Timepiece component, movement, timepiece exterior, timepiece, and method of manufacturing timepiece component

Abstract

To provide a timepiece component that provides new visual effects, and to provide a movement, timepiece exterior, timepiece, and method of manufacturing the timepiece component.SOLUTION: A watch component is provided, comprising a copper-containing base material and a modified film provided on the base material, the modified film containing air bubbles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a watch component, a movement, a watch exterior, a watch, and a method for manufacturing a watch component. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to enhance the aesthetic value of a watch, the components that make up the watch may be colored in a desired color. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method of forming an oxide film on titanium-containing watch components by anodizing, thereby imparting various colors different from the original metal color. There are various methods for imparting a different color tone to the surface of a metal-containing base material depending on the type of metal. For example, a traditional Japanese craft technique called "niiro" is known as a method for imparting a different color tone to the surface of a copper-containing base material (see Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-127877 [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] Junko Imabuchi et al., "Surface Coloring in Metal Crafts," Surface Technology, Vol. 51, No. 10, 2000, pp. 18-24 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The method of coloring the surface of a base material containing metal by chemically modifying it has advantages over the method of forming a coating using paint, such as the fact that the thickness of the coating formed by modification is thin, the impact on the dimensional accuracy of the part is small, and the durability and robustness are excellent. On the other hand, the coating formed by chemically modifying the surface of a base material obtained by known techniques tends to have a homogeneous composition, and there is little change in the visual effect due to the reflection and interference of light incident on the coating, so the appearance tends to be monotonous. In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a timepiece component, a movement, a watch exterior, a timepiece, and a method for manufacturing a timepiece component that can achieve a novel visual effect. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The means for solving the above problems include the following embodiments. <1> A copper-containing base material and a modified film disposed on the base material, The modified film contains bubbles. <2> The size of the bubbles is 5 nm or more and 500 nm or less. <1> The watch parts described in <3> The number of bubbles is 1 / μm 2 More than 50 pieces / μm 2 Below is the <1> or <2> The watch parts described in <4> The thickness of the modified film is 0.1 μm or more and 20 μm or less. <1> ~ <3> The watch component according to any one of the preceding claims. <5> <1> ~ <4> A movement comprising the watch component according to any one of the preceding claims. <6> <1> ~ <4> A watch exterior comprising the watch part according to any one of claims 1 to 4. <7> <1> ~ <4> A watch comprising the watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 4. <8> <1> ~ <4> A method for manufacturing a watch component according to any one of the above claims, A method for manufacturing a watch component, comprising immersing a copper-containing base material in an aqueous solution containing copper sulfate and verdigris and stirring the aqueous solution. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, there are provided timepiece components, movements, watch exteriors, timepieces, and methods for manufacturing timepiece components that can produce novel visual effects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of a timepiece component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a timepiece according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a manufacturing method for a watch component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is an image of a cross section of a test piece prepared in an example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. In this specification, when a numerical range is expressed using "to", the numerical range means a range that includes the numerical values ​​written before and after "to" as the lower and upper limits.

[0010] First Embodiment The first embodiment of the present disclosure is A copper-containing base material and a modified film disposed on the base material, The modified film is a watch part containing bubbles.

[0011] In this disclosure, a "modified film" placed on the base material that constitutes a watch component refers to a coating (layer) formed by chemically modifying the components contained in the base material. In other words, coatings formed using materials different from the base material, such as paint or plating, do not fall under the category of a "modified film."

[0012] In the watch component of the first embodiment, the modified film placed on the surface of the base material contains bubbles, which allows for more complex colors to be produced than when the modified film placed on the surface of the base material does not contain bubbles, providing the viewer with a visual effect not seen in conventional watch components. Furthermore, the modified film placed on the surface of the base material exhibits a remarkable coloring effect even when it is thin, allowing the desired visual effect to be achieved without compromising the high dimensional precision required for watch parts.

