Timepiece part, and method for producing such a timepiece part

Abstract

A timepiece (1) having at least one colored transparent stone (10), and a support (20) with at least one opening (200) for receiving this colored transparent stone (10). The ratio between the height (h) and width (L) of the colored transparent stone (10) is less than 50% , and the support (20) is made from anodised titanium or anodised aluminium. Advantageously, the color of the colored transparent stone (10) in the timepiece (1) is enhanced by that of the support (20).

Claims

1. A timepiece part comprising: at least one colored transparent stone wherein said colored transparent stone comprises a crown portion and a pavilion portion which has an end extremity; and a mount comprising at least one aperture for receiving said colored transparent stone; wherein the ratio between the height and width of said colored transparent stone is lower than 50%; said mount is made of anodized titanium or anodized aluminum; the at least one aperture has lateral surfaces; said lateral surfaces comprise: first lateral surfaces arranged for receiving the crown portion of the colored transparent stone; second lateral surfaces arranged for receiving the pavilion portion of the colored transparent stone; third lateral surfaces arranged for receiving the end extremity of the colored transparent stone; the at least one aperture is a through aperture, and comprises a first end at said crown portion of the colored transparent stone, and a second end at the end extremity of the colored transparent stone; first, second and third lateral surfaces are anodized, the anodization process being performed after the setting of the colored transparent stone, by exploiting the second end of the through aperture, so that the anodization process reaches first, second and third lateral surfaces.

2. The timepiece part of claim 1, wherein said colored transparent stone is a semiprecious or precious, natural or synthetic cut stone.

3. The timepiece part as claimed in claim 1, comprising setting elements that are anodized.

4. The timepiece part as claimed in claim 1, said mount having a thickness smaller than 1 mm.

5. The timepiece part as claimed in claim 1, said colored transparent stone being a first color, said mount being a second color chosen so as to reinforce said first color.

6. The timepiece part as claimed in claim 5, the first color being equal to the second color.

7. The timepiece part as claimed in claim 1, consisting of a dial.

8. The timepiece part as claimed in claim 1, consisting of an oscillating weight.

9. A method for manufacturing a timepiece part as claimed in claim 1, comprising the following steps: producing in a mount at least one aperture; setting a colored transparent stone into said aperture, said colored transparent stone having a ratio between its height and width-lower than 50%; and anodizing said mount.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the anodization process is performed after the setting of the colored transparent stone, by exploiting the second end of the through aperture, so that the anodization process reaches first, second and third lateral surfaces.

11. A The timepiece part of claim 1, wherein the end extremity of the pavilion portion of said colored transparent is pointed.

12. The timepiece part according to claim 11, wherein said pointed end extremity of the pavilion portion of said colored transparent has a single point only.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Examples of implementation of the invention are indicated in the description illustrated by the appended figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a top view of one embodiment of the part according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a cross section through one embodiment of the part according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a cross section through one embodiment of the mount of the part according to the invention.

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates one example of a cross section through one embodiment of the colored transparent stone of the part according to the invention.

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

(6) In the following description, which is given by way of example, reference will be made, for the sake of simplicity, to a dial. However, the invention is not limited to such a part. The invention is also not limited to the watch and clock making industry but also includes, for example, jewelry components.

(7) FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a top view of a dial 1 according to the invention.

(8) The timepiece part 1 according to the invention comprises: at least one colored transparent stone 10; and a mount 20 comprising at least one aperture 200, shown in FIG. 2, for receiving this stone 10.

(9) Advantageously, the ratio between the height h and the width L of the stone 10, as illustrated in FIG. 4, is lower than 50%, i.e. the colored transparent stone is a flat stone.

(10) Advantageously, the mount 20 is made of anodized titanium or anodized aluminum. The anodization is as a general rule carried out after the part 1 has been set and polished.

(11) Combining flat colored transparent stones 10 with a mount made of anodized titanium or anodized aluminum 20 allows stones 10 with a significant coloring to be obtained despite the mount 20 having a small thickness e (as may be seen in FIG. 3) because the color given to the mount 20 by the anodization process influences the color of the flat stones 10, which color is thus reinforced and therefore improved.

(12) Specifically, if at least some of the stones 10 have the same color as that given to the mount 20 by the anodization process, some of the light passes through the stone and reaches the metal located underneath and is then reflected. The coloring of these light rays is therefore obtained by subtraction of certain wavelengths through the colorful stone 10, but also during the reflection from the metal of the mount 20. The coloring of the stone 10 is therefore reinforced by the mount 20.

(13) Therefore one of the advantages of the invention is the obtainment of colored transparent stones 10 of significant coloring despite the small thickness e of the mount 20 (smaller than 1 mm, preferably smaller than 0.8 mm, for example 0.6 mm), or in any case despite the small depth of the apertures into which the stones are set.

(14) The colored transparent stone 10, shown in FIG. 4, has a table 16, i.e. an upper portion of the stone, that may be various shapes, for example round, oval, square, heart-shaped, etc. The ratio between the height of the pavilion 12 and that of the crown 14 depends on the type of cut of the stone 10.

(15) In a preferred variant, illustrated in FIG. 3, the lateral surfaces 26, 27 and 28 and the optional bottom of the aperture 200 that receives the colored transparent stone are also anodized and colored. In a preferred variant, the setting elements 300, shown in FIG. 2, for example claws or grains, are anodized and the same color as the mount 20.

(16) Specifically, if the stone 10 is a first color, the mount 20 is a second color chosen so as to reinforce this first color. In a preferred variant, this first color is equal to the second color. If a plurality of stones are present in the mount, this synergistic effect also allows the uniformity of the coloring of the part 1 to be improved.

(17) In the example in FIG. 1, in which the colored transparent stones 10 are round, of various diameters and “snow set”, i.e. placed as closely as possible to each other, it is very difficult to make the color of the stones uniform, certain stones being lighter or darker or having different colorings. The different size of the stones in a snow setting thus gives the impression of different colors.

(18) The anodization of the mount 20 allows a coloring to be added to the colored transparent stones 10 and thus the uniformity of the coloring of the part 1 to be improved.

(19) In the variant in FIG. 2, the aperture 200 is a through-aperture, i.e. it passes right through the mount 20. In this case, the stones have a height h substantially equal to the thickness e of the mount 20, as may be seen in FIG. 2.

(20) Through-apertures 200 under each stone allow the coloring process to reach the surfaces 26, 27, 28 of the mount 20 under the stones 10. Thy also allow a degree of transparency to be given to the part 1. Through-apertures 200 under each stone 10 also allow a “stained-glass window” effect to be achieved with the part 1, thereby allowing a coloring to be kept both when the light originates from in front and behind the set part.

(21) Lastly, through-apertures 200 allow a good uniformity to be obtained for the anodization-produced coloring of the mount and for cleaning out treatment products after the mount has been colored.

(22) Stones set into blind apertures may however also be used.

REFERENCE NUMBERS EMPLOYED IN THE FIGURES

(23) 1 Timepiece part 10 Colored transparent stone 12 Pavilion 14 Crown 16 Table 20 Mount 26 First surface defining the aperture 27 Second surface defining the aperture 28 Third surface defining the aperture 200 Aperture 300 Setting element e Thickness of the mount h Height of the colored transparent stone L Width of the colored transparent stone