EP3680731B1 - Method for manufacturing clock components made of fragile material - Google Patents

Method for manufacturing clock components made of fragile material Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3680731B1
EP3680731B1 EP19150749.0A EP19150749A EP3680731B1 EP 3680731 B1 EP3680731 B1 EP 3680731B1 EP 19150749 A EP19150749 A EP 19150749A EP 3680731 B1 EP3680731 B1 EP 3680731B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
timepiece components
components
tool
fragile material
timepiece
Prior art date
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EP19150749.0A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP3680731A1 (en
Inventor
Sylvain Jeanneret
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Patek Philippe SA Geneve
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Patek Philippe SA Geneve
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Priority to EP19150749.0A priority Critical patent/EP3680731B1/en
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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04D—APPARATUS OR TOOLS SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR MAKING OR MAINTAINING CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04D3/00—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials
    • G04D3/0002—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe
    • G04D3/0043—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe for components of the time-indicating mechanisms
    • G04D3/0046—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe for components of the time-indicating mechanisms for hands
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B13/00—Gearwork
    • G04B13/02—Wheels; Pinions; Spindles; Pivots
    • G04B13/028—Wheels; Pinions; Spindles; Pivots wheels in which the teeth are conic, contrate, etc; also column wheels construction
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B15/00—Escapements
    • G04B15/14—Component parts or constructional details, e.g. construction of the lever or the escape wheel
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
    • G04B19/04—Hands; Discs with a single mark or the like
    • G04B19/042—Construction and manufacture of the hands; arrangements for increasing reading accuracy
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04D—APPARATUS OR TOOLS SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR MAKING OR MAINTAINING CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04D3/00—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials
    • G04D3/0002—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe
    • G04D3/0015—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe for components of the pawl construction, stop clicks, clutches
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04D—APPARATUS OR TOOLS SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR MAKING OR MAINTAINING CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04D3/00—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials
    • G04D3/0002—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe
    • G04D3/0017—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe for components of gearworks
    • G04D3/002—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe for components of gearworks for gear wheels or gears
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04D—APPARATUS OR TOOLS SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR MAKING OR MAINTAINING CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04D3/00—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials
    • G04D3/0002—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe
    • G04D3/0028—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe for components of the escape mechanism
    • G04D3/0033—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe for components of the escape mechanism for lever wheels
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04D—APPARATUS OR TOOLS SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR MAKING OR MAINTAINING CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04D3/00—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials
    • G04D3/0002—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe
    • G04D3/0043—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe for components of the time-indicating mechanisms
    • G04D3/0048—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe for components of the time-indicating mechanisms for dials

