A method for tuning a gong of a striking watch. The gong is fastened at one end to a gong holder, which can be mounted in a watch case. The gong is struck by a hammer to be vibrated on a support of the measuring instrument to determine by a fast Fourier transform frequency peaks in a band of audible frequencies. A comparison in a first natural mode of a vibration frequency in the plane XY with a vibration frequency outside the plane Z is performed and a ratio calculation r=|f1p−f1h|/f1p, where f1p is the vibration frequency in the plane XY, and f1h is the vibration frequency outside the plane Z. If the ratio r is less than or equal to a desired value of 0.006, the gong is tuned. If it is greater, the method is repeated until the ratio value is achieved.

An assembly (1) for measuring a relative humidity level inside a watch (2), comprising the watch (2) and a device (4) for determining the humidity level present in the enclosure (9) of a case (3) of this watch (2), the determination device (4) comprising a free space optical system and a control unit (7). The system includes: an emitter module (5) for emitting at least one light beam (8); and a receiver module (6) for receiving the at least one light beam (8); the control unit (7) being connected to the modules (5, 6) and the at least one light beam (8) emitted by the emitter module (5) defining an optical path partly comprised in the case (3) and extending as far as the receiver module (6) and the control unit (7) being configured to evaluate the absorption of the light beam (8) by the water vapour capable of being present inside the enclosure (9) of the case (3).

A method for providing information about a mechanical wristwatch, including the following steps, performed by the wristwatch: harvesting an intermittently available external energy, storing the harvested energy, at the end of a predefined period of time, generating an analysis report on an activity of the owner of the wristwatch, based at least on the times and durations of availability of the external energy, when or after the harvested energy quantity reaches a threshold, the threshold being on or above an energy level required to power a transmission unit of the wristwatch, wirelessly transmitting the analysis report to a distant reader with the transmission unit.

A time correction device includes a mounting stand on which a watch is mounted, a detector configured to detect a position of a hand of the watch mounted on the mounting stand, an operation mechanism configured to operate a crown of the watch mounted on the mounting stand, a timekeeping circuit configured to keep an internal time, and a control circuit configured to acquire an indicated time indicated by the hand from the position of the hand and control the operation mechanism to rotate the crown in accordance with a difference between the internal time and the indicated time and thus correct the indicated time to the internal time.

A method for providing information about a mechanical wristwatch, including the following steps, performed by the wristwatch: harvesting an intermittently available external energy, storing the harvested energy, at the end of a predefined period of time, generating an analysis report on an activity of the owner of the wristwatch, based at least on the times and durations of availability of the external energy, when or after the harvested energy quantity reaches a threshold, the threshold being on or above an energy level required to power a transmission unit of the wristwatch, wirelessly transmitting the analysis report to a distant reader with the transmission unit.

A method for authenticating a timepiece including measuring acoustic vibrations emitted by said timepiece to obtain an electrical signal, said electrical signal indicating a variation of a magnitude of said measured acoustic vibrations as a function of time, wherein said electrical signal comprises a plurality of acoustic events associated with mechanical shocks taking place in said timepiece, extracting from said electrical signal or from a representation of said electrical signal in a time, frequency or time-frequency domain at least one of a magnitude information on a magnitude of one of said plurality of acoustic events, time information on said one of said plurality of acoustic events, and a frequency information on a frequency of said one of said plurality of acoustic events, comparing said extracted information with at least one of a reference information, and deriving information on an authenticity of said timepiece based on the comparing.

A method for determining parameters for adjusting a mechanical watch with an electronic device, including a measurement sensor a to measure a parameter to which the electronic device is subjected, and a device for data transmission to transmit the data provided by the measurement sensor to a device for receiving data which is external to the mechanical watch, the method including successively a step of measuring periodically, with the measurement sensor, the value of the physical parameter to which the electronic device is subjected; a step of transmitting the data provided by the measurement sensor to the external device for receiving data; a step of recording and analyzing the data transmitted to the device for receiving data with a view to deducing therefrom the conditions to which the electronic device is subjected, and a step of determining the parameters for adjusting the working of the mechanical watch as a function of the conditions of use.

In an apparatus and a method for capturing changes in position of at least one component mounted in an assembly, the assembly is positioned in the apparatus and a camera is calibrated. An image of the assembly is recorded before the assembly is subjected to the vibration. The assembly is exposed to vibrations for a defined period of time and intensity. An image of the assembly is recorded after the assembly is subjected to the vibration. The two images are superposed on one another with the aid of an image processing device, and differences are identified. The results are displayed on a display, wherein possibly the components with changes in position (or possibly those without changes) are highlighted visually. The user examines the results and can then take further actions on the basis of the changes in position detected.

A watch (100) for use in a time-dependent authentication system, said watch (100) comprising: a mechanism having one or more moving components to measure and/or indicate passage of time, such as hands; a sensor subsystem (101, 102) configured to sense a mechanical configuration of said one or more moving components with respect to the fixed watch dial and to generate an output signal indicative of said sensed mechanical configuration; and a transmitter (107) configured to transmit said signal for use as a predictable, time-variant authentication token dependent on the mechanical configuration of the watch (100). In other words, the time-varying authentication token is related to the time-varying pattern formed by the positions of the hands onto the watch dial. The output signal is measured using a capacitive, an ultrasonic or an optical probe.

The invention relates to a tower clock, comprising: a time display unit with a clock face and at least two hands; a stepper motor which is connected to the first hand (Z1) via a first clock shaft (W1); an acceleration sensor designed as a 2D acceleration sensor or as a 3D acceleration sensor, which is attached to the first hand (Z1) or to the first clock shaft (W1); a reading unit for reading out the acceleration sensor; and a control computer coupled to the reading unit and to the stepper motor, which is designed to receive a time signal (ZS), to receive a hand position signal (PS) of the acceleration sensor read out by the reading unit and to control the stepper motor as a function of the time signal (ZS) and of the hand position signal (PS). Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating the tower clock.