Component for watch, watch, and method for manufacturing component for watch

Abstract

To provide a component for a watch and a watch that are various and have high aesthetic properties.SOLUTION: A dial that is a component for a watch comprises a conductive substrate, and a non-conductive substrate laminated on the conductive substrate. The non-conductive substrate has through holes each penetrating from a rear face laminated on the conductive substrate to a front face. The through holes are each formed with a decorative layer by electrolytic plating. Consequently, metallic decoration using the decorative layers can be added to non-conductive substrate portions exposed to a front face of the dial that is the component for a watch, which can provide a component for a watch that is various and has high aesthetic properties.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a timepiece component, a timepiece, and a method for manufacturing a timepiece component. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a watch dial comprising a support and a mother-of-pearl sheet. The mother-of-pearl sheet has a front surface and a rear surface facing the support and having a pattern printed on it. The mother-of-pearl sheet is formed with a thickness dimension such that the pattern printed on the rear surface of the mother-of-pearl sheet is visible through the mother-of-pearl under normal lighting conditions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2021-510820 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The dial in Patent Document 1 can realize a dial that makes use of the pattern of the mother-of-pearl sheet, but since the entire dial has a similar design, there is a demand for more diverse and aesthetically pleasing watch components and watches. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The watch component of the present disclosure comprises a conductive substrate and a non-conductive substrate bonded to the conductive substrate, the non-conductive substrate having a through hole that penetrates from the back surface bonded to the conductive substrate to the front surface, and a decorative layer formed in the through hole by electrolytic plating.

[0006] The timepiece of the present disclosure includes the timepiece component.

[0007] The manufacturing method of the timepiece component of the present disclosure comprises a preparation step of preparing a conductive substrate and a non-conductive substrate, a bonding step of bonding the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate together, a hole forming step of forming through holes from the surface side of the bonded non-conductive substrates, penetrating at least the non-conductive substrate and reaching the conductive substrate, and an electroplating step of immersing the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate in an electrolyte, passing a current through the conductive substrate, and electroplating the through holes in the non-conductive substrate.

[0008] The manufacturing method of the timepiece component of the present disclosure comprises a preparation step of preparing a conductive substrate and a non-conductive substrate, a hole forming step of forming through holes in the non-conductive substrate, a bonding step of bonding the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate with the through holes formed therein together, and an electroplating step of immersing the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate in an electrolyte to pass a current through the conductive substrate and perform electroplating on the through holes in the non-conductive substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a timepiece having a dial which is a timepiece component of a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the dial of the first embodiment. [Figure 3A] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a bonding step in the manufacturing method of the dial of the first embodiment. [Figure 3B] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a hole forming step in the manufacturing method for the dial of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating an electrolytic plating step in the method for manufacturing the dial of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the dial, which is a timepiece component of the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the dial of the second embodiment. [Figure 7A] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a hole forming step in a manufacturing method for a dial according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7B]10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a bonding step in a manufacturing method for a dial according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7C] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a bonding step in a manufacturing method for a dial according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8A] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a decorative layer of a modified example. [Figure 8B] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a decorative layer of a modified example. [Figure 8C] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a decorative layer of a modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a decorative layer of a modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing conditions and evaluation results of examples and comparative examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a front view of a timepiece 1 having a dial 3, which is a timepiece component of the first embodiment. Timepiece 1 is a wristwatch worn on a user's wrist and includes a cylindrical exterior case 2, with the dial 3 located on the inner periphery of the exterior case 2. Of the two openings in the exterior case 2, the opening on the front side is covered with a crystal, and the opening on the back side is covered with a case back. Furthermore, timepiece 1 includes a movement (not shown) housed within the exterior case 2, hour hand 4A, minute hand 4B, and second hand 4C that indicate time information, indexes 5 attached to the dial 3, and a crown 7. The indexes 5 of the timepiece 1 of this embodiment use Roman numerals, but Arabic numerals may also be used, or bar indexes may also be used; the type of index is not limited to Roman numerals. In the following description, the front surface of each component means the surface facing the cover glass, and the back surface of each component means the surface facing the back cover.

