Watch component and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

To provide a method of manufacturing a watch component.SOLUTION: The method comprises the steps of: forming a blank 200E1 by injection, the blank including at least one base surface 210 and at least one projecting portion 220 projecting from the base surface; forming at least one coating layer covering at least a part of the base surface and / or at least a part of the projecting portion; removing, by laser ablation, at least a part of the at least one coating layer; and texturing, by laser processing, at least a part of the base surface and / or at least a part of the projecting portion and / or at least a part of the at least one coating layer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of a horological component, and in particular the present invention can relate to the manufacture of a horological component having parts in relief and parts covered by a coating.

[0002] Related Technology In the prior art of watch components with relief parts, EP 3892151 is known, which discloses a watch component with parts covered by a coating and which may include decorative inserts in relief. On the other hand, this document does not propose any solution for texturing certain parts of the component, nor does it suggest any components with relief parts having a specific appearance compared to the base part of the component. Such watch components (coated with relief parts) are often used as visible parts of timepieces and therefore need to be mounted accurately and reliably in a durable manner to ensure the most aesthetic appearance for the user. WO 2018 / 109065 relates to a method for manufacturing decorative elements or watch dials made of non-conductive material, in which a base made of non-conductive material is covered with a sacrificial layer of resin, etched, then mechanically planed and finally the sacrificial layer of resin is dissolved with chemicals. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One object of the present invention is to improve the above-mentioned prior art, specifically, firstly, to propose a method for manufacturing a clock component that allows to efficiently, quickly, accurately and reliably manufacture a clock component characterized by relief parts and parts of different colors and / or different textures, thus offering the user a beautiful appearance that lasts over time. One object of the present invention is also to propose a clock component that has protruding or relief parts and parts of different colors and / or different textures, thus offering the user a clock component that has a beautiful appearance that lasts over time and a pleasant tactile sensation that allows a multisensory reading of the pattern.

[0004] To that end, a first aspect of the invention is a method for manufacturing a timepiece component, comprising the steps of: - forming, in particular by injection, a blank comprising or comprising at least one base surface and at least one protrusion protruding from the base surface; - forming at least one coating layer covering at least a part of the base surface and / or at least a part of the at least one protrusion; - removing at least a portion of said at least one coating layer by laser ablation; - texturing by laser machining at least a portion of the base surface previously covered by the at least one coating layer, and / or at least a portion of the at least one protrusion previously covered by the at least one coating layer, and / or at least a portion of the at least one coating layer.

[0005] The method according to the above implementation comprises covering the base surface and at least one protruding part with a coating, then removing the coating or at least one coating layer and texturing the visible surface of the component. It is therefore possible to propose a watch component with protruding or relief parts, parts covered by a coating and textured parts, which have a beautiful appearance and / or a very high execution precision, since the demarcation of the coating and / or the texturing is performed by laser processing. It is also possible to propose a blank material and / or coating that is resistant to environmental stresses or impacts, with high wear resistance and / or high hardness, and the laser processing can easily remove the coating or at least one coating layer and / or texture the blank material. It is noted that it is possible to form at least one coating layer that covers at least a part of the base surface and / or at least a part of the at least one protruding part, i.e. a single coating layer can be formed, but also two, three or even more coating layers can be formed. A specific coating layer can be provided to cover all parts of the blank or all parts that are visible to the user. Also, a particular coating layer may only partially cover the blank or only partially cover the portion that is visible to the user.

[0006] The manufacturing method and / or the timepiece component may further comprise one or more of the following characteristics, either alone or in combination:

[0007] According to one embodiment, the steps of removal by laser ablation and of texturing by laser machining are at least partially simultaneous and / or carried out with the same laser source. In particular, in the parts where the entire coating is removed, it is possible that the texture is formed on the previously coated material during one or more passes of the laser beam on the same horological component that is intended to remove the coating. In other words, the steps of removal and of texturing are simultaneous and are carried out during the same pass of the laser beam, during the same irradiation operation. Since the boundaries of the coated areas correspond to the boundaries of the textured areas, a very high precision is obtained and there are no shifts or "neither coated nor textured" areas between the coated and textured areas. In other words, the laser ablation of the coating carries out the texturing simultaneously, which makes it possible to go directly from the coated surface to the exposed and textured surface. In other words, the process of removal by laser ablation and the process of texturing by laser processing are at least partially simultaneous, i.e. they are carried out at the same time and / or irradiation of the part with the laser beam (i.e. one single laser beam pass) results in the removal of the at least one coating layer and the texturing of at least a part of the base surface (previously covered by the at least one coating layer) and / or at least a part of the at least one protrusion (previously covered by the at least one coating layer) and / or at least a part of the at least one coating layer at once.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the step of removing by laser ablation is carried out, - locally removing the total thickness of the coating and optionally the thickness of the blank from the base surface, and / or - locally removing a coating with a thickness less than or equal to the total thickness of the coating, and / or - locally removing a variable thickness of the coating strictly less than or equal to the total thickness of the coating. The ablation and / or texturing process carried out with a laser source allows a wide variety of removals and / or texturings on the same component: in certain locations it can be provided to remove the entire coating and, optionally, to texture a blank material, in other locations it can be provided to remove only parts of the coating, i.e., a specific coating layer, in still other locations it can be provided to remove a variable part of the coating, and finally in still other locations it can be provided to texture the coating.

[0009] Preferably, the removing step is performed simultaneously and / or with the same laser source as that used in the texturing step. According to a particular embodiment, these two steps are performed on the coating covering at least a part of the base surface, at least a part of the surface forming the top of at least one protrusion and at least a part of the surface forming the side of at least one protrusion, with the aim of removing the coating covering at least a part of the base surface and texturing at least a part of the base surface. According to this implementation, at least one protrusion is coated (preferably completely coated) by said at least one coating layer, the base surface of the blank is free of a coating (preferably completely free of a coating) and the base surface of the blank is textured (preferably completely textured). According to this implementation, at the level of the initially coated base surface, it is the same laser processing operation that has performed the removal of material and the texturing, and the peeled areas of the coating are textured simultaneously, so that there is no transition or offset area between the coated and the textured areas.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the step of removal by laser ablation and / or the step of texturing by laser processing are performed on the sides of the protruding parts, in particular the step of removal by laser ablation and / or the step of texturing by laser processing can be carried out on the sides of the protruding parts, the latter forming a relief angle (clearance angle) preferably between 5° and 25°, in particular between 10° and 20°, relative to the normal to the base surface.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the laser texturing of the sides may be different from the laser texturing of the base and / or top surfaces of the protrusions, in other words, the coating layers and blank body material of the sides, base and / or top surfaces of the protrusions are each specifically or separately textured differently.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the at least one protrusion forms a closed pattern, for example an "O" (letter O) or a "0" (zero), or any other closed pattern or decoration. The term "closed pattern" should be understood to mean any pattern that includes closed pattern portions, for example a "4" or a "9". According to an embodiment, the closed pattern comprises or has an inner surface, for example located or aligned flush with the at least one base surface. According to an embodiment, a coating layer is formed on the inner surface. According to an embodiment, the coating layer formed on the inner surface is at least partially removed by laser ablation and / or at least partially textured by laser processing. Preferably, the inner surface is at least partially textured during at least partial removal of the coating layer formed on the inner surface. Thus, the steps of at least partially ablating the coating layer formed on the inner surface and texturing the inner surface can be performed simultaneously.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the at least one protrusion forms or has at least two reliefs spaced apart by less than 5 mm, less than 3 mm, or less than 2 mm.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the steps of removal by laser ablation and / or of texturing by laser machining are carried out using an ultrashort pulsed laser source, preferably a pulsed laser source configured to emit pulses of the order or range of nanoseconds, more preferably of the order or range of picoseconds, even more preferably of the order or range of femtoseconds. Such a laser source makes it possible to carry out the process with high precision and / or without thermally affecting the rest of the part. Typically, a relative movement can be imposed between the watch component and the laser source using a movable table and / or a movable mirror.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the manufacturing method may include a step of machining and / or grinding the blank, which is carried out after the step of forming the blank, in particular between the step of forming the blank and the step of forming said at least one coating layer. Typically, all or part of the functional surfaces of the watch component can be machined / ground before forming the coating, although surfaces of the watch component can also be machined / ground at other times.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the manufacturing method may include a step of finishing or finishing the blank, which is carried out after the step of forming the blank, in particular between the step of forming the blank and the step of forming said at least one coating layer. The finishing step may typically result in a modification of the surface condition, in particular the roughness, and / or a modification of the appearance of the surface, such as gloss. Typically, all or part of the visible surfaces of the horological component may be finished before the formation of the at least one coating layer, although the surfaces of the horological component may also be finished at other times.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the step of forming the at least one coating layer comprises a step of physical vapor deposition (PVD) and / or a step of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and / or a step of atomic layer deposition (ALD). Such a method allows forming very hard coating layers (for example with a hardness of more than 500HV, preferably more than 1000HV, or preferably more than 1500HV) and / or a coating layer having a particular color or at least a color different from that of the base material of the blank. In other words, the at least one coating layer is a decorative layer, the remaining part of which is intended to form the outer surface of the watch component (exposed to friction, impacts, moisture, etc.).