[0013] The reason why the visual effect given to the observer differs between when the modified film formed on the surface of the base material contains bubbles and when it does not is thought to be as follows. When light is incident on the modified film formed on the surface of the base material, the light is reflected at the interface between the base material and the modified film and interferes within the modified film, resulting in the modified film exhibiting a color tone different from that of the base material. When the modified film into which light is incident contains bubbles, in addition to the light reflection at the interface between the base material and the modified film and the light interference within the modified film, diffused reflection of light occurs around the bubbles present in the modified film. Furthermore, when bubbles are dispersed within the modified film, the depth at which diffused reflection occurs varies depending on the position of the bubbles. It is thought that the effect of diffused reflection occurring around such bubbles adds to the complexity of the color of the modified film.

[0014] The base material included in the watch component of the first embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it contains copper and is capable of forming a modified film on its surface. That is, the base material included in the watch component of the first embodiment can contain pure copper or various copper alloys. By selecting the material of the base material, it is possible to impart the desired color tone to the watch component.

[0015] In the present disclosure, the term "base material containing copper" includes cases where the entire base material contains copper and cases where only a portion of the base material contains copper. When only a portion of the base material contains copper, it is preferable that at least the surface of the base material contains copper. In the present disclosure, the term "copper alloy" refers to an alloy containing copper as the main component (the component with the highest content). The copper content in the base material (or in the portion of the base material when that portion contains copper) may be, for example, 50 mass % or more, 70 mass % or more, or 80 mass % or more.

[0016] Specific examples of copper alloys that can be used as the base material include CuAg alloy (quarter copper), CuAu alloy (red copper or purple gold), CuAs alloy (black copper), CuZn alloy (brass), CuNi alloy (white copper), CuZnNiMn alloy (nickel silver), CuSn alloy (bronze), CuSnP alloy (phosphor bronze), CuAl alloy (aluminum bronze), and CuBe alloy (beryllium copper).

[0017] In the timepiece component of the first embodiment, there are no particular restrictions on the thickness of the modified film disposed on the surface of the base material. From the viewpoint of fully exhibiting the coloring effect due to the formation of the modified film, the thickness of the modified film may be 0.1 μm or more. From the viewpoint of ensuring the dimensional accuracy required for a watch part, the thickness of the modified film may be 20 μm or less.

[0018] In the present disclosure, the thickness of the modified film is measured by observing the cross section of the modified film using an electron microscope, etc. If the thickness of the modified film is not uniform, the average value of the thicknesses of the modified film measured at 10 or more locations on the cross section of the modified film is defined as the thickness of the modified film.

[0019] In the timepiece component of the first embodiment, there are no particular restrictions on the size of the air bubbles contained in the modified film disposed on the surface of the base material. From the viewpoint of fully realizing the visual effect due to the diffuse reflection of light occurring around the bubbles, the size of the bubbles may be 5 nm or more, 10 nm or more, or 50 nm or more. There is no particular upper limit to the size of the bubbles, and the size may be, for example, 500 nm or less, 200 nm or less, or 100 nm or less.

[0020] In the present disclosure, the size of bubbles contained in a modified membrane is defined as the maximum diameter of the bubbles measured by observing the cross section of the modified membrane using an electron microscope, etc. If the size of the bubbles observed on the cross section of the modified membrane is not uniform, the average size of 10 or more bubbles observed on the cross section of the modified membrane is defined as the bubble size.

[0021] In the timepiece component of the first embodiment, there is no particular limit to the number of bubbles contained in the modified film disposed on the surface of the base material. In order to fully realize the visual effect caused by the diffuse reflection of light around the bubbles, the number of bubbles is set to 1 / μm. 2 More than 2 pieces / μm 2 or more, or 5 / μm 2 It may be more than that. There is no particular upper limit to the number of bubbles, and it is, for example, 50 bubbles / μm 2 Below, 20 pieces / μm 2 Less than or equal to 10 pieces / μm 2 It may be the following:

[0022] In the present disclosure, the number of bubbles contained in the modified membrane is measured by observing the cross section of the modified membrane with an electron microscope or the like, and is determined based on the number of bubbles within 1 μm. 2 If the distribution of bubbles observed on the cross section of the modified membrane is not uniform, 2 The number of bubbles is defined as the average of the number of bubbles observed in the above regions. From the viewpoint of measurement accuracy, the number of bubbles may be defined as the average of the number of bubbles measured from cross sections of the modified membrane obtained at multiple positions (e.g., 10 positions).