[0011] As shown in Figure 2, the dial 3 is constructed by bonding together a conductive substrate 10 and a non-conductive substrate 20. The conductive substrate 10 is positioned on the back side of the watch 1, i.e., the back cover side, relative to the non-conductive substrate 20, and the non-conductive substrate 20 is positioned on the front side of the watch 1, i.e., the crystal side, relative to the conductive substrate 10. The conductive substrate 10 is a metal plate, and is formed into a flat circular shape or the like according to the planar shape of the dial 3. In this embodiment, the conductive substrate 10 is made of brass.

[0012] The non-conductive substrate 20 is a plate made of a non-conductive material and is formed into a flat circular shape or the like according to the planar shape of the dial 3. The material of the non-conductive substrate 20 is not particularly limited as long as it is non-conductive, but in this embodiment, it is made of mother-of-pearl. Mother-of-pearl is a plate-shaped component made by slicing the shell of a pearl oyster, such as a white-lipped pearl oyster, which is used in pearl farming. The non-conductive substrate 20 may also be made of a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate. Furthermore, the non-conductive substrate 20 is not limited to a translucent plate material such as mother-of-pearl or polycarbonate, and may be made of, for example, a non-translucent material. For this reason, the non-conductive substrate 20 may also be made of an insulating material such as paint or ceramic.

[0013] The surface of the conductive substrate 10 facing the non-conductive substrate 20, i.e., the surface facing the front of the watch 1, is referred to as the front surface 11, the surface of the non-conductive substrate 20 facing the front of the watch is referred to as the front surface 21, and the surface facing the conductive substrate 10 is referred to as the back surface 22. The front surface 11 of the conductive substrate 10 and the back surface 22 of the non-conductive substrate 20 are attached together with double-sided tape or adhesive.

[0014] Three types of through holes 31, 32, and 33 are formed in the non-conductive substrate 20, penetrating from the front surface 21 to the back surface 22. In addition to the cross section of the dial 3, Figure 2 also shows the planar shapes of the through holes 31, 32, and 33. The through hole 31 is a cylindrical through hole having a circular planar shape, and has a smaller opening area than the other through holes 32 and 33 . The through hole 32 is a through hole having a stepped inner circumferential surface, and includes a large diameter portion 321 on the front surface 21 side and a small diameter portion 322 on the back surface 22 side. The large diameter portion 321 and the small diameter portion 322 are each formed cylindrically, and the opening area of ​​the large diameter portion 321 is larger than that of the through hole 32. The opening area of ​​the small diameter portion 322 is smaller than that of the large diameter portion 321, and in this embodiment, is the same as that of the through hole 32. Therefore, the opening area of ​​the through hole 32 on the front surface 21 side is larger than that on the back surface 22 side. Through hole 33 has a star-shaped planar shape. That is, through hole 33 has star-shaped openings on front surface 21 and back surface 22, and the cross section of the through hole midway is also a star-shaped opening of the same shape.

[0015] Decorative layers 41, 42, 43 are formed by electrolytic plating in the through holes 31, 32, 33, respectively. The decorative layers 41, 42, 43 may be made of any material that can be deposited by electrolytic plating, such as Ag, Ni, Au, Cr, etc. Depending on the material of the conductive base material 10, a base layer of Cu, Ni, etc. that covers the surface 11 of the conductive base material 10 may be formed by base plating.

[0016] 1, in the dial 3 of this embodiment, the stars of the constellation are represented by the decorative layers 41, 42, and 43. That is, in the area between the 12 o'clock position and the 2 o'clock position on the dial 3, seven stars are represented by the decorative layers 41, 42, and 43, creating a pattern 51 of the Big Dipper. Lines connecting the decorative layers 41, 42, and 43 are drawn on the dial 3 to make it easier to imagine the pattern 51 of the Big Dipper. Between the 7 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions on the dial 3, five stars are depicted using decorative layers 42 and 43 to create a pattern 52 of the constellation Cassiopeia. Lines connecting the decorative layers 42 and 43 are drawn on the dial 3 to make it easier to imagine the pattern 52 of Cassiopeia. In each pattern 51, 52, the lines connecting the decorative layers 41, 42, 43 may be formed on the surface 21 of the non-conductive substrate 20 by inkjet printing or the like, but similar to the through holes 31, 32, 33, the lines may also be expressed by forming a narrow groove that penetrates from the surface 21 to the back surface 22 and forming a decorative layer in this narrow groove by electrolytic plating.