[0018] According to one embodiment, the step of forming a blank is carried out to form a blank comprising a ceramic material and / or a metallic material and / or a cermet, which is typically a material having a ceramic skeleton in which a metallic phase is present.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the step of forming at least one coating layer comprises forming at least one layer of a ceramic material and / or at least one layer of a material comprising a metal composite.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the step of forming at least one coating layer comprises: metal carbides, in particular tungsten carbide, and / or titanium carbide, and / or zirconium carbide, and / or tantalum carbide, and / or niobium carbide, and / or chromium carbide, and / or hafnium carbide, and / or at least one metal nitride, in particular chromium nitride, and / or boron nitride, and / or zirconium nitride, and / or titanium nitride, and / or tantalum nitride, and / or niobium nitride, and / or hafnium nitride, and / or the formation of at least one layer in the alloy comprising at least a combination of different metal carbides as described above, and / or a combination of different metal nitrides as described above, and / or a combination of a metal nitride as described above with a metal carbide as described above.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the metal of the coating layer is part of the group comprising tungsten (W), and / or titanium (Ti), and / or zirconium (Zr), and / or tantalum (Ta), and / or niobium (Nb), and / or chromium (Cr), and / or hafnium (Hf), and / or gold (Au), and / or palladium (Pd), and / or platinum (Pt), or alloys thereof, such as titanium-aluminium (TiAl), chromium-aluminium (CrAl) or hafnium-titanium (HfTi) alloys.

[0022] According to one embodiment, a texturing step is provided for texturing at least one coating layer and / or the base surface and / or the protruding portions to form a satin finish, and / or brushing, and / or nailing, and / or sunray brushing, and / or at least one "Côtes de Geneve", and / or circular graining and / or spotting, and / or any type of decoration, in particular any type of decoration having a repeating pattern.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the at least one base surface is inclined or curved or convex. In particular, the at least one base surface may be non-flat. According to one embodiment, the at least one protrusion has an inclined or curved or convex surface. In particular, the at least one top surface may be non-flat.

[0024] A second aspect of the invention is a method of manufacturing a timepiece, comprising the steps of: - providing a timepiece component manufactured by a manufacturing method according to a first aspect of the invention; - assembling the horological component to the timepiece so as to position at least a part of the horological component on a visible part of the timepiece, at least one coating layer is at least partially removed and / or textured; and / or The method may relate to a method, wherein the base surface and / or the at least one protrusion is textured.

[0025] A third aspect of the invention may relate to a horological component intended to be attached to a timepiece, comprising or taking the form of a body formed from a blank by a manufacturing method according to the first aspect of the invention. According to one embodiment, the horological component may be an assembly of several parts. In particular, the horological component may be a watch bezel formed as a single part, or the horological component may be, for example, a watch bezel comprising a bezel ring (base) and a bezel disc attached or tracked or set on the bezel.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the body comprises a base surface and at least one protrusion or relief protruding from the base surface and including an apex and at least one side located between the base surface and the apex. The apex preferably has a surface parallel to the surface of the base surface, but may also have a surface that is not parallel to the base surface. The apex and the at least one side of the protrusion of the body are covered by a coating formed using the manufacturing method according to the first aspect of the invention, and the base surface of the body is textured by the manufacturing method according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0027] In other words, the clock components are: The apparatus includes a body, the body comprising: a base surface; at least one protrusion or relief relative to a base surface, the protrusion or relief comprising an apex and at least one side arranged between the base surface and the apex, the top and the at least one side are covered with a coating (at least one coating layer); The base surface is textured, the base surface is coated simultaneously with the top surface and the at least one side surface; The coating of the base surface is removed by a laser process which is also used to (preferably simultaneously) texture the base surface, the laser process using a laser source emitting ultrashort pulses (in the nanosecond, picosecond or femtosecond range). According to the above implementation, a watch component is obtained having at least one coated protruding part (including top and side), in particular a coated protruding part (including top and side), and a textured base surface, without an intermediate transition area between these surfaces.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the watch component may form a watch decorative component such as a bezel, a bezel disc, a dial, a crown, a push button, or a clasp cover.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the at least one protrusion comprises at least a top and a side arranged between the top of the at least one protrusion and the base surface, the at least one side having a relief angle preferably between 5° and 25°, in particular between 10° and 20°, relative to a normal to the base surface. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more clearly apparent on reading the following detailed description of one embodiment of the invention, given by way of example without any limitation and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a timepiece comprising a horological component according to the invention, which in this particular example forms the bezel disc of the timepiece.