[0023] The timepiece component of the first embodiment may be subjected to surface treatment other than the formation of a modified film. Surface treatments other than the formation of modified films include engraving, hammering, patterning, mokume gane, inlay, roughening, mirror finishing, application of paint such as varnish, plating with a different material, and the like.

[0024] Specific techniques of engraving include creating designs on the surface of a base material by cutting marks with a cutting tool or indentations with a chisel. A specific technique of forging is to create a design on the surface of the base material by using hammer marks. A specific technique for inlay is to carve the surface of a base material and then insert a metal different from the base material into the carved surface. Specific techniques for creating patterns include pressing sandpaper or a rubber-like grinding stone onto the surface of the base material to leave regular grinding marks, or using a milling cutter or the like to leave regular cutting marks on the surface of the base material. A specific technique for mokume gane is to stack layers containing different types of metals, exposing the metal in the lower layer on the surface in a wood grain pattern. Specific techniques for roughening or mirror-finishing include etching, sandblasting, honing, polishing, and the like.

[0025] Surface treatment may be applied to the entire surface of the watch part (except for painting or plating), or to a part of the surface. The surface treatment may be carried out before or after forming a modified film on the surface of the base material.

[0026] There are no particular limitations on the type of timepiece component in the first embodiment. Parts suitable as timepiece components of the present disclosure include the dial, hands, dial ring (a component placed on the outer periphery of the dial to hide the gap between the case and the dial), main plate, bridge (a component that secures components mounted on the main plate), oscillating weight (a component that holds a weight and is secured via a bearing or the like), and display plates such as a date wheel.

[0027] The timepiece components of the first embodiment have a superior visual effect, so it is preferable that they are components that can be observed by the user of the timepiece. The base material of the timepiece component of the first embodiment contains copper and is relatively soft, so it is preferable for it to be a component that is built into the case of a timepiece.

[0028] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present disclosure is a movement, a watch exterior, or a watch that includes the watch component of the first embodiment described above. That is, at least one of the components constituting the movement, the exterior for the timepiece, or the timepiece of the second embodiment has a base material containing copper and a modified film containing air bubbles disposed thereon.

[0029] In this disclosure, "movement" refers to the mechanical body including the driving part of the watch, and "watch exterior" refers to the parts that make up the watch other than the movement. Specific examples of watch exterior include the case, dial (including indexes), hands, dial ring, metal band, buckle (fastener for leather band), buckle (fastener for metal band), crown, buttons, etc.

[0030] In the movement, watch exterior, or watch of the second embodiment, it is preferable that at least one selected from the dial, hands, dial ring, main plate, bridge, oscillating weight, and display panel such as a date wheel is the watch part of the first embodiment.

[0031] As an example of a timepiece according to the second embodiment, the structure of a mechanical wristwatch will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the mechanical body including the driving parts of the timepiece will be referred to as the "movement." The state in which the dial and hands are attached to the movement and placed inside the case to form a finished product will be referred to as the "complete" timepiece. In the following description, the side on which the complete dial can be observed is referred to as the "front side," and the side on which the complete dial cannot be observed is referred to as the "back side."

[0032] Figure 1 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a complete watch as viewed from the front side. Complete watch 1 has a dial 2 on which a scale 3 showing information about the time is arranged, and hands 4 that indicate the time. Hands 4 include an hour hand 4a, a minute hand 4b, and a second hand 4c.

[0033] 2 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a complete watch as viewed from the back side. In order to make the drawing easier to understand, some of the timepiece parts that make up the movement 100 are not shown in FIG. The movement 100 has a main plate 102 as a base on which components are mounted. A winding stem 110 is rotatably incorporated in a winding stem guide hole 102a of the main plate 102. The position of this winding stem 110 in the axial direction is determined by a switching device that includes a setting lever 190, a yoke 192, a yoke spring 194, and a back bracket 196. When the winding stem 110 is rotated, the winding pinion 112 rotates via the rotation of the clutch wheel (not shown). The rotation of the winding pinion 112 rotates the crown wheel 114 and the ratchet wheel 116 in turn, and the mainspring (not shown) housed in the barrel complete 120 is wound up.