[0017] Next, a method for manufacturing the dial 3, which is a timepiece component, will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 4. FIG. First, a preparation step is carried out to prepare the conductive substrate 10 and the non-conductive substrate 20. Specifically, the conductive substrate 10 is prepared by forming a metal plate such as brass by punching or the like. At this time, a central hole through which the hand shaft is inserted is also punched. Furthermore, if a date window is formed on the dial 3, the date window is also punched. The non-conductive substrate 20 is prepared by cutting a mother-of-pearl sheet. In this embodiment, the non-conductive substrate 20 is prepared with the same planar shape and planar size as the conductive substrate 10, and is also machined with a center hole and the like, just like the conductive substrate 10.

[0018] Next, as shown in FIG. 3A, a bonding step is carried out in which the front surface 11 of the conductive substrate 10 and the back surface 22 of the non-conductive substrate 20 are bonded together using double-sided tape or adhesive. Next, as shown in Fig. 3B, a hole forming step is carried out to form through holes 31, 32, and 33 that penetrate at least the non-conductive substrate 20 from the surface 21 side of the bonded non-conductive substrate 20 and reach the conductive substrate 10. The through holes 31, 32, and 33 can be formed by laser processing, mechanical processing, blasting, or the like. That is, an appropriate processing method can be selected taking into account the material of the conductive substrate 10 and the shape and size of the through holes 31, 32, and 33 to be processed.

[0019] Next, as shown in FIG. 4 , an electrolytic plating process is performed. In the electrolytic plating process, the conductive substrate 10 and non-conductive substrate 20 bonded together in the bonding process are subjected to predetermined pretreatments, such as cleaning. The bonded conductive substrate 10 and non-conductive substrate 20, along with a plating metal 62 such as Ni, are then immersed in an electrolytic solution 61 in a plating tank 60. The anode of a DC power supply 63 is connected to the plating metal 62, and the cathode of the DC power supply 63 is connected to the non-conductive substrate 20 to allow current to flow. A reduction reaction occurs in the cathode of the non-conductive substrate 20, and metal ions in the electrolytic solution 61 combine with electrons to deposit the metal, forming a plating film. During this process, a plating film is formed only in the through-holes 31, 32, and 33 where the conductive substrate 10 is exposed, forming decorative layers 41, 42, and 43. A plating film such as Ni is also formed on the back and side surfaces of the conductive substrate 10 that are in contact with the electrolytic solution 61. An oxidation reaction occurs in the plating metal 62 which is the anode, and the metal of the anode, such as Ni, dissolves in the electrolytic solution 61, replenishing the metal ions in the electrolytic solution 61. The thickness dimensions of the decorative layers 41, 42, 43 formed in the through holes 31, 32, 33 can be adjusted by the plating time, etc. In this embodiment, the surfaces of the decorative layers 41, 42, 43 are adjusted to be midway in the penetration direction of the through holes 31, 32, 33, that is, closer to the back surface 22 than the front surface 21 of the non-conductive base material 20. For this reason, the decorative layers 41, 42, 43 are formed to be recessed from the front surface 21 of the non-conductive base material 20. After the plating time required to form the decorative layers 41, 42, and 43 has elapsed, the conductive substrate 10 and the non-conductive substrate 20 are removed from the electrolyte 61, and predetermined post-processing such as removal of the adhering electrolyte 61 is carried out. Then, the dial 3 is finished by attaching the indexes 5, and the dial 3 is completed.

[0020] [Effects of the first embodiment] The dial 3 can be decorated with metal using decorative layers 41, 42, and 43 on the surface 21 of the non-conductive substrate 20, allowing patterns 51 and 52 to be formed, providing a diverse and highly aesthetic dial 3. In particular, the decorative layers 41, 42, and 43 have different areas and shapes exposed on the surface 21 of the non-conductive substrate 20, so they can be used differently depending on the magnitude of the stars that represent the constellations. Since a plating film is formed on the back and side surfaces of the conductive base material 10 by electrolytic plating, the corrosion resistance of the brass conductive base material 10 can also be improved. The decorative layers 41, 42, 43 can be formed by bonding the conductive substrate 10 and the non-conductive substrate 20 together, forming through holes 31, 32, 33 in the non-conductive substrate 20, and then performing electrolytic plating, thereby making it possible to easily produce the layers while keeping costs down. Since the through holes 31, 32, and 33 are formed after the conductive substrate 10 and the non-conductive substrate 20 are bonded together, the non-conductive substrate 20 can be processed while being reinforced by the conductive substrate 10, and damage to the non-conductive substrate 20 can be prevented during hole processing.