[0032] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bezel disc of the timepiece of FIG. 1;

[0033] [Figure 3a] FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram of a first step of a method for manufacturing the bezel disc of FIG. 2.

[0034] [Figure 3b] 3 is a simplified diagram showing a second step of the method for manufacturing the bezel disc of FIG. 2.

[0035] [Figure 3c] 3 is a simplified diagram of a method for manufacturing the bezel disc of FIG. 2 , showing a third step.

[0036] [Figure 4] 3b is a cross-sectional view of the bezel disc of FIG. 2 along axis II-II of FIG. 2, in a first step of the manufacturing method of FIG. 3a;

[0037] [Diagram 5] 4 in a second step of the manufacturing method of FIG. 3b.

[0038] [Figure 6] 4 in a first variant of the third step of the manufacturing method of FIG. 3c.

[0039] [Figure 7] 4 in a second variant of the third step of the manufacturing method of FIG. 3c.

[0040] [Figure 8] 4 in a third variant of the third step of the manufacturing method of FIG. 3c. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a timepiece P, which generally comprises: -Case 100, a timepiece component according to the invention, forming in this particular example a bezel including a bezel disc 200 fixed to a bezel ring 230, toothed and rotatably mounted on the case 100; a display interface 300, which may include, among other things, dials, indexes, hands and numbers, in order to provide a user with a display of time or a time of day;

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a bezel disc 200 of the timepiece P of FIG. 1. The bezel disc 200 is in particular a base surface 210; - with protrusions 220, here forming numbers and indexes, projecting from the base surface 210. Note that in the example of Fig. 2, the bezel is a rotating part, and the base surface 210, inclined with respect to the axis of rotation, is conical. The bezel disc 200 of Fig. 2 is intended to be coupled to a bezel ring 230 with side parts that are toothed, here as shown in Fig. 1, in order to allow the user to rotate the bezel relative to the case 100 of the timepiece P of Fig. 1. Of course, the bezel disc 200 and / or more specifically the bezel ring 230 can be provided with machined functional surfaces on their inner surface in order to allow them to be attached to a pivot linkage on the case 100 of the timepiece P of Fig. 1. Alternatively, the bezel can be attached to the case 100.

[0043] The present disclosure aims to propose an enhancement of the bezel disc 200 having a pattern of protrusions or positive relief on the base, with different colors and / or textures, although Figures 1 and 2 do not show these different colors and / or textures for the sake of clarity. For this purpose, reference is made to Figure 3c (or Figures 6 to 8) which shows the different aspects between the surfaces of the manufactured part.

[0044] Thus, the present disclosure may relate to a watch component such as the bezel disc 200 of FIG. 2, or in particular to a bezel or dial that includes a colored pattern of protrusions or positive relief on a base, such as, for example, ceramic or textured metal.

[0045] To do this, and in particular with the aim of obtaining a bezel disc 200, the present disclosure comprises the following successive steps, very diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 3a to 3c and listed below: (10 - FIG. 3a): forming, in particular by injection, a blank 200E1 comprising at least a base surface 210 and at least one protrusion 220 protruding from the base surface 210; (20-FIG. 3b): forming at least one coating layer 250 covering at least a part of the base surface 210 and / or at least a part of the protrusions 220 to obtain a coated blank 200E2; - (30 - Fig. 3c): removing at least a part of said at least one coating layer 250 by laser ablation and, preferably at the same time (40): texturing by laser processing at least a part of the base surface 210 previously covered by said at least one coating layer 250, to obtain a bezel disc 200.

[0046] The above description of the manufacturing method lists the main steps of the method, in which in detail the following features are provided:

[0047] Thus, in a first step 10, a blank 200E1 having a protrusion 220 is obtained.