[0034] The barrel complete 120 is rotatably supported between the main plate 102 and a barrel bridge 160. The center wheel & pinion 124, the third wheel & pinion 126, the fourth wheel & pinion 128, and the escape wheel 130 are rotatably supported between the main plate 102 and a wheel train bridge 162. The pallet fork 142 is rotatably supported between the main plate 102 and a pallet bridge 164.

[0035] The barrel 120 rotates due to the restoring force of the mainspring. The rotation of the barrel 120 causes the center wheel & pinion 124, the third wheel & pinion 126, the fourth wheel & pinion 128, and the escape wheel & pinion 130 to rotate in sequence. The barrel 120, the center wheel & pinion 124, the third wheel & pinion 126, and the fourth wheel & pinion 128 constitute the front train wheel. The escapement and speed regulating device for controlling the rotation of this front train wheel is made up of the escape wheel 130, the pallet fork 142, and the balance 140. Teeth 130a are formed on the outer periphery of the escape wheel 130. The pallet fork 142 is equipped with a pair of pallet jewels 142a. The balance 140 is equipped with a balance stem 140a, a balance wheel 140b, and a hairspring 140c.

[0036] When one pallet jewel 142a of the pallet fork 142 is engaged with the tooth 130a of the escape wheel 130, the escape wheel 130 temporarily stops. When the balance 140 rotates from this state due to the expansion and contraction of the hairspring 140c, the impulse jewel fixed to the balance stem 140a swings up the pallet fork 142. As a result, one pallet jewel 142a of the pallet fork 142 disengages from the escape wheel 130, and the escape wheel 130 advances to a position where it engages with the other pallet jewel 142a of the pallet fork 142. Because the balance 140 rotates back and forth at a constant cycle, the escape wheel 130 can be escaped at a constant speed.

[0037] When the center wheel & pinion 124 rotates, the cannon pinion (not shown) rotates simultaneously based on that rotation, and the minute hand 4b (see Figure 1) attached to this cannon pinion displays the minutes. Also, based on the rotation of the cannon pinion, the hour wheel (not shown) rotates via the rotation of the minute wheel, and the hour hand 4a (see Figure 1) attached to this hour wheel displays the hours.

[0038] The timepiece of the second embodiment has, for example, at least one selected from the dial 2, main plate 102, barrel bridge 160, gear train bridge 162, and anchor bridge 164 of the wristwatch shown in Figures 1 and 2 made of a base material containing copper, and a modified film containing air bubbles placed on top of it.

[0039] The timepiece shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a mechanical timepiece, but the timepiece of the second embodiment is not limited to a mechanical timepiece, and may be a quartz timepiece, a solar timepiece, a radio-controlled timepiece, or the like. The timepiece shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a wristwatch, but the timepiece of the second embodiment is not limited to a wristwatch and may be a pocket watch, table clock, wall clock, or the like. The dial of the watch shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be opaque or transparent, and the back cover of the watch may be opaque or transparent.

[0040] <Third embodiment> The third embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing the timepiece component of the first embodiment described above, The method for manufacturing a watch component includes immersing a copper-containing base material in an aqueous solution containing copper sulfate and verdigris and stirring the aqueous solution.

[0041] According to the method of the third embodiment, a modified film containing bubbles can be formed on the surface of a base material containing copper, thereby producing a watch component that exhibits a novel visual effect. According to the method of the third embodiment, a modified film (oxide film) containing cuprous oxide is formed on the surface of the base material.

[0042] The content of copper sulfate contained in the aqueous solution used in the method of the third embodiment can be selected, for example, from the range of 1 g to 20 g per liter of water. The content of verdigris contained in the aqueous solution used in the method of the third embodiment can be selected, for example, from the range of 1 g to 20 g per liter of water. If necessary, the aqueous solution may contain components other than copper sulfate and patina.

[0043] The temperature of the aqueous solution containing copper sulfate and verdigris when the aqueous solution is stirred while the copper-containing base material is immersed in the aqueous solution can be selected from the range of 60°C to 100°C, for example. The time for stirring the aqueous solution containing copper sulfate and patina while the copper-containing base material is immersed in the aqueous solution can be selected, for example, from the range of 30 minutes to 5 hours. The stirring method is not particularly limited as long as it is a method that forms a modified film containing bubbles on the surface of the base material. Stirring may be continued from the start to the end of immersion of the base material in the aqueous solution, or may be performed with a rest period in between.