[0021] [Second embodiment] 5 is a front view showing a dial 3B, which is a timepiece component of the second embodiment. Note that in the dial 3B of the second embodiment, components that are the same as or similar to the dial 3 of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted or simplified. The dial 3B of the second embodiment has a pattern 55 formed thereon that is different from that of the dial 3 of the first embodiment. The pattern 55 is a flower-like pattern and is formed around the center hole 30 of the dial 3B. As shown in Fig. 6, the dial 3 is formed by bonding together a conductive substrate 10 and a non-conductive substrate 20. The conductive substrate 10 is a metal plate such as brass, as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0022] The non-conductive substrate 20 is made of mother-of-pearl, as in the first embodiment, and has through-holes 35 formed therein, which penetrate from the front surface 21 to the back surface 22 . The through-hole 35 has an opening 351 on the front surface 21 side and a recess 352 on the back surface 22 side. Opening 351 is a part that is opened on surface 21, and comprises a plurality of planar circular openings 351A formed at the planar center of pattern 55, and five planar, approximately triangular openings 351B arranged radially from opening 351A. The recess 352 is a recessed groove portion that opens on the back surface 22 and has a planar shape resembling a petal. Therefore, the recess 352 is formed in an area larger than the planar area in which the opening 351 is formed. Therefore, the opening area of ​​the through-hole 35 on the back surface 22 side is larger than the opening area on the front surface 21 side.

[0023] A decorative layer 45 is formed on the through-hole 35 by electrolytic plating. The material of the decorative layer 45 may be any material that can be deposited by electrolytic plating, and similar to the first embodiment, it may be, for example, Ag, Ni, Au, Cr, etc. Depending on the material of the conductive base material 10, a base layer of Cu, Ni, etc. may be formed by base plating to cover the surface 11 of the conductive base material 10, similar to the first embodiment. The decorative layer 45 formed in the opening 351 is directly exposed on the front side of the dial 3B, and is therefore expressed in the metallic color of the plated film. On the other hand, the decorative layer 45 formed in the recess 352 has the non-conductive base material 20 disposed on the front side, and therefore the metallic color is visible through the non-conductive base material 20, i.e., the translucent mother-of-pearl pattern, and is therefore expressed in a softer image.

[0024] Next, a method for manufacturing the dial 3B, which is a timepiece component, will be described with reference to Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C. First, a preparation step is performed to prepare the conductive substrate 10 and the non-conductive substrate 20. Details of the preparation step are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0025] Next, as shown in Fig. 7A, a hole forming step is performed in which through holes 35 are formed in non-conductive substrate 20 by laser processing or the like. At this time, since recesses 352 opening on the back surface 22 side of non-conductive substrate 20 are larger in size than openings 351 opening on the front surface 21 side, as shown in Fig. 7A, hole forming processing can be performed with front surface 21 placed on the table of a processing machine and back surface 22 positioned next to the processing machine. In this way, recesses 352 with a large area can be formed on the back surface 22 side by processing openings 351 after processing recesses 352.

[0026] 7B and 7C, a bonding step is performed in which the front surface 11 of the conductive substrate 10 and the back surface 22 of the non-conductive substrate 20 are bonded together using double-sided tape or an adhesive. Therefore, the through-hole 35 formed in the non-conductive substrate 20 has the recess 352 on the conductive substrate 10 side and the opening 351 on the front surface 21 side.

[0027] Next, an electrolytic plating process is performed, as in the first embodiment. The electrolytic plating process is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6 , a decorative layer 45 is formed in the through hole 35, and the thickness of this decorative layer 45 can be adjusted by adjusting the plating time, etc. In this embodiment, the decorative layer 45 is laminated on the surface of the through hole 35 midway along the opening 351, i.e., in the recess 352 portion. The surface of the decorative layer 45 laminated on the opening 351 is adjusted to be closer to the back surface 22 than the front surface 21 of the non-conductive substrate 20. Therefore, the decorative layer 45 is formed on the back surface of the non-conductive substrate 20 in the recess 352 portion, and is recessed from the front surface 21 in the opening 351 portion. Thereafter, the conductive substrate 10 and the non-conductive substrate 20 are removed from the electrolyte 61, and predetermined post-processing such as removal of the adhering electrolyte 61 is carried out. After that, finishing processes such as attaching the indexes 5 are carried out, and the dial 3B is completed.