[0048] According to the first embodiment and the first sub-step of step 10 of forming the blank 200E1, the blank 200E1 can be obtained by a molding method of injection or pressing type.

[0049] The material of the injected component may be metal, composite, cermet or technical ceramic. Advantageously, the technical ceramic may be predominantly or mainly (by mass or molar) composed of zirconium oxide and / or aluminum oxide. Thus, zirconium oxide and / or aluminum oxide may be the main elements in the ceramic. As known to the skilled artisan, various elements such as Hf, Y, Al, Si, Mg, Fe, Ni, Cr, Zn, Co, Mn, Cu, Ti, Ta, W, Pt, etc., may be added to this technical ceramic to improve its performance. As described in WO 2022 / 101450, yttria-stabilized zirconium (2Y-ZrO2 or 3Y-ZrO2) may be used for the watch component blank. Alternatively, the technical ceramic used may be made, for example, of glass, sapphire or mineral materials.

[0050] In the case of metals, the injection can include injecting a metal alloy in the molten or glassy state (i.e. injection temperature below the melting temperature and above the glass transition temperature) into an injection mold. After its cooling, it is possible to obtain a blank 200E1 of a watch component made of an amorphous material, such as a metallic glass. In particular, the material of the blank can be any amorphous alloy whose glass forming ability (GFA) makes it possible to obtain an amorphous structure with typical dimensions of a watch component, in particular an amorphous metal alloy comprising a metal base formed of at least one metal from among the elements nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), titanium (Ti), niobium (Nb), zirconium (Zr) and their alloys or blends.

[0051] In the case of technical ceramics or cermets, the blank 200E1 is obtained in particular by an injection process including a step of sintering the green body obtained after injection. For example, cermets can be considered that include a ceramic phase of tungsten carbide and / or titanium carbide and / or zirconium carbide type and a metallic binder that includes one or more of the elements Ag, Pd, Co, Ni, Mo, Ru, Rh, Os, Ir, Pt, Au.

[0052] According to another embodiment, the blank 200E1 can be obtained by stamping, nutation or beating type, or by pressing.

[0053] These stamping parts are preferably made of a metal or metal alloy.

[0054] According to yet another embodiment, the blank 200E1 can be obtained by machining, in particular by laser machining or by machining of a ceramic or metal element or a cermet.

[0055] Thus, the diagram of FIG. 3a shows a blank 200E1 formed using one of the techniques described above.

[0056] The part can be formed as a single part (blank 200E1 is made as a single part) or alternatively a composite and / or assembled part can be provided with a bezel ring made from a single material and an additional bezel disc 200 made from a single material.

[0057] 4 shows a cross section of the bezel disc 200 of FIG. 2 along axis II-II of the figure after a first step. The step 200E1 comprises a protrusion 220 protruding from the base surface 210, the protrusion 220 comprising an apex 220s and a side 220f arranged between the apex 220s and the base surface 210.

[0058] The protrusions 220 extend along a normal 210n to the base surface 210 over a distance or height of less than 1 mm, preferably less than 0.5 mm, and very preferably less than 0.3 mm from the base surface 210. These patterns may extend over a height of at least 0.1 mm, or 0.15 mm, or 0.2 mm, or 0.25 mm, or 0.5 mm from the base surface 210 of the blank 200E1.

[0059] Advantageously, the side 220f of the protrusion 220 also forms an angle with the base surface different from 90°. With reference to FIG. 4, the angle α between the side 220f and the normal 210n to the base surface 210 can be equal to 15°. More generally, this angle α is less than or equal to 30°, or less than or equal to 25°, or less than or equal to 20°, or less than or equal to 15°, or less than or equal to 10°, or less than or equal to 5°. Alternatively, this angle α may be equal to 0°. Also note in FIG. 4 the angle b between the normal to the base surface 210 and the normal to the lower surface of the component. In this non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the angle b is different from 0°, i.e. the base surface 210 is generally inclined.

[0060] A second sub-step of step 10 of forming the blank 200E1 may be machining, for example by milling, in particular grinding, the surfaces forming the inner and / or outer diameter as well as the surfaces forming the bottom of the blank 200E1 of the bezel disc 200.

[0061] Of course, it is possible to extend and / or complete this step after any of the steps of the method, in particular, for example, the toothed side piece 230 can be machined at the end of each manufacturing method.

