CH719180A2 - Timepiece, jewelry or jewelry piece comprising a reflective coating on a localized area. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a timepiece, piece of jewelery or jewelery comprising a body (12) delimited by a surface comprising, on a localized area (13), a reflective coating, with the aim of improving the brilliance of set stones next to the coating. The invention also relates to a method for producing such a part, comprising the selective deposition of a resist lacquer on the entire surface of the body with the exception of the localized zone.

Description

Technical field of the invention

The invention falls within the field of watchmaking, jewelry or jewelry.

[0002] More particularly, the invention relates to a timepiece, piece of jewelery or jewelery comprising a reflective coating on a localized area and a method for producing said piece.

In the present text, the present invention is applied to the field of watchmaking.

Technology background

[0004] Timepieces, particularly in fine watchmaking, are regularly offered in a variation in which their exterior components, that is to say the visible components, are set with precious stones, such as diamonds.

[0005] These parts are generally made of precious metal, such as gold or platinum.

To increase the brilliance of a stone and the brilliance of the piece on which it is set, it is known to deposit a thin layer of rhodium on the surface of the piece by a rhodium plating process. During this process, the thin layer of rhodium is deposited on the entire piece. The rhodium plating process is systematically carried out following the setting of the stones on the piece.

[0007] However, such a process is only used for parts made of light-colored precious metal, such as white gold or gray gold, silver, etc.

[0008] However, it is generally observed that the crimping is rendered less aesthetically pleasing on parts made of certain alloys of colored precious metals, for example the gold alloy called "red gold" known under the name "5N" according to the standard ISO 8654. Indeed, these colored precious metal alloys generally have a lower brilliance and a higher tendency to tarnish than light-colored metals, which negatively impacts the brilliance of the set stones.

[0009] In addition, due to its low thickness, the thin layer of rhodium has only limited resistance to friction and may show signs of wear materializing locally by revealing the color of the part.

Summary of the invention

The invention solves the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a solution allowing the improvement of the brilliance of the set stones, by adding a high-gloss coating, locally, on the surface of the piece opposite which the stones are set.

Another object of the present invention is to increase the brilliance of stones set on a part made of an alloy of colored precious metals.

[0012] To this end, the present invention relates to a timepiece, piece of jewelery or jewelery comprising a body delimited by a surface comprising, on a localized area, a reflective coating.

[0013] Thus, the reflective coating is preferentially deposited on a part of the part not likely to be subject to friction.

[0014] In particular embodiments, the invention may also comprise one or more of the following characteristics, taken in isolation or in all technically possible combinations.

[0015] In particular embodiments, the body comprises a bezel in which a stone is set, the localized zone forming, for example, all or part of the surface of the bezel opposite which the stone is set.

[0016] Thanks to the characteristics of the present invention, the brilliance of the surface of the piece is increased locally, facing the set stone, so as to increase its brilliance while allowing said piece to be made of an alloy of colored precious metal.

[0017] Furthermore, the deposited coating is not likely to be subject to friction because it is covered, and therefore protected, by the set stone, so that the part can be polished after setting without risk of removing or damaging said coating.

In particular embodiments, the reflective coating comprises rhodium, platinum or palladium.

In particular embodiments, the reflective coating has luminescent properties.

[0020] In particular embodiments, in the L*a*b* colorimetric space, the reflective coating has an L* value greater than 90, the rest of the surface of the part having an L* value less than 90 .

[0021] The present invention relates, according to another object, to a method for producing a timepiece, piece of jewelery or jewelery as described above. The process comprises the steps of: – 100 - obtaining a selective deposit of a soldermask, in which a soldermask is deposited on the entire surface of the body of the part with the exception of the localized area, – 200 - deposition of a reflective coating on the localized area, – 300 - removal of the resist lacquer.

[0022] The localized deposition of the reflective coating can therefore be obtained simply and quickly, which makes it possible to reduce costs while ensuring a constant level of quality.

[0023] In particular modes of implementation, step 100 is carried out by the sub-steps of: - 101 - localized deposition of a primary resist lacquer on the localized area, - 102 - deposition of a soldermask over the entire surface of the body of the part, – 103 - removal of the primary soldermask with a solvent that does not dissolve the soldermask.

