Method for manufacturing a timepiece part

Abstract

To surely and firmly manufacture a timepiece component having optimized mechanical properties.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a horological component, comprising the steps of: procuring a block to be machined, forming a horological component blank having a shape of revolution about an axis of revolution A, the method comprising the step consisting in machining the blank using an off-centre laser beam 11, the direction of which is not parallel to the axis of revolution, does not intersect the axis of revolution and is not tangential to the blank to be machined.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a watch component, and also to a machining device employing said manufacturing method. [Background technology]

[0002] The manufacture of watch components requires a good compromise between the following requirements: - High-performance materials that address at least the high mechanical requirements imposed on horological applications; - A manufacturing method that is reliable, robust, and simple enough to be used on a large scale.

[0003] The first existing solution consists of manufacturing metal watch parts by lathe turning, which requires a mechanical cutting tool to act directly on the initial block to remove material and create a shape. The cutting tool comes into direct contact with the block, as opposed to laser machining, which allows a laser beam to act remotely on the block. This method allows for high precision to be achieved quickly and with good control. However, depending on the alloy used, metals have the disadvantage of being sensitive to magnetic fields, which can lead to reliability issues for the operation of small watches under some conditions of use. Furthermore, metals are not always sufficiently hard, requiring additional work to increase their hardness and, in some cases, to improve their surface condition, ultimately complicating the manufacturing process. Finally, some hard, non-magnetic alloys can prove difficult to machine, causing excessive wear on the cutting tool.

[0004] The second existing solution relies on the selection of very rigid, non-magnetic materials, such as ceramics, which do not have some of the drawbacks of the metals used in the first solution. However, the manufacture of ceramic watch components generally requires a more complex process, including laser machining, which is slower and less controllable than traditional machining. In fact, laser machining cannot be used to manufacture components with complex three-dimensional shapes, particularly those with the high precision required for proper functioning of watch components. For example, it is not possible to machine teeth with certain complex shapes. Furthermore, some products, such as escapement pinion components, are manufactured separately and then hammered onto the shaft, which creates play issues and the risk of breakage. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a solution for the manufacture of timepiece components which constitutes the best possible answer to the above-mentioned demands and which improves on existing solutions.

[0006] More particularly, the object of the invention is to define a solution for manufacturing watch components that allows a reliable and robust production of watch components with optimized mechanical properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] For this reason, the present invention provides sourcing the blocks to be machined; forming a watch component blank having a shape of revolution about an axis of rotation; A method for manufacturing a watch component, comprising the steps of: machining the blank with an off-center laser beam whose direction is not parallel to the axis of rotation, does not intersect the axis of rotation, and is not tangential to the blank being machined; The present invention is based on a method for manufacturing a watch component, which includes the steps of:

[0008] The machined block is made entirely of ceramic, preferably sintered and hardened technical ceramic.

[0009] The invention also relates to a machining device comprising at least one rotating spindle configured to hold a block to be machined and a laser that can be off-centered, configured to employ the method for manufacturing a watch part as described above.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a timepiece made of a material, in particular a ceramic based on zirconia or alumina, having a hardness of 800 HV or more, or 1000 HV or more, or 1200 HV or more, the timepiece having a one-piece cast construction including a shaft and at least one tooth, the cross section of at least one tooth on a plane perpendicular to the shaft having a shape including a flared profile, the cross section perpendicular to the shaft having a shape in which the dimension in the perpendicular radial direction increases in the direction radially away from the shaft.

[0011] The invention is more particularly defined by the claims.