[0062] A third sub-step of the step 10 of forming the blank 200E1 may consist in performing a finishing process on the blank 200E1 obtained.

[0063] This may be, for example, a finishing process that allows obtaining a modification of the surface state of at least one visible surface of the blank 200E1, preferably of all surfaces of the blank 200E1, by an intervening medium. This process may include, for example, the application of mechanical stress to the polishing mixture (friction finishing), for example by impact, for example by vibration, rocking or rotational movement, for example in a vat, of at least one blank 200E1 of the bezel disc 200, preferably of a number of blanks 200E1. It may also include, for example, but not limited to, tumbling, and / or barrel polishing, and / or sandblasting, and / or shot blasting, and / or wet blasting, of at least one visible surface of the blank 200E1, in particular of all surfaces of the blank 200E1.

[0064] Alternatively, this process may include a process of laser polishing or electrochemical polishing for metal parts.

[0065] Next, the wrapping of the apex 220s of the projection 220 of the blank 200E1, and in particular its upper surface, can be considered.

[0066] The manufacturing method can continue with a step 20 of forming at least one coating layer 250 on a portion of the blank 200E1 to obtain a coated blank 200E2. In particular, this step can consist in depositing at least one layer forming the coating 250 on the visible surface of the blank 200E1 comprising the protrusion 220, as can be seen in the cross section of FIG. 3b or FIG. 5. Preferably, the material of the deposited layer is a metal or a metal alloy or a ceramic. The deposit can have a metallic or ceramic appearance. This step makes it possible to form at least one layer of coating on the upper surface of the protrusion 220 as well as on the side 220f of said protrusion 220, which can be advantageously supported by the fact that the side forms an angle greater than 0° with respect to the normal 210n on the base surface 210 of the blank 200E1. This step also makes it possible to form at least one layer on the base surface 210 on which the protrusion 220 extends.

[0067] The deposition method may take place in a sealed chamber 510 and is preferably carried out by physical vapor deposition (PVD). Alternatively, the deposition may be carried out by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or atomic layer deposition (ALD).

[0068] Advantageously, using such techniques well known to those skilled in the art, it is possible to obtain, for example, nitrides (CrN, TiN, ZrN...), carbonate composites (TiC, WC) or combinations (TiCN, AlTiCN).

[0069] Preferably, for example, the following metal carbide or metal nitride layers are selected for this embodiment: -Tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, zirconium carbide, tantalum carbide, niobium carbide, chromium carbide, hafnium carbide. -Titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, chromium nitride, tantalum nitride, niobium nitride, hafnium nitride, boron nitride.

[0070] A wide variety of proposals are possible. For example, the following combinations are possible: A combination of two nitrides and / or metal alloy carbides such as TiAlN / CrAlN. -Combinations of nitrides and carbides, such as HfTiCN, can give a bronze metallic luster.

[0071] Preferably, a layer of chromium nitride CrN may be chosen for this embodiment due to its high hardness (for example, hardnesses of more than 1000 HV, preferably more than 1500 HV can be obtained). More generally, hard ceramic-based layers may be preferred for forming a coating, or possibly at least partially forming a coating with a metallic appearance.

[0072] Of course, the deposition of multiple superimposed layers to form a coating may be considered, for example a layer of silicon nitride Si3N4 may be combined with a layer of titanium nitride to achieve a particular effect.

[0073] Thus, the second main step 20 may include a series of sub-steps consisting of depositing superimposed layers including or consisting of different materials.

[0074] Furthermore, other layers can be considered: for example, a layer containing or consisting of carbon, commonly known under the name diamond-like carbon (DLC), can be deposited, or alternatively, a layer containing or consisting of an oxide can be deposited.

[0075] It is of course possible to combine different layers, if these are technically compatible, in order to obtain a particular hardness and / or effect.

[0076] It may therefore be considered to deposit at least one layer of a metal oxide, in particular a tantalum oxide such as tantalum oxide of Ta2O5 stoichiometry, or a titanium oxide, or a silicon oxide, or an aluminium oxide, or a metal alloy oxide, or a metal oxynitride or a metal alloy oxynitride.

[0077] Figure 5 shows a part of figure 4, which is arranged in a closed chamber 510 for applying a layer of coating 250 covering the entire base surface 210 and all protrusions 220, to obtain a coated blank 200E2. Schematically, the base material of the blank 200E2 is designated as M1 and the material of the coating 250 or coating layer 250 is designated as M2, clearly showing that a coated blank 200E2 is obtained which comprises at least two materials (the base material M1 and the material of at least one coating layer M2).