[0024] In particular modes of implementation, the sub-step 102 is carried out by cataphoresis

[0025] In particular modes of implementation, step 100 is carried out by the sub-steps of: - 104 - depositing a resist lacquer on the entire surface of the body of the part, - 105 - machining said resist lacquer on the localized area so as to remove said lacquer at said localized area.

In particular modes of implementation, the sub-step 104 is carried out by cataphoresis.

In particular embodiments, step 200 is performed by galvanic growth.

In particular embodiments, step 200 is performed by a physical vapor deposition method.

[0029] In particular embodiments, the resist lacquer is made from polymers.

Brief description of figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following detailed description given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figures 1 to 5 respectively represent a draft of a part obtained at each step of a method for producing a timepiece, piece of jewelery or jewelery according to an example of implementation of the present invention, - FIG. 6 represents a timepiece, jewelry or jewelry according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, - Figure 7 shows a timepiece, jewelry or jewelry according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

Figure 6 shows a piece 10 of timepieces, jewelry or jewelry according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention is advantageously applied in the present text to a part 10 comprising at least one bezel 11 receiving a set stone (not shown in the figures), but it can be applied generally to any part 10 intended to have an aesthetic function.

The term "stone" means in this text, any precious or semi-precious stone, natural or synthetic.

The part 10 according to the present invention comprises a body 12 delimited by a surface on which a localized area 13 has a reflective coating 14, shiny. The localized zone 13 is said to be "localized" in the sense that it only extends over a portion of the surface of the body of the part 10.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 6, the part 10 has several localized areas 13.

Furthermore, preferably, the localized zone 13 forms all or part of the surface of the bezel 11 opposite which the stone is set. Thus, the brilliance of the set stone is increased by the reflective coating 14.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the surface of the localized area 13 may extend beyond the surface of the kitten 11, as shown in Figure 7.

The notion of reflective coating 14 is defined in the present text by the fact that said coating has, when it is applied to the localized area 13, a gloss greater than that of the rest of the surface of the part 10. Otherwise said, the reflective coating 14 applied to the localized area 13 has a higher reflectance than the rest of the surface of the part 10

More particularly, in the L*a*b* colorimetric space, the reflective coating 14 has, for example, an L* value greater than 90, the rest of the surface of the part 10 having, for example, a lower L* value. at 90.

For this purpose, the reflective coating 14 may comprise rhodium, platinum or palladium.

The present invention is particularly advantageous for parts whose body 12 is made of a gold alloy, for example a gold alloy having a color ranging from pink to dark red, that is to say say in a gold alloy designated by 4N up to 6N according to the ISO 8654 standard.

Indeed, the present invention allows the piece to retain the color of the metal in which it is made, while ensuring an increase in the brilliance of the set stone it carries.

Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, the body 12 of the part 10 can be made of any other material with a darker appearance than the reflective coating 14.

Advantageously, in a particular embodiment of the invention, the reflective coating 14 can also have luminescent properties, that is to say emit light when it is or has been subjected to light radiation.

[0045] Thus, the appearance of the part 10 may vary depending on the level of darkness of the external environment in which it is located.

According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for producing part 10.

The method is implemented on a blank of the part 10, as shown in Figure 1, and comprises the steps of: - 100 - obtaining a selective deposit of a resist lacquer 15, in which a resist lacquer 15 is deposited over the entire surface of the body 12 of the part 10 with the exception of the localized zone 13, as illustrated by FIG. 4; by way of example, such a resist lacquer can be formed by zapon, by a varnish based on cellulose nitrate, by a photosensitive resin based on propylene glycol, by polyepoxides, and the like. ; – 200 - deposition of a reflective coating 14 on the localized zone 13, as illustrated by figure 5, – 300 - removal of the solder lacquer 15, so as to obtain the body 12 of the part 10 according to the invention illustrated by FIG. 6, or FIG. 7 in another exemplary embodiment of the invention; this step is for example carried out by immersing the body of the part 10 in a bath of solvent, such as acetone;

In an exemplary implementation of the present invention, step 100 is carried out by implementing the following sub-steps: - 101 - localized deposition of a primary resist lacquer 16 on the localized area 13, as shown in Figure 2; this operation can be carried out manually using a brush or a syringe; the primary resist lacquer 16 may be a lacquer based on biphenyl-4-ol; – 102 - deposition of a resist lacquer 15 on the entire surface of the body 12 of the part 10, as shown in figure 3, – 103 - removal of the primary resist lacquer 16 with a solvent which does not not dissolve the resist lacquer 15, so as to obtain a part 10 comprising a selective deposit of resist lacquer 15, as shown in FIG. 4; in the case of a lacquer based on biphenyl-4-ol, the solvent is hot water, with or without soap.