[0028] [Effects of the second embodiment] The dial 3B of the second embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, the dial 3B has a decorative layer 45 formed in the recess 352 superimposed on the back side of the non-conductive substrate 20, which allows for a novel design in which the natural pattern of the mother-of-pearl is superimposed with metal decoration from the decorative layer 45, thereby providing a diverse and highly aesthetic dial 3B. The decorative layer 45 can be formed by forming through holes 35 in the non-conductive substrate 20, bonding the conductive substrate 10 and the non-conductive substrate 20 together, and then performing electrolytic plating. This allows for greater freedom in the shape of the through holes 35, and makes production easy while keeping costs down.

[0029] [Variations] The configuration of the dial, which is a timepiece component, is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The height positions of the surfaces of the decorative layers 41, 42, 43, 45 formed in the through holes 31, 32, 33, 35 are not limited to the middle of the through holes 31, 32, 33, 35 as in the above-described embodiment. For example, taking the decorative layer formed in the through hole 31 as an example, as shown in Fig. 8A, flash plating may be used to form a thin decorative layer 41A on the surface 11 of the conductive substrate 10. 8B, the surface of the decorative layer 41B may be plated so as to be flush with the surface 21 of the non-conductive base material 20. 8C, the surface of the decorative layer 41C may be formed to be higher than the surface 21 of the non-conductive base material 20. In this case, the decorative layer 41C is most heavily layered at the center of the plane of the through-hole 31, so that the surface side of the decorative layer 41C is formed in a spherical crown shape. As shown by the decorative layers 41, 41A, 41B, and 41C, various designs with different three-dimensional effects can be realized by adjusting the thickness (height dimension) of the decorative layer by changing the plating time or the like.

[0030] 9, a plurality of through holes 36 may be formed in the non-conductive substrate 20, and a decorative layer 41D may be laminated so as to rise above the surface 21 and be continuous with the decorative layer 41D formed in the other through holes 36. In this way, the decorative layers 41D formed by electrolytic plating are connected, and a wave-like external design can be realized.

[0031] Non-conductive substrate 20 may be formed by bonding two or more non-conductive plates together. In particular, when the size of the hole changes in the penetration direction, such as through-hole 32 or through-hole 35, by bonding together a plate material having large diameter portion 321 or opening 351 and a plate material having small diameter portion 322 or recess 352, the work efficiency during hole processing can be improved. The shape of the through holes is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the through holes may have an inclined inner surface, such as a truncated cone whose diameter increases from the front surface 21 to the back surface 22 of the non-conductive substrate 20, or a truncated cone whose diameter decreases from the front surface 21 to the back surface 22. The planar shape of the through holes is not limited to a circle or a star, but may also be a polygon such as a triangle or a square, or a shape based on a vehicle or character. Furthermore, the pattern of the through holes, i.e., the decorative layer formed by electroplating, may be lattice-shaped, concentric, spiral-shaped, island-shaped, or the like, when viewed from above the surface of the non-conductive substrate 20. Furthermore, recesses continuous with the through holes of the non-conductive substrate 20 may be formed on the front surface 11 of the conductive substrate 10. In this case, the decorative layer formed by electroplating can be formed in the recesses of the front surface 11 of the conductive substrate 10. Therefore, a decorative layer can be superimposed on the back surface 22 of the non-conductive substrate 20 without forming recesses 352 with large opening areas on the back surface 22 of the non-conductive substrate 20, as in the second embodiment. When the non-conductive substrate 20 is made of a translucent material and a step or slope is provided in the through hole like the through hole 32, a decorative layer may be formed only in the small diameter portion 322 by flash plating or by shortening the plating time. In this case, the portion of the non-conductive substrate 20 that overlaps the large diameter portion 321 in the thickness direction is thinner than the portion of the non-conductive substrate 20 where no through holes are formed. Therefore, the material color of the underlying conductive substrate 10 or the metallic color of the base plating can be seen through the thin non-conductive substrate 20. This allows for a three-stage design: a design by the decorative layer in the small diameter portion 322, a design by the non-conductive substrate 20 and conductive substrate 10 in the large diameter portion 321, and a design by the non-conductive substrate 20 and conductive substrate 10 other than the through hole 32. This allows for an exterior design that combines three-dimensionality with metallic decoration.