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a process for manufacturing watch components made of fragile material.
  • brittle material is meant any material which, at ambient temperature (25° C.), does not have a plastic domain and is therefore not capable of deforming permanently. A brittle material breaks without prior plastic deformation.
  • fragile material mention may be made of glasses, silicon, graphite, carbon, quartz, sapphire and ceramics such as silicon nitride or silicon carbide.
  • the present invention aims to provide an industrial solution for producing horological components made of three-dimensional fragile material which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks or at least attenuates them.
  • a method according to claim 1 particular embodiments being defined in the dependent claims.
  • the figure 1 schematically illustrates a process for manufacturing watch components, in particular for wristwatches or pocket watches, according to the invention.
  • a first step of the method consists in etching a silicon wafer 10, preferably by DRIE deep reactive ion etching, in order to form therein a batch of watch components 11 ( figure 1(a) ).
  • Silicon is monocrystalline or polycrystalline, preferably monocrystalline.
  • the components watchmakers 11 are, for example, indicator hands as illustrated in figure 2 .
  • Bridges of material 12 are left during etching between the timepiece components 11 and the rest of the silicon wafer 10 to prevent the timepiece components 11 from detaching.
  • the silicon wafer 10 with its timepiece components 11 is placed in an oven to be subjected to heat treatment, at a temperature typically between 500°C and 1300°C, preferably between 800°C and 1200°C. C, more preferably between 1000°C and 1200°C. At these temperatures, silicon becomes ductile and can therefore deform permanently.
  • the silicon wafer 10 rests by its underside on a hollow support 13 ( figure 1(b) ).
  • the silicon wafer 10 can be fixed to the support 13 or simply positioned on the latter.
  • a tool 14 is applied to the upper face of the silicon wafer 10 in the form of a wafer bearing projections 15 ( figure 1(c) ).
  • the tool 14 is positioned so that the projections 15 are placed facing respective areas 16 of the watch components 11 to be deformed, these areas 16 to be deformed being themselves facing recesses 17 of the support 13 in order to be able to deform freely.
  • the projections 15 put the zones 16 under stress so as to deform them simultaneously and plastically ( figure 1(d) ).
  • Each of the timepiece components 11 excluding its zone 16 bears against the support 13 to prevent its detachment from the wafer 10 during the application of the tool 14.
  • the projections 15 can be of any suitable shape.
  • the support 13 and the tool 14 are each made of a material which resists the temperatures of the heat treatment, for example quartz, fused silica, silicon carbide, a polyimide-based plastic such as Vespel (registered trademark) , a metal, an alloy or a ceramic. These materials also have the advantage of not sticking to the silicon of the wafer 10 during the heat treatment.
  • the silicon wafer 10 is extracted from the oven and cooled ( Figure 1(e) ), then the deformed watch components 11 are detached from the wafer 10 by breaking or eliminating the bridges of material 12.
  • timepiece components 11 are deformed by the tool 14 during the heat treatment.
  • several areas 16 of the component can be deformed.
  • the process according to the invention makes it possible to obtain needles whose end is curved, as illustrated in picture 3 , to follow the curved profile of a dial or to improve reading accuracy for example for a second hand which is remote from the dial by its position above the other hands.
  • Other types of horological components than hands can be manufactured by the method according to the invention, for example dials, springs, in particular rocker or lever springs, wheels, toothed or not, such as wheels of escapement or gear wheels, anchors, rockers, levers, pawls, saltires, etc.
  • the dials (cf. figure 4 ) can be curved, for example to be associated with needles of the type illustrated in picture 3 .
  • the escape wheels (cf. figure 6 ) can be curved.
  • the gear wheels (cf. figure 7 ) may include curved lugs 18.
  • the deformation of the components may have a functional purpose, for example allowing the component to cooperate with a partner component located in another plane or reducing the friction surfaces between two partner components. It can also, in addition or as an alternative, have an aesthetic purpose.
  • various additional treatments can be implemented to improve the characteristics of said components, for example their mechanical resistance, their properties tribological, their aesthetic aspect, etc. It is thus possible in particular to provide for the formation of an oxide layer on the components.
  • the present invention can be applied to other fragile materials than silicon, in particular to other monocrystalline materials or to materials such as glasses, quartz, sapphire or ceramics.
  • the present invention offers an industrial solution for producing horological components in three-dimensional fragile material having shapes that are difficult or even impossible to obtain with known methods.

Description

La présente invention concerne un procédé de fabrication de composants horlogers en matériau fragile. Par « matériau fragile » on entend tout matériau qui, à température ambiante (25°C), ne présente pas de domaine plastique et n'est donc pas capable de se déformer de manière permanente. Un matériau fragile rompt sans déformation plastique préalable.The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing watch components made of fragile material. By “brittle material” is meant any material which, at ambient temperature (25° C.), does not have a plastic domain and is therefore not capable of deforming permanently. A brittle material breaks without prior plastic deformation.

Comme exemples de matériau fragile, on peut citer les verres, le silicium, le graphite, le carbone, le quartz, le saphir et les céramiques telles que le nitrure de silicium ou le carbure de silicium.As examples of fragile material, mention may be made of glasses, silicon, graphite, carbon, quartz, sapphire and ceramics such as silicon nitride or silicon carbide.