In another exemplary implementation of the present invention, step 100 is carried out by implementing the following sub-steps: - 104 - depositing a resist lacquer 15 on the entire surface of the body 12 of the part 10, as represented in FIG. 3, - 105 - machining of the resist lacquer 15 on the localized zone 13 so as to eliminate the said lacquer at the level of the said localized zone 13, in order to obtain a part 10 comprising a selective deposition of solder resist 15, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0050] The sub-step 105 can be performed with any appropriate machining method, for example by laser machining or by mechanical machining.

The sub-step 102, or the sub-step 104 according to the example of implementation considered, can advantageously be carried out by cataphoresis, so as to guarantee the coverage of the entire surface of the body 12 of the piece 10

Alternatively, sub-step 102, or sub-step 104 depending on the example implementation considered, can be performed by any appropriate method.

The solder lacquer 15 is for example made from polymers.

Step 200 is preferably carried out by galvanic growth. Alternatively, step 200 can be carried out by a physical vapor deposition method, known under the name “PVD” for “Physical Vapor Deposition”.

The method according to the present invention may comprise, following the step 300 of removing the solder resist 15, an additional step 400 (not shown in the figures) of crimping one or more stones respectively in one or in kittens 11.

More generally, it should be noted that the embodiments and embodiments considered above have been described by way of non-limiting examples, and that other variants are therefore possible.

Claims (13)

1. Part (10) of timepieces, jewelery or jewelery characterized in that it comprises a body (12) delimited by a surface comprising, on a localized area (13), a reflective coating (14). 2. Part (10) of timepieces, jewelry or jewelry according to claim 1, wherein the body (12) comprises a bezel (11) in which is set a stone, the localized area (13) forming all or part of the surface of the bezel (11) opposite which the stone is set. 3. Part (10) of timepieces, jewelry or jewelry according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reflective coating (14) comprises rhodium, platinum or palladium. 4. Part (10) of timepieces, jewelry or jewelry according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reflective coating (14) has luminescent properties. 5. Timepiece, jewelery or jewelery part (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, in which in the L*a*b* colorimetric space, the reflective coating (14) has a value L* greater than 90, the rest of the surface of the part (10) having an L* value less than 90. 6. Method for producing a part (10) of timepieces, jewelery or jewelry according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: – 100 - obtaining a selective deposition of a soldermask (15), in which a soldermask (15) is deposited over the entire surface of the body (12) of the part (10) except for the localized area (13), – 200 - deposition of a reflective coating (14) on the localized area (13), – 300 - removal of solder lacquer (15). 7. The method of claim 6, wherein step 100 is performed by the substeps of: – 101 - localized deposit of a primary resist lacquer (16) on the localized area (13), – 102 - deposition of a resist lacquer (15) over the entire surface of the body (12) of the part (10), – 103 - removal of the primary solder (16) with a solvent that does not dissolve the solder (15) 8. Process according to claim 7, in which sub-step 102 is carried out by cataphoresis. 9. The method of claim 6, wherein step 100 is performed by the substeps of: – 104 - deposition of a spare lacquer (15) on the entire surface of the body (12) of the part (10), – 105 - machining of said resist lacquer (15) on the localized area (13) so as to eliminate said lacquer at the level of said localized area (13) 10. Process according to claim 98, in which sub-step 104 is carried out by cataphoresis 11. Method according to one of claims 6 to 10, in which step 200 is carried out by galvanic growth 12. Method according to one of claims 6 to 11, in which step 200 is carried out by a physical vapor deposition method. 13. Method according to one of claims 6 to 12, wherein the resist lacquer (15) is made from polymers.