[0012] The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed in detail in the following non-limiting description of specific embodiments, given in connection with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the cross-sectional profile of an escapement pinion that can be produced by the manufacturing method of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the first of the third steps of a manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention, which involves machining the escape pinion. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the layer-by-layer laser treatment of an escapement pinion blank according to a first approach of a first stage of a third step of a manufacturing method according to this embodiment of the invention. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 illustrates the time distribution and duration of the laser shots for the layer illustrated in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the laser treatment of an escapement pinion blank according to a second approach of the first stage of the third step of the manufacturing method according to this embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the laser treatment of an escapement pinion blank according to the first approach of the second stage of the third step of the manufacturing method according to this embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of the laser treatment of an escapement pinion blank according to the first approach of the second stage of the third step of the manufacturing method according to this embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of the laser treatment of an escapement pinion blank according to the second approach of the second stage of the third step of the manufacturing method according to this embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of the laser treatment of an escapement pinion blank according to the second approach of the second stage of the third step of the manufacturing method according to this embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of a watch component according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] For simplicity of explanation and by convention, the longitudinal direction is the main direction in which the associated clock element and / or the axis of rotation of the clock element extends. The adjective "transverse" is used to designate a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0015] The invention will be described in the context of the manufacture of an escape pinion whose transverse profile, i.e. the profile lying in a transverse plane, in other words whose cross section in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation A of the escape pinion, comprises the same teeth as shown in Figure 1. Such a tooth profile 1 has the particular characteristic shape of including a portion 2, referred to for brevity as "flare portion", whose perpendicular radial dimension o develops positively in the direction radially away from the shaft of the escape pinion (direction R), i.e. in the direction R extending from the base 3 of the tooth towards its apex 4.

[0016] In particular, such tooth profiles may have an ogive-like shape, including a reduction in tooth thickness below the pinion's original diameter. The utility of such pinion teeth is that they allow for optimized initial interaction between the two mating teeth, resulting from the upper portion having the pinion's original diameter designed for efficient meshing at the start of movement. At the same time, the reduced thickness at the tooth's base, or root, ensures proper release from the opposing tooth, ensuring smooth and accurate transmission of motion. Such a mechanism minimizes friction and favors increased durability of the mating assembly.

[0017] The concept of the invention consists in using a manufacturing method, based on a particular type of laser machining, which in particular allows such tooth profiles to be produced efficiently.

[0018] A manufacturing method that allows the production of an escapement pinion with teeth identical to the tooth profile described above will be explained in detail below.

[0019] The manufacturing method includes a first step consisting of obtaining a machined block. The machined block is advantageously made entirely of ceramic. The ceramic is preferably homogeneous throughout the monolithic machined block. It is advantageous to use technical ceramics, and preferably sintered technical ceramics. The adjective "technical" refers to the high-performance properties of the selected ceramic. Indeed, technical ceramics can achieve good mechanical, thermal, and even electrical and / or biochemical properties, in addition to being chemically inert and non-magnetic, making them suitable for use in watch components. Technical ceramics, as used herein, differ from conventional ceramics in their composition in that they are obtained from refined synthetic powders and not from natural mineral powders, such as feldspar or kaolin. For example, the ceramic may be based on zirconia, particularly yttria-stabilized zirconia, alumina, zirconia-alumina composites, silicon carbide, or silicon nitride. Alternatively, the machined block includes a ceramic coating.

[0020] The ceramic may include one or more of the following elements in addition to zirconia and / or alumina and / or other types of ceramic: - carbon nanotubes, - graphene, - fullerenes, - yttrium oxide, - cerium oxide, - zirconium carbide, - titanium carbide, - zirconium boride, - boron nitride, - Titanium nitride.

[0021] More generally, the material of the block to be machined is advantageously a rigid and / or brittle and / or hard material having a hardness of 500 HV or more, or even 600 HV or more, or even 700 HV or more, or even 800 HV or more, or even 1000 HV or more, or even 1200 HV or more.

[0022] As an alternative to ceramic, the block to be machined may be a metal or metal alloy, in particular a stainless steel or an austenitic or martensitic steel, or an amorphous or partially amorphous metal alloy, or a titanium alloy Ti, or a tungsten or zirconium alloy. Alternatively, the material of the block to be machined may be a cermet. As a further alternative, the material may be a combination of the above-mentioned materials.

[0023] The manufacturing method then employs a second step consisting in forming a watch component blank having a shape of revolution about an axis of rotation A.

[0024] The blank can be obtained by various traditional methods, such as extrusion or microinjection of a powder-binder mixture. In a preferred embodiment, the blank is formed by machining. For this, the block to be machined is mounted on a machining spindle and driven in rotation. The sides of the blank are then contoured by lathing in a conventional manner or by laser lathing. In particular, in the case of laser lathing, the laser beam may have a significant energy of about 30 μJ. The laser beam can be used precisely.