En horlogerie, on utilise de plus en plus de tels matériaux, notamment le silicium, pour réaliser des composants tels que des roues d'échappement, des ancres, des ressorts spiraux, des balanciers ou des oscillateurs à guidage flexible.In watchmaking, such materials, in particular silicon, are increasingly being used to produce components such as escape wheels, levers, spiral springs, balance wheels or oscillators with flexible guidance.

Ces composants horlogers sont généralement fabriqués par une combinaison d'étapes de photolithographie et de gravure anisotrope. Les techniques existantes permettent de réaliser des composants étagés constitués de couches planaires superposées, chacune de ces couches étant structurée bidimensionnellement. Ces techniques sont toutefois compliquées à mettre en œuvre. De plus, les composants obtenus présentent nécessairement des flancs sensiblement verticaux. On comprendra donc que ces techniques limitent drastiquement le choix des concepteurs en ce qui concerne la géométrie tridimensionnelle qu'ils peuvent donner aux composants.These watch components are generally manufactured by a combination of photolithography and anisotropic etching steps. Existing techniques make it possible to produce stepped components consisting of superposed planar layers, each of these layers being two-dimensionally structured. However, these techniques are complicated to implement. In addition, the components obtained necessarily have substantially vertical sidewalls. It will therefore be understood that these techniques drastically limit the choice of designers as regards the three-dimensional geometry that they can give to the components.

On connaît aussi par le document EP 2833221 un procédé de fabrication d'un spiral Breguet en silicium selon lequel on réalise un spiral ayant une partie principale et une courbe extérieure coplanaire et monobloc avec la partie principale et on déplace de manière incrémentale la courbe extérieure hors du plan de la partie principale pour la placer au-dessus de cette dernière, chaque déplacement étant suivi d'un traitement de recuit.We also know from the document EP 2833221 a process for manufacturing a Breguet hairspring in silicon according to which a hairspring is produced having a main part and an outer curve coplanar and one-piece with the main part and the outer curve is moved incrementally out of the plane of the main part for the placed above the latter, each displacement being followed by an annealing treatment.

La présente invention vise à offrir une solution industrielle pour produire des composants horlogers en matériau fragile tridimensionnels qui remédie aux inconvénients susmentionnés ou au moins les atténue. Il est proposé à cette fin un procédé selon la revendication 1, des modes de réalisation particuliers étant définis dans les revendications dépendantes.The present invention aims to provide an industrial solution for producing horological components made of three-dimensional fragile material which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks or at least attenuates them. There is provided for this purpose a method according to claim 1, particular embodiments being defined in the dependent claims.

D'autres caractéristiques et avantages de la présente invention apparaîtront à la lecture de la description détaillée suivante faite en référence aux dessins annexés dans lesquels :

  • la figure 1 est un schéma montrant différentes étapes du procédé selon l'invention ;
  • la figure 2 est une vue de dessus partielle d'une plaquette de matériau fragile dans laquelle ont été gravés des composants horlogers, en l'occurrence des aiguilles indicatrices ;
  • la figure 3 est une vue en perspective d'une aiguille indicatrice obtenue par le procédé selon l'invention ;
  • la figure 4 est une vue en perspective d'un cadran obtenu par le procédé selon l'invention ;
  • la figure 5 est une vue en perspective d'un ressort obtenu par le procédé selon l'invention ;
  • la figure 6 est une vue en perspective d'une roue d'échappement obtenue par le procédé selon l'invention ; et
  • la figure 7 est une vue en perspective d'une roue d'engrenage obtenue par le procédé selon l'invention ;
Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the following detailed description given with reference to the appended drawings in which:
  • the figure 1 is a diagram showing different steps of the process according to the invention;
  • the figure 2 is a partial top view of a wafer of fragile material in which watch components have been engraved, in this case indicator hands;
  • the picture 3 is a perspective view of an indicator needle obtained by the method according to the invention;
  • the figure 4 is a perspective view of a dial obtained by the method according to the invention;
  • the figure 5 is a perspective view of a spring obtained by the method according to the invention;
  • the figure 6 is a perspective view of an escape wheel obtained by the method according to the invention; and
  • the figure 7 is a perspective view of a gear wheel obtained by the method according to the invention;