[0078] Once coating 250 has been applied to the exposed surfaces of blank 200E1 (typically all visible surfaces), provision can be made to remove this coating over portions of those surfaces to provide additional visual effects having different colors and / or different textures.

[0079] For this purpose, the third main step 30, simultaneously with the fourth step 40 of texturing this base surface 210, comprises removing at least one layer disposed on one of the exposed surfaces by means of a laser source 610.

[0080] Preferably, during this third step 30, the coating is removed from all or a portion of the base surface 210.

[0081] Alternatively or additionally, the coating is removed from all or a portion of the surface of the protrusion 220 .

[0082] This step 30 of removing at least one deposition layer is preferably simultaneous with a step 40 of texturing the treated surface.

[0083] The laser source 610 used is preferably a laser source 610 with ultrashort pulses, such as a laser with nanosecond, picosecond or femtosecond pulses.

[0084] The laser source 610 locally removes material over a thickness that can exceed the thickness of at least one previously deposited layer. It is noted that the material removal must not damage the watch component. The maximum laser ablation thickness can be defined as a function of the material and / or the part geometry. It is also possible to make multiple passes.

[0085] The laser source 610 can also generate an aesthetic relief on the at least one decorative layer and / or on the exposed surface of the substrate. In particular, the laser source 610 can generate an aesthetic relief on the surface of the substrate by uncoating a previously coated layer. An example of texturing the at least one surface can be by forming a satin finish, and / or a brushing, and / or a nailing, and / or a sunray brushing, and / or at least one "Côte de Geneve", and / or a circular graining and / or a spotting. Figure 3c shows a schematic representation of a sunray brushing formed on the base surface 210.

[0086] According to a first embodiment shown in Fig. 6, laser ablation is carried out on the base surface 210 and on the sides of the coated blank 200E2 over a thickness at least equal to the thickness of at least one deposition layer, with simultaneous texturing of the thus exposed base surface 210, for example by carrying out sunray brushing (in this figure the textured areas are indicated with ZT to clearly indicate their position). Here, the protrusions 220 (neither their tops 220s nor their sides 220s) are not contacted by the laser beam. The laser beam therefore has the dual function of removing the material layer M2 of the coating 250 and of decorating the base surface 210 of the coated blank 200E2.

[0087] According to a second embodiment, particularly shown in Fig. 7, laser ablation can be performed over a portion of the base surface 210 (left part of Fig. 7) and a laser source 610 can be used to machine and texture cavities or slots in the material M1 of the coated blank 200E2, as shown in the right part of Fig. 7. In this figure, the textured areas are indicated with ZT to clearly indicate their location.

[0088] According to a third embodiment, particularly shown in Figure 8, laser ablation can be performed locally on the blank, on the protrusion 220 (and / or on its sides and / or base), over a thickness that can be variable. Texturing of the exposed surface can be performed locally on the part with the same laser during the same operation.

[0089] A variable thickness ablation, as shown in Figure 8, can have very beneficial aesthetic effects. In at least one deposition layer, this can introduce, for example, a color gradation. Overall, this can provide highlights and the impression of depth. In this figure, the textured areas are indicated with ZT to clearly indicate their location. industrial use

[0090] The manufacturing method and / or the timepiece component according to the invention can be applied industrially.

[0091] It will be understood that various changes and / or modifications, apparent to those skilled in the art, can be made to the various embodiments of the invention described herein without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a timepiece component, comprising the steps of: - forming (10), in particular by injection, a blank (200E1) comprising at least one base surface (210) and at least one projection (220) projecting from said base surface (210); - forming (20) at least one coating layer (250) covering at least a part of said base surface (210) and / or at least a part of said at least one protrusion (220); - removing (30) at least a portion of said at least one coating layer (250) by laser ablation; - a step (40) of texturing by laser machining at least a part of the base surface (210) previously covered by the at least one coating layer (250) and / or at least a part of the at least one protrusion (220) previously covered by the at least one coating layer (250) and / or at least a part of the at least one coating layer (250); A method comprising:

2. Carrying out the step (30) of removing by laser ablation, - locally removing the total thickness of said coating (250) and optionally the thickness of said blank (200E1) from said base surface (210), and / or locally removing a thickness of the coating (250) that is less than the total thickness of the coating (250); and / or The method of claim 1, further comprising locally removing a variable thickness of said coating (250) strictly less than said total thickness of said coating (250).

