A method for maintaining and regulating frequency of a timepiece resonator mechanism around its natural frequency, the method including: at least one regulator device acting on the resonator mechanism with a periodic motion, to impose a periodic modulation of resonant frequency or quality factor or a position of a point of rest of the resonator mechanism, with a regulation frequency between 0.9 times and 1.1 times the value of an integer multiple of the natural frequency, the integer being greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 10, and the periodic motion imposes a periodic modulation of the quality factor of the resonator mechanism, by acting on losses and/or damping and/or friction of the resonator mechanism.

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 a volume of material to obtain the balance spring having the dimensions necessary for said predetermined stiffness.

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 to obtain a deliberately lower stiffness, determining the stiffness of the balance spring formed in step a) in order to compensate for said missing thickness of material required to obtain the balance spring having the dimensions necessary for said predetermined stiffness.

A method of manufacturing a clock or watch component (19; 29) includes (i) providing (Ell; E21) a wafer (11; 21) having a single slice (12; 22) including a material of the component, notably silicon, diamond, quartz, sapphire or ceramic, optionally first coating the lower surface of the slice (22) with a lower layer (24), (iii) etching (E12 to E14; E22 to E24) the slice (12; 22) starting from its upper surface to form at least one clock or watch component, (iv) revealing (E15; E25) at least one clock or watch component (19; 29), by removing a layer that served as a mask for etching (E15; E25) and (y) optionally releasing (E26) the slice and the at least one etched clock or watch component by removing the lower layer (24).

A balance-spring, in particular for a horological resonator mechanism, the balance-spring including a flexible strip coiled on itself into several coils, the strip having a predefined flexibility, the balance-spring including a device for adjusting its flexibility, the adjustment device including an elastic element in direct contact with the strip, the elastic element preferably having a flexibility less than that of the strip, the adjustment device including a prestressing device to apply a variable force or torque to the elastic element, so as to vary the flexibility of the elastic element, the elastic element and the strip being separate and assembled with each other. An horological resonator mechanism including such a balance-spring is also disclosed.

A flexible timepiece component, in particular for an oscillator mechanism or for a barrel of a horological movement, the component extending along a main plane (P) and including at least a part made of a composite material (1), the composite material (1) including a matrix (2) and a multitude of nanowires (3) distributed in the matrix (2), the nanowires (3) being juxtaposed, the matrix (2) including a material (4) for filling the interstices between the nanowires (3) to join them to each other, each nanowire (3) forming a solid one-piece tube, the nanowires (3) being disposed substantially parallel to an axis (A) substantially perpendicular to the main plane (P) of the component (6, 7).

The invention relates to a method which comprises the steps of providing a plate (2) made of a micromachinable material, forming the timepiece component (1) with at least one attachment (3) for keeping the component attached to the rest of the plate (2), by etching the plate (2); and creating, along a desired breakage line of the attachment, a pre-detachment area (4) comprising at least one gap (5) obtained by etching into the body of the plate (2).

A governor includes a balance spring including a base member made of silicon, for example, and a balance wheel. The balance spring includes a coating film of DLC that is applied to a surface of the silicon base member to improve the strength of the balance spring. A spring constant of the balance spring changes in accordance with the temperature change. A moment of inertia of the balance wheel changes in accordance with the temperature change. A change in an oscillation period due to the temperature change is suppressed by the change in the spring constant of the balance spring and by the change in the moment of inertia of the balance wheel.

The spiral includes turns of rectangular section, whose pitch p and/or thickness e can vary from the inside curve towards the outside curve, or whose winding can deviate from the line of a perfect spiral. The inside curve can also be extended by a self-locking washer for fixing the spiral on the balance arbour with no play. The spiral is manufactured by photolithography and galvanic growth, or by micro-machining an amorphous or crystalline material, such as a silicon wafer.

A method for maintaining and regulating frequency of a timepiece resonator mechanism around its natural frequency, the method including: at least one regulator device acting on the resonator mechanism with a periodic motion, to impose a periodic modulation of resonant frequency or quality factor or a position of a point of rest of the resonator mechanism, with a regulation frequency between 0.9 times and 1.1 times the value of an integer multiple of the natural frequency, the integer being greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 10, and the periodic motion imposes a periodic modulation of the quality factor of the resonator mechanism, by acting on losses and/or damping and/or friction of the resonator mechanism.