A balance for a horological movement, including rigid parts constituted by a hub defining the pivot axis of the balance, at least one felloe sector, at least one arm connecting the at least one felloe sector to said hub, and including a slot for receiving and gripping in position an inertia-block, the slot opening into a housing delimited on the one hand by a rigid part of the balance, and on the other hand an elastic arm including a first end integral with a rigid part of the balance, and a second free distal end. The elastic arm can have a body of a non-constant section, a part of the body having a greater thickness than the rest of the elastic arm so as to have a larger volume of material under stress and store a maximum of elastic energy.

A balance for a horological movement, including rigid parts constituted by a hub defining the pivot axis of the balance, at least one felloe sector, at least one arm connecting the at least one felloe sector to said hub, and including a slot for receiving and gripping in position an inertia-block, the slot opening into a housing delimited on the one hand by a rigid part of the balance, and on the other hand an elastic arm including a first end integral with a rigid part of the balance, and a second free distal end. The elastic arm can have a body of a non-constant section, a part of the body having a greater thickness than the rest of the elastic arm so as to have a larger volume of material under stress and store a maximum of elastic energy.

A balance-spring, particularly for a timepiece resonator mechanism. An adjustment device include a single elongated flexible element (5) arranged in series of strip (2), connecting one end (4, 9) of said strip (2) to a fixed support (11), to add an additional stiffness to the strip (2), and having a stiffness greater than that of the strip (2). A prestressing means (6) applies at least two different stresses on the elongated flexible element (5), the first stress being provided by a tensile/compressive force directed substantially in the longitudinal direction F.sub.L of the elongated flexible element (5), and the second stress being provided, either by a force directed substantially in a direction substantially orthogonal F.sub.T to the longitudinal direction of the elongated flexible element (5), or by a torque M, preferably a bending moment, in such a way as to vary the stiffness of the elongated flexible element (5).

A balance-spring, particularly for a timepiece resonator mechanism. An adjustment device include a single elongated flexible element (5) arranged in series of strip (2), connecting one end (4, 9) of said strip (2) to a fixed support (11), to add an additional stiffness to the strip (2), and having a stiffness greater than that of the strip (2). A prestressing means (6) applies at least two different stresses on the elongated flexible element (5), the first stress being provided by a tensile/compressive force directed substantially in the longitudinal direction F.sub.L of the elongated flexible element (5), and the second stress being provided, either by a force directed substantially in a direction substantially orthogonal F.sub.T to the longitudinal direction of the elongated flexible element (5), or by a torque M, preferably a bending moment, in such a way as to vary the stiffness of the elongated flexible element (5).

Process for manufacturing a hybrid timepiece component, wherein the following steps are comprised: 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.

Method of assembling a timepiece comprising a watch movement and a water-resistant case, the method comprising a first stage of closing the case by fitting and securing a first case element, more particularly a back, and then a second stage of closing the case by actuation of a second case element, more particularly a stem, in particular a winding stem or a valve stem or a push-button stem, the second case element being mobile between a first configuration, in which a fluid communication between the interior of the case and an environment outside the case is permitted, and a second configuration, in which the fluid communication between the interior of the case and the environment outside the case is limited, the second stage of closing being an actuation of the passage of the second element from the first configuration to the second configuration.

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).

A balance for a horological movement, including rigid parts constituted by a hub defining the pivot axis of the balance, at least one felloe sector, at least one arm connecting the at least one felloe sector to said hub, and including a slot for receiving and gripping in position an inertia-block, the slot opening into a housing delimited on the one hand by a rigid part of the balance, and on the other hand an elastic arm including a first end integral with a rigid part of the balance, and a second free distal end. The elastic arm can have a body of a non-constant section, a part of the body having a greater thickness than the rest of the elastic arm so as to have a larger volume of material under stress and store a maximum of elastic energy.

A balance for a horological movement, including rigid parts constituted by a hub defining the pivot axis of the balance, at least one felloe sector, at least one arm connecting the at least one felloe sector to said hub, and including a slot for receiving and gripping in position an inertia-block, the slot opening into a housing delimited on the one hand by a rigid part of the balance, and on the other hand an elastic arm including a first end integral with a rigid part of the balance, and a second free distal end. The elastic arm can have a body of a non-constant section, a part of the body having a greater thickness than the rest of the elastic arm so as to have a larger volume of material under stress and store a maximum of elastic energy.

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.