[0032] The timepiece part is not limited to the dial, but may be any part that constitutes a timepiece, and is preferably a part that can be seen from the outside of the timepiece. For this reason, the timepiece part may be the dial, outer case, bezel, dial ring, back cover, band, hands, gear train bridge, oscillating weight, etc.

[0033] [Example] Next, examples of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 10, Examples 1 to 12 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6 were evaluated under different conditions, such as through holes and plating. In FIG. 10, a circle in the condition column indicates that the condition was met. The "through hole shape of non-conductive substrate" in the condition column indicates the shape of the through hole formed in the non-conductive substrate 20. Here, "through hole" refers to a straight through hole, such as through hole 31. "Non-penetrating three-dimensional processing" refers to a three-dimensional processing in which a recessed groove is formed without penetrating the non-conductive substrate 20, and therefore, a decorative layer cannot be formed by electroplating. "Through three-dimensional processing (upper surface side)" refers to a through hole, such as through hole 32, in which the size of the through hole changes midway through the penetration direction, and the opening area on the front surface 21 side of the non-conductive substrate 20 is larger than the opening area on the back surface 22 side. "Three-dimensional through-hole processing (bottom surface side)" means a through-hole whose size changes midway through the through-hole direction, such as through-hole 35, and whose opening area on the front surface 21 side of the non-conductive substrate 20 is smaller than the opening area on the back surface 22 side. The "Decorative Layer Thickness" column in the Conditions section classifies the thickness of the decorative layer formed in the through-hole by electroplating. "Flash Color Only" refers to a thin-film decorative layer formed by flash plating, such as decorative layer 41A in Figure 8A. "Non-Conductive Material Mid-Height" refers to a decorative layer formed up to a height midway through the through-hole, such as decorative layer 41 in Figure 2. "Non-Conductive Material or More" refers to a decorative layer thicker than the non-conductive substrate 20, such as decorative layer 41C in Figure 8C, or a decorative layer flush with the surface 21 of the non-conductive substrate 20, such as decorative layer 41B in Figure 8B. "Metal Vapor Deposition" refers to a metal film formed on the surface of the non-conductive substrate 20 by vapor deposition, rather than electroplating, and thus forms a metal film not only in the through-hole area but also on the surface 21 of the non-conductive substrate 20. The evaluation columns show the results of evaluating the dials, which are watch components manufactured under each condition. "Three-dimensional effect," "metal decoration," and "originality" are each sensory evaluations made by the evaluator visually. For "three-dimensional effect," a high three-dimensional effect was evaluated as "◎," a presence of three-dimensional effect was evaluated as "○," a low three-dimensional effect was evaluated as "△," and an absence of three-dimensional effect was evaluated as "×." For "metal decoration," a high metal decoration was evaluated as "○," a difficulty in recognizing the metal decoration was evaluated as "△," and an absence of metal decoration was evaluated as "×." For originality, a high originality was evaluated as "◎," a presence of originality was evaluated as "○," and an absence of originality was evaluated as "×." For "cost," manufacturing costs were compared and evaluated, with costs decreasing in the order of "×," "△," "○," and "◎." Product evaluation is an evaluation of product value based on the four indicators in the evaluation column, and product value is evaluated in order of increasing "x", "△", "○", and "◎".

[0034] In Examples 1 to 3, the thickness of the decorative layer 41 formed on the through hole 31 was changed, and it was found that the thicker the decorative layer, the stronger the three-dimensional effect. In Examples 4 to 6, the thickness of the decorative layer 41 formed on the through hole 32 was changed, and it was found that the thicker the decorative layer, the stronger the three-dimensional effect. Furthermore, because the decorative layer has a large diameter portion 321 and a small diameter portion 322, it was found that the three-dimensional effect was enhanced even when the decorative layer was thinner than the non-conductive substrate 20. In Examples 7 to 9, decorative layers were formed on two types of through holes, the through hole 31 and the through hole 32, and the evaluation results were the same as in Examples 4 to 6. In Examples 10 to 12, the thickness of the decorative layer 45 formed on the through hole 35 was changed, and the area of ​​the opening 351 exposed on the surface of the non-conductive substrate 20 was small, so the three-dimensional effect was weakened. However, on the other hand, a novel design in which the decorative layer 45 in the recessed portion 352 is visible through the non-conductive substrate 20 can be realized, resulting in a highly original dial 3B. In Examples 1 to 12, the decorative layer is formed by electrolytic plating, which increases the cost to some extent. As a result, Examples 1 to 12 can provide dials with high commercial value, such as "◯" and "◎." On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1 to 6, the commercial value could not be increased because a decorative layer was not formed on the through holes by electrolytic plating. Therefore, as disclosed herein, it has been confirmed that by bonding a conductive substrate 10 and a non-conductive substrate 20 together, forming through holes in the non-conductive substrate 20, and forming a decorative layer by electrolytic plating, it is possible to provide a dial with high commercial value.

