A system of polishing a concave surface of an external piece for a timepiece, including a securing device including a support that carries the piece, and a grinding device including an abrasive mechanism rotatably mounted along a first axis and configured to polish the piece along a first curvature. The securing device further includes a moving mechanism of the support so that the support imparts a back-and-forth motion along a second axis and a contact surface of the abrasive mechanism is curved to polish the piece along a second curvature in addition to the first curvature. The system can be applied to the field of crystals for a timepiece.

The method includes a step of applying glue including carrying out with a pad printing machine a sequence of steps in which is driven a transfer pad from a glue taking position to an applying position in which the distal surface of the transfer pad is in contact with one surface of one component of the tool and in which is simultaneously driven another transfer pad from a glue taking position to an applying position in which the distal surface of the another transfer pad is in contact with one surface of another component of the tool, whereby the glue is applied simultaneously to the one surface of the one component and to the one surface of the another component.

The method includes a step of applying glue including carrying out with a pad printing machine a sequence of steps in which is driven a transfer pad from a glue taking position to an applying position in which the distal surface of the transfer pad is in contact with one surface of one component of the tool and in which is simultaneously driven another transfer pad from a glue taking position to an applying position in which the distal surface of the another transfer pad is in contact with one surface of another component of the tool, whereby the glue is applied simultaneously to the one surface of the one component and to the one surface of the another component.

Disclosed is a method that includes a step of applying glue including carrying out with a pad printing machine a sequence of steps in which is driven a transfer pad from a glue taking position to an applying position in which the distal surface of the transfer pad is in contact with one surface of one component of the tool; and then carrying out again at least once the sequence of steps, whereby the glue is applied at least twice onto the one surface of one component.

Disclosed is a method that includes a step of applying glue including carrying out with a pad printing machine a sequence of steps in which is driven a transfer pad from a glue taking position to an applying position in which the distal surface of the transfer pad is in contact with one surface of one component of the tool; and then carrying out again at least once the sequence of steps, whereby the glue is applied at least twice onto the one surface of one component.

The method includes applying glue onto one surface of one component of the tool placed in a support of a first supporting member and/or onto one surface of another component of the tool placed in a support of a second supporting member while the support of the first supporting member and the support of the second supporting member are side by side; then driving the first supporting member and the second supporting member relative to one another to a second position where the support of the first supporting member and the support of the second supporting member are aligned; and then pressing the first supporting member and the second supporting member towards one another for applying onto each other the one surface of the one component and the one surface of the another component.

The method includes applying glue onto one surface of one component of the tool placed in a support of a first supporting member and/or onto one surface of another component of the tool placed in a support of a second supporting member while the support of the first supporting member and the support of the second supporting member are side by side; then driving the first supporting member and the second supporting member relative to one another to a second position where the support of the first supporting member and the support of the second supporting member are aligned; and then pressing the first supporting member and the second supporting member towards one another for applying onto each other the one surface of the one component and the one surface of the another component.

According to this lens-centering method, a state in which a lens is sandwiched at prescribed pressing force between a lens holder and a lens processing dish is brought about. Next, the lens-processing dish is rotated at slow speed about a rotation axis line that passes through the center and the spherical center of the lens-processing surface thereof, and is made to oscillate at a slight angle about the spherical center of the lens-processing surface as the center of oscillating action. The spherical center of a first lens spherical surface of the lens is guided to the spherical center of a lens-retaining surface of the lens holder, and the spherical center of a second lens spherical surface is guided to the spherical center of the lens-processing surface. A lens mounted in the spherical center-type processing machine can be set to an accurately centered state thereby.

According to this lens-centering method, a state in which a lens is sandwiched at prescribed pressing force between a lens holder and a lens processing dish is brought about. Next, the lens-processing dish is rotated at slow speed about a rotation axis line that passes through the center and the spherical center of the lens-processing surface thereof, and is made to oscillate at a slight angle about the spherical center of the lens-processing surface as the center of oscillating action. The spherical center of a first lens spherical surface of the lens is guided to the spherical center of a lens-retaining surface of the lens holder, and the spherical center of a second lens spherical surface is guided to the spherical center of the lens-processing surface. A lens mounted in the spherical center-type processing machine can be set to an accurately centered state thereby.

A lens processing system used for removing a lens blank (98, 110) from an edging block (40). The system includes an elongated collet (22) that engages the mating edging block (40). The block (40) includes an enlarged groove (41) that receives a pair of blades (65, 66) extended upwardly from the floor (75) of the collet (22). Each lens blank (98,110) is formed to include a series of surface markings (191,192) to verify proper functioning of the edging machine that forms a finished lens. Each lens blank also includes a series of circular markings (117,133) arranged in diagonal rows to verify the accurate drilling of bores with the lens blank (98,110).