[0025] The manufacturing method then employs a third step, which may comprise two stages, of machining the blank, which step advantageously employs a laser, which may be a laser operating at a wavelength of 515 nm, or alternatively at a wavelength of 1030 nm.

[0026] In the first stage, the blank obtained in the preceding second stage is machined by a laser machining device, which may be the same device used to form the blank. The laser employed, without precession, is preferably a laser generating ultrashort pulses of the picosecond or ideally femtosecond pulse type (pulse lengths of the order of 500 fs, or even 400 fs, or even less). This prevents the laser from heating the material. In this first stage, the laser beam acts in the same plane as the blank's rotation axis A, perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to it. This is why it is called a "centered laser." The laser beam thus machines the part along its length, cutting out in particular a portion of the future escapement pinion teeth. Figure 2 shows this stage diagrammatically. Curve 10 shows the initial shape of the blank. Curve 12 shows the tooth shape obtained in this first machining stage using laser beam 11. Figure 2 also illustrates the aforementioned specific flare portion 2 of the finished tooth to be machined. In this first machining step, the flared portion 2 of the tooth cannot be formed because the widened portion towards the apex 4 of the tooth blocks the passage of the laser beam 11 and prevents the formation of the flared portion 2. Figure 2 further shows that the movement of the laser beam 11 in Figure 2, illustrated by the left and right views, makes it possible to machine the entire volume extending between two adjacent teeth 1.

[0027] Laser machining can take two different approaches in this first stage.

[0028] Using the first approach, machining is performed continuously around the entire circumference of a blank driven to rotate about its axis of rotation A on a rotating spindle of a machining device. Laser shots are applied sequentially to generate laser pulses and to form teeth by removing material layer by layer, preferably between the apexes of the teeth. The rotational speed of the spindle is significantly reduced compared to, for example, when using the same laser machining device to form the blank. The laser shots are synchronized with the rotation of the blank to form the desired teeth and cavities, as shown by curve 12 in FIG. 2. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the use of this first approach. FIG. 3 illustrates three curves 21, 22, and 23, corresponding to three separate layers processed by the laser during the rotation of the blank. FIG. 4 illustrates the distribution of time and duration of the laser shots for each of the three layers, i.e., the intermittent laser shots for each layer 21, 22, and 23. In each of the three lines, the respective high (on) portions illustrate respective laser shots 31, 32, 33, and the low (off) portions illustrate interrupted laser stages where material is not removed and is therefore maintained in the blank to form the tooth portion to be formed.

[0029] In the second approach, which is an alternative to the first approach, laser machining is performed on each tooth individually. In this case, the laser works in a continuous sequence and is moved relative to the blank to perform oscillations calculated to allow machining between two teeth. The laser removes material layer by layer. Therefore, repeated passes of the laser are used to machine deeper at the center of the oscillation. The amplitude of the oscillation of the blank is determined by several factors, including the desired part geometry and the laser power, expressed as laser fluence and focal diameter. The oscillation angle is preferably adjusted so that the laser beam 11 reaches the crests 4 of two adjacent teeth 1. Figure 5 illustrates the use of this second approach more specifically. As an example, consider a pinion with 10 identical and symmetrical teeth. For a laser focal diameter of approximately 12 μm and a distance between the crests of the two teeth of approximately 125 μm, the oscillation angle of the part to be machined between the two teeth 1 is approximately ±16°, centered at the root of the tooth. During the additional time, by reducing the angle (to 8° in the figure), in particular by not forming part 2, it is possible to carry out deeper machining at the roots of the two teeth 1 in order to form a final contour shown by curve 12 which differs from the required final contour.

[0030] As mentioned above, the first machining stage allows for the initial cutting of the teeth of the escape pinion without achieving the required final profile.

[0031] For this reason, the third machining step employs a second laser machining stage in which the alignment of the laser is offset from the blank's rotation axis, i.e., the generated laser beam 11 is not aligned with or directed in such a way that it intersects the blank's rotation axis. Note that the laser beam is also not tangential to the edge of the blank, i.e., not used at a tangential angle of incidence on the machining surface. The laser will simply be referred to in a simplified manner as an "offset laser" or "off-center laser" in the remainder of this specification. This reorientation of the laser allows for highly detailed machining of the final shape of the tooth 1, particularly the flared portion 2 described in detail above.