[0035] Summary of this disclosure The watch component of the present disclosure comprises a conductive substrate and a non-conductive substrate bonded to the conductive substrate, the non-conductive substrate having a through hole that penetrates from the back surface bonded to the conductive substrate to the front surface, and a decorative layer formed in the through hole by electrolytic plating. According to the watch component of the present disclosure, a conductive substrate and a non-conductive substrate are bonded together, and a through-hole is formed through the non-conductive substrate from the back surface to the front surface. By connecting the conductive substrate to the negative pole of a DC power supply and immersing it in an electrolyte, a decorative layer can be formed by a plating film deposited in the through-hole by electrolytic plating. This allows metal decoration to be added to the non-conductive substrate portion of the watch component using a decorative layer, making it possible to provide a versatile and highly aesthetic watch component.

[0036] In the timepiece component of the present disclosure, the decorative layer may be formed from the conductive substrate side to partway through the through-hole. According to the watch component of the present disclosure, the decorative layer is formed in the through hole from the conductive substrate side to halfway through the through hole, i.e., to a position lower than the surface of the through hole, so that the thickness dimension of the decorative layer is smaller than the thickness dimension of the non-conductive substrate, and a recessed three-dimensional effect can be obtained in the decorative layer portion.

[0037] In the timepiece component of the present disclosure, the decorative layer may be formed from the conductive substrate side up to the surface of the non-conductive substrate or above. According to the timepiece component of the present disclosure, the height position of the surface of the decorative layer is higher than the surface of the non-conductive base material, so that the decorative layer can have a raised, three-dimensional appearance.

[0038] In the timepiece component of the present disclosure, the inner surface of the through hole may be formed in a stepped or inclined shape, and the opening area on the front side of the through hole may be larger than the opening area on the back side of the through hole. According to the watch component of the present disclosure, the area of ​​the decorative layer exposed on the surface of the non-conductive substrate can be increased, emphasizing the metallic decoration. Furthermore, since the volume of the through-hole can be made smaller than when the opening area on the front side of the through-hole is continuous to the back side, the amount of plating film laminated as the decorative layer can be reduced, thereby reducing costs.

[0039] In the timepiece component of the present disclosure, the inner surface of the through hole may be formed in a stepped or inclined shape, and the opening area on the back side of the through hole may be larger than the opening area on the front side of the through hole. According to the watch component of the present disclosure, the area of ​​the decorative layer exposed on the surface of the non-conductive substrate is smaller than the area exposed on the back surface, so that a portion where the decorative layer is placed can be formed on the back surface side of the non-conductive substrate, and a novel design can be realized in which the non-conductive substrate and the decorative layer overlap.

[0040] In the timepiece component of the present disclosure, the non-conductive substrate may have a plurality of through holes formed therein, each having a different opening area on the surface side. According to the timepiece component of the present disclosure, multiple through holes with different opening areas are formed, so multiple types of decorative layers with different exposed areas can be formed, allowing for diverse and complex designs to be realized.

[0041] In the timepiece dial of the present disclosure, the non-conductive substrate may be made of mother-of-pearl. According to the watch component of the present disclosure, if the non-conductive substrate is made of mother-of-pearl, it is possible to provide a highly aesthetic watch component in which the natural pattern of the mother-of-pearl is combined with metallic decoration using a decorative layer.

[0042] In the timepiece component of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the non-conductive substrate constitutes a dial disposed on the front side. The timepiece components of the present disclosure can provide a variety of highly aesthetic dials.

[0043] The timepiece of the present disclosure is characterized by including the timepiece component described above. According to the timepiece of the present disclosure, the aesthetic appeal of timepiece components can be enhanced, and a timepiece with excellent design can be provided.