La figure 1 illustre schématiquement un procédé de fabrication de composants horlogers, notamment pour montres-bracelets ou montres de poche, selon l'invention. Une première étape du procédé consiste à graver une plaquette de silicium 10, de préférence par gravure ionique réactive profonde DRIE, afin d'y former un lot de composants horlogers 11 (figure 1(a)). Le silicium est monocristallin ou polycristallin, de préférence monocristallin. Les composants horlogers 11 sont par exemple des aiguilles indicatrices comme illustré à la figure 2. Des ponts de matière 12 sont laissés pendant la gravure entre les composants horlogers 11 et le reste de la plaquette de silicium 10 pour empêcher les composants horlogers 11 de se détacher.The figure 1 schematically illustrates a process for manufacturing watch components, in particular for wristwatches or pocket watches, according to the invention. A first step of the method consists in etching a silicon wafer 10, preferably by DRIE deep reactive ion etching, in order to form therein a batch of watch components 11 ( figure 1(a) ). Silicon is monocrystalline or polycrystalline, preferably monocrystalline. The components watchmakers 11 are, for example, indicator hands as illustrated in figure 2 . Bridges of material 12 are left during etching between the timepiece components 11 and the rest of the silicon wafer 10 to prevent the timepiece components 11 from detaching.

Après la gravure, la plaquette de silicium 10 avec ses composants horlogers 11 est placée dans un four pour être soumise à un traitement thermique, à une température typiquement comprise entre 500°C et 1300°C, de préférence entre 800°C et 1200°C, de préférence encore entre 1000°C et 1200°C. A ces températures, le silicium devient ductile et peut donc se déformer de manière permanente. Dans le four, la plaquette de silicium 10 repose par sa face inférieure sur un support évidé 13 (figure 1(b)). La plaquette de silicium 10 peut être fixée au support 13 ou simplement positionnée sur celui-ci. Pendant le traitement thermique, on applique sur la face supérieure de la plaquette de silicium 10 un outil 14 se présentant sous la forme d'une plaquette portant des saillies 15 (figure 1(c)). L'outil 14 est positionné de telle sorte que les saillies 15 soient placées en regard de zones 16 respectives des composants horlogers 11 à déformer, ces zones 16 à déformer étant elles-mêmes en regard d'évidements 17 du support 13 pour pouvoir se déformer librement. Lors de l'application de l'outil 14 sur la plaquette de silicium 10, les saillies 15 mettent les zones 16 sous contrainte de manière à les déformer simultanément et plastiquement (figure 1(d)). Chacun des composants horlogers 11 à l'exclusion de sa zone 16 est en appui contre le support 13 pour empêcher son détachement de la plaquette 10 pendant l'application de l'outil 14. Les saillies 15 peuvent être de toute forme appropriée.After etching, the silicon wafer 10 with its timepiece components 11 is placed in an oven to be subjected to heat treatment, at a temperature typically between 500°C and 1300°C, preferably between 800°C and 1200°C. C, more preferably between 1000°C and 1200°C. At these temperatures, silicon becomes ductile and can therefore deform permanently. In the oven, the silicon wafer 10 rests by its underside on a hollow support 13 ( figure 1(b) ). The silicon wafer 10 can be fixed to the support 13 or simply positioned on the latter. During the heat treatment, a tool 14 is applied to the upper face of the silicon wafer 10 in the form of a wafer bearing projections 15 ( figure 1(c) ). The tool 14 is positioned so that the projections 15 are placed facing respective areas 16 of the watch components 11 to be deformed, these areas 16 to be deformed being themselves facing recesses 17 of the support 13 in order to be able to deform freely. When the tool 14 is applied to the silicon wafer 10, the projections 15 put the zones 16 under stress so as to deform them simultaneously and plastically ( figure 1(d) ). Each of the timepiece components 11 excluding its zone 16 bears against the support 13 to prevent its detachment from the wafer 10 during the application of the tool 14. The projections 15 can be of any suitable shape.