[0032] For this purpose, the laser is offset to one side of the axis of rotation of the blank so that its laser beam 11 can reach the tooth 1 below the original diameter of the blank without hitting the wide upper part of the tooth 1. This therefore allows removal of material to the full depth and thickness required to finish the complex full contour of that tooth 1.

[0033] The power of the laser is advantageously reduced in the second stage, for example the pulsed laser energy varies between 1 and 20 μJ, and the rotation speed of the blank is likewise significantly reduced to allow detailed processing of the particular portion 2.

[0034] The second laser machining step may also be employed in two different approaches.

[0035] In the first approach, the blank is immobilized and directed toward the laser so that the laser beam can directly access the root of the tooth without interference from the tooth edge. The laser is then moved away from or toward the axis of rotation by translating the laser beam 11, by pivoting the laser beam, or by a combination of these two movements. FIG. 6 illustrates the laser machining of one side of a first tooth using this first approach. FIG. 7 illustrates the laser machining of the other side of a second adjacent tooth using the first approach of symmetrically off-centering the laser with respect to the plane of symmetry P of the two adjacent teeth 1, which plane of symmetry P contains the blank's axis of rotation A. In these two figures, the left and right views illustrate the movement of the laser beam 11 at the height of the flared portion 2 to be formed. As is clear from these figures, the laser beam is not directed in a direction that intersects the blank's axis of rotation A, unlike the laser machining described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. The laser beam is advantageously directed perpendicular to the axis of rotation A or at an angle of 90° to the axis of rotation A, which angle is defined by the mathematical vector of the direction of the line segment defined by the laser beam when it does not intersect the axis of rotation A, as described above. Simply stated, the laser has a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation A. More generally, the direction is at an angle of between 45 and 90°, or even between 70 and 90°, or even between 80 and 90° to the axis of rotation A of the blank.

[0036] With the second approach, the laser beam is immobilized and directed toward the blank so as to have direct access to the root of the tooth without interference from the tooth end. Therefore, unlike the first approach, it is the blank that is slightly pivoted about its rotation axis A to provide direct access to the area of ​​the blank to be machined to form the flared portion without interference from the tooth end, which is already finished and must not be machined. FIG. 8 illustrates the laser machining of one side of a first tooth using the second approach. FIG. 9 illustrates the laser machining of the other side of an adjacent second tooth using the second approach after symmetrically off-centering the blank with respect to the symmetry plane P of the two adjacent teeth 1, which plane P contains the blank's rotation axis A. In these two figures, the left and right views illustrate the change in inclination of the blank relative to the laser beam 11, particularly in the height of the flared portion 2 to be formed. As is clear from these figures, the laser beam maintains its orientation relative to the blank, similar to that described with reference to the first approach, based on the "off-center laser" principle.

[0037] Alternatively, a combination of the two approaches is of course also foreseeable, in which the machining area of ​​the blank is attacked by moving the laser beam and the blank around the axis of rotation in a coordinated manner. As an example of the use of this third approach, the laser beam can machine the roots of two adjacent teeth if the blank is simultaneously rotated around its axis of rotation, giving the laser alternating direct access to the roots of the two adjacent teeth without interference from the ends of the two adjacent teeth. This combined approach ultimately makes it possible to machine the halves of two adjacent teeth simultaneously or almost simultaneously, i.e., in the same operation. Therefore, this approach has the advantage of reducing the machining time of the second stage compared to the two previous approaches.

[0038] In all cases, the third step employs the second step described above, which forms the core of the concept of the invention, making it possible to easily obtain complex shapes of the watch part, in particular at least one flared portion of at least one tooth, and which ends with a step in which the laser beam and the blank are driven in a relative motion appropriate to the required result, the laser being off-center, i.e. the axis of the laser is not aligned with the line defined by the incident laser beam, and more generally is not parallel to the axis of rotation of the blank, does not intersect the axis of rotation of the blank and is not tangent to the blank to be machined.

