A method for treating a jewel of the monocrystalline or polycrystalline type (20), in particular for the watchmaking industry, the jewel (20) including a body (23) defining the shape thereof. The method includes a step of ion implantation on the surface (24) of at least a part of the body (23) to modify the roughness of the surface (24).

A method for manufacturing a timepiece component includes: forming a first processed surface having a predetermined pattern by irradiating a surface of a receiving plate with a femtosecond laser; and forming a second processed surface having a surface roughness smaller than that of the first processed surface by irradiating at least a part of the first processed surface with a nanosecond laser.

A method may produce a ceramic part with a mother-of-pearl effect, in particular for watchmaking. Such methods may include: forming a ceramic body; depositing a layer of an oxy-nitride component of the OxNy type on at least a portion of the ceramic body; and oxidizing at least a portion of the oxy-nitride layer, preferably by heating.

A method for manufacturing a horology component comprising a surface that is to be treated, this surface being prepared beforehand through a substep of polishing and/or through a substep of adding a malleable upper layer (2), wherein said method comprise: a first surface structuring (E10) of said surface that is to be treated of the horology component, followed by a second surface structuring (E20) of said surface that is to be treated, structured by the previous first surface structuring step (E10).

A layer of lanthanum boride of stoichiometry LaB.sub.x where x is between 9 and 12 is deposited on substrate, for example a stainless steel watch dial, and subsequently treated with a laser, such that the portion(s) of the layer treated with the laser change colour according to the laser power. This produces multicoloured surfaces having high resistance to corrosion and abrasion. The layer of LaB.sub.x is deposited by PVD and by cathode sputtering, using a LaB.sub.6 target of purple-violet colour, such that the colour of the deposited layer differs from the colour of the target. The laser treatment at specific powers changes the stoichiometry of the layer in the treatment portions, such that the colour of these portions changes according to the stoichiometry obtained. At higher powers, the laser will remove the layer of LaB.sub.x. Thus the colour of the treated portions is determined by the material of the substrate.

A method for depositing a coating on a substrate (100), including successively depositing a thin intermetallic layer (110) on the substrate (100), so as to obtain an external part (10), and annealing the external part (10) in a dedicated enclosure.

A micromechanical functional assembly including at least one first part with a first functional surface intended to enter into frictional contact with a second functional surface, the second functional surface belonging either to the first part or to at least one second part constituting with the first part the functional assembly, wherein the functional assembly includes the first functional surface and the second functional surface are formed by a first layer including ultrananocrystalline, nanocrystalline or microcrystalline diamond, the first layer being topped by a second layer including S and F atoms. It also relates to the method for functionalising diamond.

Economical method for manufacturing a timepiece display or hand-fitting component: a casing material is chosen for each visible surface: amorphous metal or nanocrystalline alloy or alloy of gold and/or silver and/or copper and/or rhodium and/or titanium and/or aluminium; a thick, hollow blank of a thickness greater than 20 micrometres is created in a first tool, from the casing material with an initial thickness greater than or equal to 50 micrometres, with an overthickness with respect to each visible surface, with a first cavity for reception of a support structure; an interior material is chosen to make a support structure; the support structure is made and joined to the first cavity; one visible surface remaining visible, is diamond tool machined, removing all or part of the overthickness from the blank.

A layer of lanthanum boride of stoichiometry LaB.sub.x where x is between 9 and 12 is deposited on substrate, for example a stainless steel watch dial, and subsequently treated with a laser, such that the portion(s) of the layer treated with the laser change colour according to the laser power. This produces multicoloured surfaces having high resistance to corrosion and abrasion. The layer of LaB.sub.x is deposited by PVD and by cathode sputtering, using a LaB.sub.6 target of purple-violet colour, such that the colour of the deposited layer differs from the colour of the target. The laser treatment at specific powers changes the stoichiometry of the layer in the treatment portions, such that the colour of these portions changes according to the stoichiometry obtained. At higher powers, the laser will remove the layer of LaB.sub.x. Thus the colour of the treated portions is determined by the material of the substrate.

A method for structuring a decorative or technical pattern in the thickness of an object made of an at least partially transparent amorphous, semi-crystalline or crystalline material, wherein the object is made of an at least partially transparent material including a top surface and a bottom surface which extends away from the top surface. The top or bottom surfaces is provided with a mask defining an opening whose outline corresponds to the profile of the pattern to be structured, the mask covering the top or bottom surface at the positions which are not to be structured. The pattern is structured with a mono- or multicharged ion beam through the opening of the mask, wherein the mechanical properties of the mask are sufficient to prevent the ions of the ion beam from etching the top or bottom surface at the positions where this top or bottom surface is covered by the mask.