[0044] The method of the third embodiment may also include subjecting the watch component to a surface treatment other than the formation of a modified film. Surface treatments other than the formation of modified films include engraving, hammering, patterning, mokume gane, inlay, roughening, mirror finishing, application of paint such as varnish, plating with a different material, and the like. Surface treatment may be applied to the entire surface of the watch part (except for painting or plating), or to a part of the surface. The surface treatment may be carried out before or after forming a modified film on the surface of the base material.

[0045] Before being immersed in the aqueous solution containing copper sulfate and patina (i.e., before a modified film is formed on the surface), the base material is processed into the shape of a predetermined watch part. The processing method is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include casting, forging, cutting, pressing, and 3D molding. When a part of the base material contains copper, the base material may be a copper-containing coating formed on the surface of a copper-free object by plating or the like. The method for processing the base material may be electroforming. Electroforming is suitable as a method for processing parts with fine shapes. In this disclosure, electroforming refers to a method in which the base material is removed from a metal layer formed on the surface of the base material by electroplating, and the metal layer from which the base material has been removed is used as a product.

[0046] The base material produced by electroforming may have a desired shape, and such a base material can be obtained, for example, by a method called LIGA, which combines photolithography and electroplating. Specifically, a metal member having a desired shape can be obtained by carrying out steps (A) to (D) shown in FIG.

[0047] 3(A), a photoresist layer 32 is formed on the surface of a substrate 30, at least the surface of which is conductive. The photoresist used to form the photoresist layer 32 can be either a negative photoresist, which becomes less soluble in a developer upon exposure (i.e., becomes irremovable by development), or a positive photoresist, which becomes more soluble in a developer upon exposure (i.e., becomes removable by development). The following describes the use of a negative photoresist.

[0048] 3(B), the photoresist layer 32 is exposed to light in a pattern, and the unexposed portions of the photoresist layer 32 are removed with a developer. The light used for exposure can be X-rays, ultraviolet rays, or the like, without any particular limitation.

[0049] 3(C), the developed substrate 30 is immersed in an aqueous solution of metal ions to perform electroplating, thereby forming a metal layer 34 in the area where the unexposed portions of the photoresist layer 32 have been removed. If necessary, treatments such as grinding and polishing may be performed after the electroplating to adjust the thickness of the metal layer 34.

[0050] In the step of Figure 3(D), the substrate 30 and photoresist layer 32 are removed from the metal layer 34 formed by electrolytic plating, to obtain the metal layer 34 having a shape corresponding to the unexposed areas of the photoresist layer 32 as the base material 36. [Example]

[0051] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described based on examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to these examples.

[0052] (Test piece processing) A test piece made of red copper was prepared as a copper-containing base material. The test piece was immersed in an aqueous solution (80°C) containing copper sulfate (3 g / L) and verdigris (3 g / L) for 1 hour while stirring the solution, after which the test piece was removed from the aqueous solution and dried.

[0053] The test piece after the treatment had a different color tone from the test piece before immersion. The treated test piece was cut with a focused ion beam (FIB) and the cross section was observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). A modified film (oxide film) approximately 3 μm thick was found to have formed on the surface of the base material. Figure 4 shows an SEM image of the modified film observed. The area enclosed in a box in the image is 1 μm x 1 μm. As shown in Figure 4, the modified film formed on the surface of the base material contained air bubbles inside. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 Complete 2 Dial 3 scales 4 needles

Claims

1. A copper-containing base material and a modified film disposed on the base material, The modified film contains bubbles.

2. 2. The watch component according to claim 1, wherein the size of the bubbles is between 5 nm and 500 nm.

3. The number of bubbles is 1 / μm ２ More than 50 pieces / μm ２ 2. A watch component according to claim 1, wherein:

4. 2. The watch component according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the modified film is 0.1 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

5. A movement comprising the timepiece component according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A watch exterior comprising the watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. A timepiece comprising the timepiece component according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. A method for manufacturing a watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A method for manufacturing a watch component, comprising immersing a copper-containing base material in an aqueous solution containing copper sulfate and verdigris and stirring the aqueous solution.

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