[0039] In this third step, it is noted that the first step is optional. Depending on the dimensions to be machined, the first step can be omitted. Therefore, the first step is optional.

[0040] In one embodiment, the third step can be employed to simultaneously machine the blank with the two preceding stages, one with a laser having a centrally located axis and the other with an offset laser, so that these two machining steps can be performed in the same operation.

[0041] The third step has been described for the partial machining of two adjacent teeth. Of course, this step is repeated for all teeth of the blank. Thus, the blank can be rotated continuously or discontinuously during and / or after each of the above-described machining steps to present all teeth to the offset laser. As described above, the offset laser can alternatively or additionally be moved about the blank's rotation axis.

[0042] It should be noted that the selected orientation of the laser and the blank, respectively, not only allows for the easy formation of complex shapes, but also makes it possible to obtain an improved surface condition compared to conventional methods. At the end of the third step, the watch part is finished or semi-finished. Nevertheless, the manufacturing method optionally further comprises a final finishing step to achieve a predetermined surface roughness.

[0043] For example, such a final finishing step may be carried out with an abrasive medium, preferably on all surfaces of the watch part. In particular, the step may involve mechanical treatment with an abrasive mixture, preferably by impact, by vibration, vibration or rotation, typically carried out in a tank. One or more watch parts, especially large quantities, may be placed in such a tank and treated simultaneously.

[0044] Without limiting the invention, the final finishing step may be performed by tumbling, tribo-finishing, ultra-fine sandblasting, or wet spraying.

[0045] Furthermore, the final finishing step is applied over the entire surface of the timepiece component, or alternatively over only a portion of the surface, advantageously at least to the visible surface of the timepiece component.

[0046] Alternatively, the final finishing step may include polishing, which may be performed directly by the laser machine used in the third step of the method, and which may be performed continuously or discontinuously during or after the various laser ablation stages (third step) described above.

[0047] In the above-described embodiments, the manufacturing method has been described for the production of an escapement pinion with teeth that all have the same shape. Of course, the method may also be used for any toothed watch part or any gear train. Furthermore, in all cases, the teeth may all have the same or different profiles. The method is suitable for the production of watch parts with straight, spiral, volute, or herringbone toothing, and / or asymmetrical toothing, and / or partial toothing, and / or toothing extending over the circumference, depth, or length of the watch part. In all cases, the invention is particularly advantageous in that it allows for the simple manufacture of any tooth, and more generally of any shape, including a transverse profile with at least one flared portion, i.e., a portion with a transverse radial width that increases in the direction away from the axis of rotation, whatever the shape of the flared portion.

[0048] The method of the invention can be used to form a large number of timepiece parts. In particular, the invention is useful for the manufacture of pinions or toothed wheels, as well as their shafts and / or gear teeth. Indeed, one of the advantages is that the method allows the simultaneous manufacture of the shaft and toothed portion of the same timepiece part in a monoblock manner, i.e. in one piece, avoiding the drawbacks of the subsequent assembly of separate shafts and toothed portions.

[0049] For this reason, Figure 10 illustrates a view of a one-piece, monolithic watch part 40 according to the invention, comprising a shaft with two pivots 41 at each end and a toothed pinion 42. Figure 10 shows the cross-sectional profile of each tooth 1 of the toothed pinion 42, which corresponds substantially to that of Figure 1.

[0050] In this way, the manufacturing method allows for the production of new shaft and / or tooth geometries that optimize meshing, for example, the manufacturing method allows for the construction of shafts that are optimized for winding in one direction and disengagement in another.

[0051] The present invention also relates to a timepiece component itself, made entirely or partially from a material having a hardness of 800 HV or more, even 1000 HV or more, or even 1200 HV or more, in particular a ceramic based on zirconia or alumina, and having an integral casting configuration including a shaft and at least one tooth, the cross section of which, in a plane perpendicular to the shaft of the timepiece component, has a shape that includes a flared portion.

[0052] The invention also relates to a machining device comprising at least one rotating spindle configured to hold a block to be machined and a laser, which may be an offset laser, configured to implement the above-mentioned method for manufacturing a watch part.

