A method for fabricating an applique for horology including a visible upper surface, and a lower surface from which protrudes at least one securing foot: a rough piece is made as a straight workpiece; this rough piece is deformed to form a blank so as to form an upper curve; this blank including this feet is machined; this blank is mounted on a tool having a support surface complementary to the lower surface of this blank, a recess for housing each foot, gripping means and/or an adhesive for securing each blank; the upper curve of this blank is machined with at least one final diamond-polishing operation to form this upper surface.

A gripper (100) with radial clamping, provided for a timepiece component, including a plurality of jaws (1) distributed about an axis (D), which defines a direction of insertion and/or of extraction for the timepiece component, and connected to a support (2) of the gripper, each jaw including a bearing surface (10) arranged to ensure a radial contact, relative to the axis, with a counter surface of the component and to be able to apply on this counter surface a radial clamping force, at least one the jaw being radially movable, in relation to the axis, and having an essentially radial travel in relation to the axis (D). Each mobile jaw is connected to the support by a radial elastic return means (3) that extends in a general plane (P) perpendicular to the axis and that is preferably arranged between the mobile jaw and the axis (D).

A system for controlled distribution of components, the system including a vibrating bowl provided with an enclosure having a wall extending right around an axis of revolution of the bowl and in which the components are placed in bulk, and an articulated gripping arm provided to distribute the components to the automatic assembly installation, the vibrating bowl including an ascending helical ramp extending along an internal face of the wall between a base and an upper edge of the vibrating bowl constituting an exit of the ramp, the components being able to travel along this ramp towards a supply platform, particularly a slide, on which at least one component is arranged in advance of its seizure by the articulated gripping arm, the supply platform being connected to the exit and extending above or in the enclosure of the vibrating bowl.

A device (30, 40) for the transfer of a plurality of watch components (2) arranged on a first support (10) to their arrangement on a second support (20), wherein it comprises an inlet surface (31, 41) comprising inlet orifices (33, 43) so arranged as to correspond to a first arrangement of the watch components (2) on a first support (10), an outlet surface (32, 42) comprising outlet orifices (34, 44) so arranged as to correspond to a second arrangement of the watch components (2) on a second support (20), and guide elements (35, 45) adapted to guide the watch components (2) automatically from the inlet orifices (33, 43) to the outlet orifices (34, 44).

A device (30, 40) for the transfer of a plurality of watch components (2) arranged on a first support (10) to their arrangement on a second support (20), wherein it comprises an inlet surface (31, 41) comprising inlet orifices (33, 43) so arranged as to correspond to a first arrangement of the watch components (2) on a first support (10), an outlet surface (32, 42) comprising outlet orifices (34, 44) so arranged as to correspond to a second arrangement of the watch components (2) on a second support (20), and guide elements (35, 45) adapted to guide the watch components (2) automatically from the inlet orifices (33, 43) to the outlet orifices (34, 44).

Timepiece sub-assembly including a component made of micromachinable material including an attachment area with a peripheral contact surface, and a shell element deformable between two shapes, one contracted and one expanded, arranged to hold the attachment area inside a housing with at least one degree of freedom, and which includes a complementary contact surface arranged, in its contracted shape, to exert a clamping force on the contact surface and to securely immobilise the attachment area in all directions, the shell element including a first element and a second element that are movable with respect to each other in its expanded shape, each including a complementary contact surface, and including clamping means for holding the first and second elements clamped together in its contracted shape.

A method for fabricating an applique for horology including a visible upper surface, and a lower surface from which protrudes at least one securing foot: a rough piece is made as a straight workpiece; this rough piece is deformed to form a blank so as to form an upper curve; this blank including this feet is machined; this blank is mounted on a tool having a support surface complementary to the lower surface of this blank, a recess for housing each foot, gripping means and/or an adhesive for securing each blank; the upper curve of this blank is machined with at least one final diamond-polishing operation to form this upper surface.

A system for controlled distribution of components, the system including a vibrating bowl provided with an enclosure having a wall extending right around an axis of revolution of the bowl and in which the components are placed in bulk, and an articulated gripping arm provided to distribute the components to the automatic assembly installation, the vibrating bowl including an ascending helical ramp extending along an internal face of the wall between a base and an upper edge of the vibrating bowl constituting an exit of the ramp, the components being able to travel along this ramp towards a supply platform, particularly a slide, on which at least one component is arranged in advance of its seizure by the articulated gripping arm, the supply platform being connected to the exit and extending above or in the enclosure of the vibrating bowl.

Timepiece sub-assembly comprising a component made of micromachinable material comprising an attachment area with a peripheral contact surface, and a shell element deformable between two shapes, one contracted and one expanded, arranged to hold the attachment area inside a housing with at least one degree of freedom, and which comprises a complementary contact surface arranged, in its contracted shape, to exert a clamping force on the contact surface and to securely immobilise the attachment area in all directions, the shell element comprising a first element and a second element that are movable with respect to each other in its expanded shape, each comprising a complementary contact surface, and comprising clamping means for holding the first and second elements clamped together in its contracted shape.

A gripper (100) with radial clamping, provided for a timepiece component, including a plurality of jaws (1) distributed about an axis (D), which defines a direction of insertion and/or of extraction for the timepiece component, and connected to a support (2) of the gripper, each jaw including a bearing surface (10) arranged to ensure a radial contact, relative to the axis, with a counter surface of the component and to be able to apply on this counter surface a radial clamping force, at least one the jaw being radially movable, in relation to the axis, and having an essentially radial travel in relation to the axis (D). Each mobile jaw is connected to the support by a radial elastic return member (3) that extends in a general plane (P) perpendicular to the axis and that is arranged between the mobile jaw and the axis (D).