3. said at least one protrusion (220) comprising at least one surface forming a top portion (220s) and at least one surface forming a side portion (220f) disposed between said top portion (220s) and said base surface (210); the step of forming the at least one coating layer (250) is provided to form a coating (250) covering at least a portion of the base surface (210), at least a portion of the surface forming the top (220s) of the at least one protrusion (220), and at least a portion of the surface forming the side (220f) of the at least one protrusion (220); carrying out the removing step (30) to remove the coating (250) covering the base surface (210); The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the texturing step (40) is performed to texture at least a portion of the base surface (210).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the steps of removal by laser ablation (30) and texturing by laser processing (40) are at least partially simultaneous and / or are performed with one and the same laser source (610).

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the steps of removal by laser ablation (30) and texturing by laser machining (40) are carried out using an ultrashort pulsed laser source (610), preferably using a pulsed laser source (610) configured to emit pulses in the nanosecond range, more preferably in the picosecond range, even more preferably in the femtosecond range.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a step of machining and / or grinding the blank (200E1) performed after the step (10) of forming the blank (200E1), in particular between the step (10) of forming the blank (200E1) and the step (20) of forming the at least one coating layer (250).

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a step of finishing the blank (200E1), performed between the step (10) of forming the blank (200E1) and the step (20) of forming the at least one coating layer (250).

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the step (20) of forming the at least one coating layer (250) comprises a physical vapor deposition (PVD) step, and / or a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) step, and / or an atomic layer deposition (ALD) step.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step (20) of forming the at least one coating layer (250) comprises the formation of at least one layer of a ceramic material and / or at least one layer of a material comprising a metal composite.

10. The step (20) of forming the at least one coating layer (250) comprises: metal carbides, in particular tungsten carbide, and / or titanium carbide, and / or zirconium carbide, and / or tantalum carbide, and / or niobium carbide, and / or chromium carbide, and / or hafnium carbide, and / or at least one metal nitride, in particular chromium nitride, and / or boron nitride, and / or zirconium nitride, and / or titanium nitride, and / or tantalum nitride, and / or niobium nitride, and / or hafnium nitride, and / or - combinations of different metal carbides as described above and / or combinations of different metal nitrides as described above and / or combinations of metal nitrides as described above with metal carbides as described above in the alloy, The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising forming at least one layer comprising at least

11. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal of the at least one coating layer (250) is part of the group comprising tungsten (W), and / or titanium (Ti), and / or zirconium (Zr), and / or tantalum (Ta), and / or niobium (Nb), and / or chromium (Cr), and / or hafnium (Hf), or alloys thereof, such as titanium-aluminium (TiAl), chromium-aluminium (CrAl), or hafnium-titanium (HfTi) alloys.

12. 12. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the texturing step (40) is performed to texture at least one coating layer (250) and / or the base surface (210) and / or the protrusions (220) to form a satin finish, and / or brushing, and / or nailing, and / or sunray brushing, and / or at least one Côtes de Genève, and / or circular graining, and / or spotting, and / or any type of decoration, in particular any type of decoration having a repeating pattern.

13. A horological component intended to be attached to a timepiece, comprising or taking the form of a body formed from a blank (200E1) according to a manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A timepiece component according to claim 13, wherein the body comprises a base surface (210) and at least one protrusion (220) protruding from the base surface (210) and including an apex (220s) and at least one side (220f) arranged between the base surface (210) and the apex (220s), the apex (220s) and the at least one side (220f) being covered by a coating (250) formed by the manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, and the base surface (220) is textured by the manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A timepiece component according to claim 13 or 14, forming a timepiece decorative component such as a bezel (200), or a bezel disc, or a dial, or a crown, or a push button, or a clasp cover.

16. A timepiece component according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the at least one protrusion (220) comprises at least a crest (220s) and a side (220f) arranged between the crest (220s) of the protrusion (220) and the base surface (210), the at least one side (220f) having a relief angle relative to a normal (210n) of the base surface (210), preferably between 5° and 25°, in particular between 10° and 20°.

17. A timepiece component according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein said blank (200E1) comprises a ceramic material and / or a metallic material and / or a cermet.

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