Le support 13 et l'outil 14 sont chacun faits dans un matériau qui résiste aux températures du traitement thermique, par exemple le quartz, la silice fondue, le carbure de silicium, un plastique à base de polyimide tel que le Vespel (marque déposée), un métal, un alliage ou une céramique. Ces matériaux présentent aussi l'avantage de ne pas coller au silicium de la plaquette 10 pendant le traitement thermique.The support 13 and the tool 14 are each made of a material which resists the temperatures of the heat treatment, for example quartz, fused silica, silicon carbide, a polyimide-based plastic such as Vespel (registered trademark) , a metal, an alloy or a ceramic. These materials also have the advantage of not sticking to the silicon of the wafer 10 during the heat treatment.

Une fois les composants horlogers 11 déformés par l'outil 14, la plaquette de silicium 10 est extraite du four et refroidie (figure 1(e)), puis les composants horlogers 11 déformés sont détachés de la plaquette 10 par rupture ou élimination des ponts de matière 12.Once the watch components 11 have been deformed by the tool 14, the silicon wafer 10 is extracted from the oven and cooled ( Figure 1(e) ), then the deformed watch components 11 are detached from the wafer 10 by breaking or eliminating the bridges of material 12.

Dans des variantes de l'invention, seulement certains, voire un seul, des composants horlogers 11 sont déformés par l'outil 14 pendant le traitement thermique. En outre, pour le ou chacun des composants horlogers 11 à déformer on peut déformer plusieurs zones 16 du composant.In variants of the invention, only some, or even just one, of the timepiece components 11 are deformed by the tool 14 during the heat treatment. In addition, for the or each of the timepiece components 11 to be deformed, several areas 16 of the component can be deformed.

Dans le cas d'aiguilles indicatrices, le procédé selon l'invention permet d'obtenir des aiguilles dont l'extrémité est courbée, comme illustré à la figure 3, pour suivre le profil galbé d'un cadran ou pour améliorer la précision de lecture pour par exemple une aiguille de seconde qui est éloignée du cadran de par sa position au-dessus des autres aiguilles. D'autres types de composants horlogers que des aiguilles peuvent être fabriqués par le procédé selon l'invention, par exemple des cadrans, des ressorts, notamment ressorts de bascule ou de levier, des roues, dentées ou non, telles que des roues d'échappement ou des roues d'engrenage, des ancres, des bascules, des leviers, des cliquets, des sautoirs, etc. Les cadrans (cf. figure 4) peuvent être galbés, par exemple pour être associés avec des aiguilles du type illustré à la figure 3. Les ressorts (cf. figure 5) peuvent avoir leur extrémité courbée. Les roues d'échappement (cf. figure 6) peuvent être galbées. Les roues d'engrenage (cf. figure 7) peuvent comporter des pattes recourbées 18. La déformation des composants peut avoir un but fonctionnel, par exemple permettre au composant de coopérer avec un composant partenaire situé dans un autre plan ou diminuer les surfaces de frottement entre deux composants partenaires. Elle peut aussi, en complément ou en alternative, avoir un but esthétique.In the case of indicator needles, the process according to the invention makes it possible to obtain needles whose end is curved, as illustrated in picture 3 , to follow the curved profile of a dial or to improve reading accuracy for example for a second hand which is remote from the dial by its position above the other hands. Other types of horological components than hands can be manufactured by the method according to the invention, for example dials, springs, in particular rocker or lever springs, wheels, toothed or not, such as wheels of escapement or gear wheels, anchors, rockers, levers, pawls, saltires, etc. The dials (cf. figure 4 ) can be curved, for example to be associated with needles of the type illustrated in picture 3 . The springs (cf. figure 5 ) may have their end bent. The escape wheels (cf. figure 6 ) can be curved. The gear wheels (cf. figure 7 ) may include curved lugs 18. The deformation of the components may have a functional purpose, for example allowing the component to cooperate with a partner component located in another plane or reducing the friction surfaces between two partner components. It can also, in addition or as an alternative, have an aesthetic purpose.

