A method for manufacturing a micromechanical timepiece part starting from a silicon-based substrate, including, forming pores on the surface of at least one part of a surface of said silicon-based substrate of a determined depth, entirely filling the pores with a material chosen from diamond, diamond-like carbon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, ceramics, polymers and mixtures thereof, in order to form, in the pores, a layer of the material of a thickness at least equal to the depth of the pores. A micromechanical timepiece part including a silicon-based substrate which has, on the surface of at least one part of a surface of the silicon-based substrate, pores of a determined depth, the pores being filled entirely with a layer of a material chosen from diamond, diamond-like carbon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, ceramics, polymers and mixtures thereof, of a thickness at least equal to the depth of the pores.

A method for manufacturing a spiral spring may include: (a) providing a blank with an NbTi core; (b) beta-quenching the blank; (c) deforming the blank in several sequences; (d) winding to form the spiral spring; (e) final heat treatment on the spiral spring. The blank in (a) may include a layer of X including Cu, Sn, Fe, Pt, Pd, Rh, Al, Au, Ni, Ag, Co and Cr or an alloy of one of these elements around the NbTi core. The method may include heat treating to partially transform the layer of X into a layer of X, Ti intermetals around the NbTi core, and may be carried out between (b) and (c) or between two sequences of (c). The method may include removing the part of the layer of X, which may be carried out between (b) and (c), between two sequences of (c) or between (c) and (d).

A tool for separating a plate of balance springs after winding in, including substantially parallel lower and upper rolling surfaces which are movable relative to one another, vertically or longitudinally, in order to deform the plate by ovalisation, and to subject it to a rolling movement between the rolling surfaces, and further relates to a method for separating balance springs from a plate using this tool in order to mechanically crush it in the elastic range and initiate sequences of compressing and rolling the plate.

A method for manufacturing an oscillator for a timepiece made from a balance and a balance spring, the method including measuring the average moment of inertia of a batch of balances; providing pinned up balance springs, the balance springs having an excess number of coils forming up to three more turns than the final number of coils; making a first predetermined external cut of the balance springs over a length of one to two coils, then measuring the torque of the balance springs and sorting them according to the value of the measured torque; assembling the balance springs, whose measured torque corresponds to the balances, are assembled to form an oscillator with an intermediate frequency and to determine the length to be cut to achieve the desired oscillation frequency; making a second external cut of the balance springs selected to achieve both the desired oscillation frequency and a target value.

The invention relates to a spiral spring (100), suitable for use in an optical measuring method according to any one of the preceding claims, with several turns (110) which extend along respective circular paths forming a spiral course, wherein the spiral spring (100) can be stimulated to an oscillatory movement, in particular for clocking a mechanical movement, with adjacent turns (110) being deflected relative to each other along their respective circular paths by an angular displacement (), It is the object of the present invention to determine the oscillation behavior of spiral springs based on characteristic geometries, and, in particular, to provide a non-invasive, non-contact measuring method which can be used in automated assembly lines in line assembly in movement production. The object is achieved in that the spacing (x) between the adjacent turns (110) varies at least along a measuring section corresponding to the angular displacement ().

A piezoelectric balance spring (3) for a circuit (10) for self-regulating an oscillation frequency of an oscillating mechanical system (2, 3), or an energy recovery circuit or a motor circuit for actuating the movement or for the automatic maintenance thereof. The piezoelectric balance spring (3) includes at least one piezoelectric layer (7, 7, 17, 17, 27, 27) provided on a top face (20) or bottom face of a certain number of coils of the spring in a plane, and at least two pairs of electrodes (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d), whereby the electrodes of each pair are provided on two opposing faces of the same piezoelectric layer or respectively two piezoelectric layers so as to apply a reverse bias voltage on each pair of electrodes.

A device (100) for separating an assembly (10) of balance springs (12) which have been wound in and have undergone an expansion cycle, the device (100) including: a support (110) having notches (113) intended to receive the inner strands (13) of the wound in balance springs (12) making up the assembly (10), a vibrating table (120) movable along two different axes which extend in the same plane, defining a vibration plane (P1), the vibrating table (120) being configured to cause said support (110) to vibrate in a plane parallel to the vibration plane (P1). Also a method for manufacturing a balance spring.

A method for manufacturing a batch of horological balance springs (2a), the average of whose stiffnesses lies within a predetermined range, includes forming in a wafer the horological balance springs (2b, 2c) with dimensions that differ from the dimensions required to obtain the batch of horological balance springs (2a), the average of whose stiffnesses lies within said predetermined range; determining the stiffnesses of said systems; computing a dimensional correction to be applied to the horological balance springs; andmmodifying the dimensions of the horological balance springs (2b, 2c) formed, on the basis of a dimensional correction computed to obtain the batch of horological balance springs (2a).

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

A horology component based on a fragile material, wherein said component comprises at least one surface part of fragile material covered with a coating (10) comprising at least two layers CE of elastic material (11) separated by a layer CR of a material (12) stronger than the elastic material (11).