[0053] Thanks to this invention, the laser makes it possible to machine any material without the need for milling tools specific to one tooth shape. The use of milling tools is even more problematic because the tools deteriorate and must be replaced periodically. This allows for the production of "customized" designs of parts, and more specifically, flared teeth. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 tooth 2 Flare part 3 base 4 Top 11 Laser beam A rotation axis

Claims

1. sourcing the blocks to be machined; forming a watch component blank having a shape of revolution about an axis of rotation (A); A method for manufacturing a watch component, comprising the steps of: machining the blank with an off-center laser beam whose direction is not parallel to, does not intersect with, and is not tangential to the blank being machined; comprising the steps of: Manufacturing method for watch parts.

2. The step of machining the blank with an off-center laser beam forms at least one shape including a flared contour, and the cross section of the blank perpendicular to the axis of rotation (A) has a shape whose transverse radial dimension increases in the direction radially away from the axis of rotation (A). The method for manufacturing a watch component according to claim 1.

3. the step of machining the blank using an off-center laser beam employs a laser, wherein the laser beam angle is between 45 and 90°, further between 70 and 90°, further between 80 and 90° relative to the rotation axis (A) of the blank; The method for manufacturing a watch component according to claim 1 or 2.

4. said step of machining said blank with an off-center laser beam employs a laser producing ultrashort pulses, in particular a femtosecond pulse laser; The method for manufacturing a watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the step of machining the blank with an off-center laser beam employs pivoting the blank about its axis of rotation and / or translation of the laser to access the area of ​​the blank requiring machining; A method for manufacturing a watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the machined block is entirely made of ceramic or comprises a ceramic coating, the ceramic preferably being a sintered and hardened technical ceramic; A method for manufacturing a watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the ceramic is based on zirconia, in particular yttria-stabilized zirconia, or alumina or a zirconia-alumina composite, or silicon carbide, or silicon nitride, A method for manufacturing a watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the block to be machined is made of a rigid and / or brittle and / or hard material having a hardness of 500 HV or more, even 600 HV or more, even 700 HV or more, even 800 HV or more, even 1000 HV or more, even 1200 HV or more; A method for manufacturing a watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

9. the block is made of a metal or metal alloy, in particular a stainless steel, or an austenitic steel, or a martensitic steel, or an amorphous or partially amorphous metal alloy, or a titanium alloy Ti, or a tungsten, or a zirconium alloy, or a cermet, or a combination of said materials; The method for manufacturing a watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or 8.

10. the method comprises an additional step consisting of machining the blank with the aid of a centered laser, which generates a laser beam in the direction intersecting the rotation axis of the blank, said step of machining the blank with the aid of a centered laser being carried out before or simultaneously with said step of machining the blank with an off-center laser, A method for manufacturing a watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. the step of machining the blank with a centered laser is effected by a laser continuously acting on the blank, which is continuously driven in a swiveling manner, and / or the step of machining the blank with a centered laser is effected on the blank, which is driven in an oscillating manner; The method for manufacturing a watch component according to claim 10.

12. said step of forming a rotationally symmetrically shaped watch part blank employs a step of extrusion of a powder and binder mixture, or microinjection, and / or laser turning and machining, or turning and machining with cutting tools using a turning process; 12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. a final finishing step to achieve a predetermined surface roughness; A method for manufacturing a watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. Manufacture of a whole or part of a pinion or toothed wheel of a monoblock watch part, in particular comprising at least one shaft and at least one gear tooth, in particular comprising a linear, helical, spiral or herringbone toothing across said depth or over said length of said watch part, A method for manufacturing a watch component according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. 15. A machining device comprising at least one rotating spindle configured to hold a block to be machined, and a laser that can be off-centered, configured to employ the method for manufacturing a watch part according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A timepiece component made of a material having a hardness of 800 HV or more, or 1000 HV or more, or 1200 HV or more, in particular a ceramic mainly composed of zirconia or alumina, the timepiece component having an integrally cast configuration including a shaft and at least one tooth, wherein a cross section of at least one tooth on a plane perpendicular to the shaft has a shape including a flared profile portion, and the cross section perpendicular to the shaft has a shape in which the dimension in the perpendicular radial direction increases in the direction radially away from the rotation axis.

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