Avant ou après la déformation des composants, divers traitements complémentaires peuvent être mis en œuvre pour améliorer les caractéristiques desdits composants, par exemple leur résistance mécanique, leurs propriétés tribologiques, leur aspect esthétique, etc. On peut ainsi prévoir notamment la formation d'une couche d'oxyde sur les composants.Before or after the deformation of the components, various additional treatments can be implemented to improve the characteristics of said components, for example their mechanical resistance, their properties tribological, their aesthetic aspect, etc. It is thus possible in particular to provide for the formation of an oxide layer on the components.

La présente invention peut s'appliquer à d'autres matériaux fragiles que le silicium, en particulier à d'autres matériaux monocristallins ou à des matériaux tels que les verres, le quartz, le saphir ou les céramiques.The present invention can be applied to other fragile materials than silicon, in particular to other monocrystalline materials or to materials such as glasses, quartz, sapphire or ceramics.

On appréciera que la présente invention offre une solution industrielle pour produire des composants horlogers en matériau fragile tridimensionnels présentant des formes qu'il est difficile voire impossible d'obtenir avec les procédés connus.It will be appreciated that the present invention offers an industrial solution for producing horological components in three-dimensional fragile material having shapes that are difficult or even impossible to obtain with known methods.

Claims (10)

  1. Method for manufacturing timepiece components of fragile material, comprising the following steps:
    a) producing timepiece components (11) in a plate (10) of fragile material, the timepiece components (11) remaining attached to the plate (10) by material bridges (12),
    b) subjecting the timepiece components (11) to a thermal treatment and, during this thermal treatment, applying a force, by means of a tool (14), to at least one zone (16) of at least one of the timepiece components (11) so as to deform it permanently, the at least one of the timepiece components (11), excluding the at least one zone (16), being in abutment against a support (13) during the application of the force,
    c) detaching the timepiece components from the plate (10),
    characterised in that step c) takes place after step b).
  2. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that step a) comprises a deep reactive-ion etching step.
  3. Method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the thermal treatment in step b) is carried out at a temperature between 500°C and 1300°C.
  4. Method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that in step b) the force is applied, using the tool (14), to the timepiece components (11) or to a plurality of said timepiece components (11) simultaneously in order to deform them permanently.
  5. Method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that in step b) the force is applied by at least one protrusion (15) on the tool (14).
  6. Method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the tool (14) is made from quartz, fused silica, silicon carbide, polyimide-based synthetic material, metal, alloy or ceramic.
  7. Method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the support (13) is made from quartz, fused silica, silicon carbide, polyimide-based synthetic material, metal, alloy or ceramic.
  8. Method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the fragile material is silicon, glass, quartz, sapphire or a ceramic.
  9. Method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the fragile material is a monocrystalline material.
  10. Method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the timepiece components (11) comprise indicating hands, dials, springs, wheels, pallets, rockers, levers, pawls or jumpers.
EP19150749.0A 2019-01-08 2019-01-08 Method for manufacturing clock components made of fragile material Active EP3680731B1 (en)

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CH696475A5 (en) * 2005-05-12 2007-06-29 Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse Body analog display crystalline material, timepiece provided with such a display element and method for its manufacture.
CH699109A1 (en) * 2008-07-10 2010-01-15 Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd Mechanical piece i.e. escape wheel, fabricating method for timepiece, involves depositing coating on exterior surface of mechanical piece for providing high tribological quality of piece, and releasing piece from substrate
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CN102713770B (en) * 2009-12-09 2015-11-25 劳力士有限公司 For the manufacture of the method for clock watch spring
HK1193537A2 (en) * 2013-07-29 2014-09-19 Master Dynamic Ltd Silicon overcoil balance spring
CH709729A2 (en) * 2014-06-03 2015-12-15 Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd lining part based photostructurable glass.

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