions fitted to each other into close contact, after the first electroformed component is formed, the first electroformed component is used as a portion of an electroforming mold to form the second electroformed component. Using the first electroformed component as a portion of the electroforming mold to form the second electroformed component, the shape of the first electroformed component is transferred to the second electroformed component. As a result, multiple types of components differing in shape may be accurately manufactured concurrently in a series of manufacturing steps.

Process for manufacturing a hybrid timepiece component, comprising structuring at least one wafer (14) of a first micromachinable material so as to form at least one through-opening (15) within the wafer (14), said structured wafer (14) being intended to form a first part (4) of the hybrid timepiece component; and depositing a metal by electroforming, so that the metal extends through the through-opening (15) and over the two upper and lower faces of the wafer (14) as a single piece resulting from one and the same electroforming step, the electroformed metal being intended to form a second part (8) of the hybrid timepiece component.

Part for a timepiece movement, made of a composite material comprising a rigid matrix and a forest of nanotubes contained in the rigid matrix.

The invention relates to a method for fabrication of a balance spring of a predetermined stiffness comprising the steps of fabricating a balance spring in dimensions of increased thickness, determining the stiffness of the balance spring formed in step a) in order to remove, locally, a volume of material, in order to obtain the balance spring having the dimensions necessary for said predetermined stiffness.

A fastening stud (1) for one end of a hairspring, the stud having a first portion (10) designed to come into contact with the hairspring, the first portion being formed such as to have a first surface (10b) and a second bearing surface (10c) with the hairspring.

The present invention relates to a spiral spring for a balance wheel made of an alloy of niobium and titanium with an essentially single-phase structure, and the method of manufacture thereof which comprises: a step of producing a blank in a niobium-based alloy consisting of: niobium: balance to 100 wt %, titanium: between 40 and 49 wt %, traces of elements selected from the group consisting of O, H, C, Fe, Ta, N, Ni, Si, Cu, Al, between 0 and 1600 ppm by weight individually, and cumulatively less than 0.3 wt %, a step of type ? hardening of said blank at a given diameter, in such a way that the titanium of the niobium-based alloy is essentially in the form of a solid solution with niobium in ? phase, the content of titanium in ? phase being less than or equal to 10 vol %, at least one deformation step of said alloy alternating with at least one step of heat treatment, the number of steps of heat treatment and of deformation being limited so that the niobium-based alloy obtained retains a structure in which the titanium of the niobium-based alloy is essentially in the form of a solid solution with niobium in ? phase, the content of titanium in ? phase being less than or equal to 10 vol % and it has an elastic limit greater than or equal to 600 MPa and an elastic modulus less than or equal to 100 GPa, a step of winding to form the spiral spring being carried out before the last heat treatment step.

A method for manufacturing a balance spring for a balance, which includes creating a blank from an alloy containing: niobium: the remainder to 100 wt %, titanium: between 40 and 60 wt %, traces of elements selected from the group formed of O, H, C, Fe, Ta, N, Ni, Si, Cu, Al, between 0 and 1600 ppm by weight individually, and less than 0.3 wt % combined; -quenching the blank, such that the titanium of the alloy is essentially in solid solution form with -phase niobium, the -phase titanium content being less than or equal to 5% by volume, at least one deformation step of the alloy alternated with at least one heat treatment step such that the niobium and titanium alloy obtained has an elastic limit higher than or equal to 600 MPa and a modulus of elasticity lower than or equal to 100 GPa, a winding step to form the balance spring being performed prior to the final heat treatment step, prior to the deformation step, a step of depositing, on the alloy blank, a surface layer of a ductile material such as copper, to facilitate the wire shaping process, the thickness of the deposited ductile material layer is chosen such that the ratio of the area of ductile material to the area of NbTi alloy for a given cross-section of wire is less than 1.

A balance spring for a balance with a blank containing: niobium: the remainder to 100 wt %, titanium: between 40 and 60 wt %, traces of elements selected from the group formed of O, H, C, Fe, Ta, N, Ni, Si, Cu, Al, between 0 and 1600 ppm by weight individually, and less than 0.3 wt % combined, a step of -quenching the blank with a given diameter, such that the titanium of the alloy is essentially in solid solution form with -phase niobium, the -phase titanium content being less than or equal to 5% by volume, at least one deformation step of the alloy alternated with at least one heat treatment step such that the niobium and titanium alloy obtained has an elastic limit higher than or equal to 600 MPa and a modulus of elasticity lower than or equal to 100 GPa, a winding step to form the balance spring being performed prior to the final heat treatment step, prior to the deformation step, a step of depositing, on the alloy blank, a surface layer of a ductile material such as copper, the surface layer of ductile material being retained on the balance spring, the thermoelastic coefficient of the niobium and titanium alloy being adapted accordingly.

A process for producing a metal alloy balance wheel by molding, the process including the following steps: a) making a mold in the negative shape of the balance wheel, b) getting hold of a metal alloy that has a thermal expansion coefficient of less than 25 ppm/ C. and is able to be in an at least partly amorphous state when it is heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature, c) putting the metal alloy into the mold, the metal alloy being heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature so as to be hot-molded and to form a balance wheel, d) cooling the metal alloy to obtain a balance wheel made of the metal alloy, e) releasing the balance wheel obtained in step d) from its mold.