[0044] The manufacturing method of the timepiece component of the present disclosure comprises a preparation step of preparing a conductive substrate and a non-conductive substrate, a bonding step of bonding the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate together, a hole forming step of forming through holes from the surface side of the bonded non-conductive substrates, penetrating at least the non-conductive substrate and reaching the conductive substrate, and an electroplating step of immersing the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate in an electrolyte, passing a current through the conductive substrate, and electroplating the through holes in the non-conductive substrate. According to the present disclosure, metallic decoration using a decorative layer can be added to the non-conductive substrate portion of a timepiece component, making it possible to provide a diverse and highly aesthetic timepiece component. Furthermore, since the through holes are formed after the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate are bonded together, the through holes can be formed in a state where the non-conductive substrate is reinforced with the conductive substrate.

[0045] The manufacturing method of the timepiece component of the present disclosure comprises a preparation step of preparing a conductive substrate and a non-conductive substrate, a hole forming step of forming through holes in the non-conductive substrate, a bonding step of bonding the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate with the through holes formed therein together, and an electroplating step of immersing the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate in an electrolyte to pass a current through the conductive substrate and perform electroplating on the through holes in the non-conductive substrate. According to the present disclosure, metallic decoration using a decorative layer can be added to the non-conductive substrate portion of a timepiece component, making it possible to provide a diverse and highly aesthetic timepiece component. Furthermore, since the through holes are formed in the non-conductive substrate before the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate are bonded together, it is also possible to form through holes in the non-conductive substrate whose opening area on the back side is larger than the opening area on the front side. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1...watch, 3...dial, 3B...dial, 5...index, 10...conductive substrate, 11...surface, 20...non-conductive substrate, 21...surface, 22...back, 30...center hole, 31...through hole, 32...through hole, 33...through hole, 35...through hole, 36...through hole, 41...decorative layer, 41A...decorative layer, 41B...decorative layer, 41C...decorative layer, 41D...decorative layer, 42...decorative layer, 43...decorative layer, 45...decorative layer, 51...pattern, 52...pattern, 55...pattern, 321...large diameter portion, 322...small diameter portion, 351...opening, 351A...opening, 351B...opening, 352...recess.

Claims

1. A conductive substrate; a non-conductive substrate bonded to the conductive substrate, the non-conductive substrate has a through hole penetrating from the back surface to the front surface to be bonded to the conductive substrate, A decorative layer is formed in the through hole by electrolytic plating.

2. The timepiece component according to claim 1, The decorative layer is formed from the conductive substrate side to partway through the through hole.

3. The timepiece component according to claim 1, The decorative layer is formed from the conductive substrate side to above the surface of the non-conductive substrate.

4. The timepiece component according to claim 1, The inner circumferential surface of the through hole is formed in a stepped or inclined shape, A timepiece component in which the opening area on the front side of the through hole is larger than the opening area on the back side of the through hole.

5. The timepiece component according to claim 1, The inner circumferential surface of the through hole is formed in a stepped or inclined shape, A watch component in which the opening area on the back side of the through hole is larger than the opening area on the front side of the through hole.

6. The timepiece component according to claim 1, A watch component in which a plurality of through holes having different opening areas on the surface side are formed in the non-conductive substrate.

7. The timepiece dial according to claim 1, The non-conductive substrate is made of mother-of-pearl.

8. The timepiece component according to claim 1, A timepiece component constituting a dial having the non-conductive substrate disposed on the front side.

9. A timepiece comprising the timepiece component according to claim 1.

10. a preparation step of preparing a conductive substrate and a non-conductive substrate; a bonding step of bonding the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate together; a hole forming step of forming a through hole from the surface side of the bonded non-conductive substrate through at least the non-conductive substrate to reach the conductive substrate; an electrolytic plating step of immersing the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate in an electrolytic solution, passing a current through the conductive substrate, and performing electrolytic plating on the through holes of the non-conductive substrate; A method for manufacturing a watch component having the above structure.

11. a preparation step of preparing a conductive substrate and a non-conductive substrate; a hole forming step of forming a through hole in the non-conductive substrate; a bonding step of bonding the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate having the through holes formed therein; an electrolytic plating step of immersing the conductive substrate and the non-conductive substrate in an electrolytic solution, passing a current through the conductive substrate, and performing electrolytic plating on the through holes of the non-conductive substrate; A method for manufacturing a watch component having the above structure.

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