Patent Publication Number: US-2020292997-A1

Title: Composite timepiece or jewellery component with protection for the substrate and its decoration

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention concerns a method for fabricating a composite timepiece or jewellery component comprising at least one decoration affixed to a substrate which has at least one apparent surface intended to remain visible. 
     The invention also concerns a watch including an external element and/or a dial made by this method. 
     The invention concerns the field of external or display components for horology, and the field of jewellery. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The fabrication of certain timepiece or jewellery components comprising added components or decorations is often difficult when the base material reacts to humidity or temperature or to certain solvents. 
     This is, for example, the case of mother-of-pearl, or of other materials of animal or vegetable origin, which require particular precautions for fitting, for decoration and for protection over time of the actual substrate, and any decorations provided in such components. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention proposes to develop a method for fabricating a composite timepiece or jewellery component comprising at least one decoration affixed to a substrate which has at least one apparent surface intended to remain visible, which ensures the stability of the substrate and added decorations over time. 
     To this end, the invention concerns a method according to claim  1 . 
     The invention also concerns a watch including a component made by this method. 
     The invention also concerns a piece of jewellery including a component made by this method. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the invention will appear upon reading the following detailed description, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which: 
         FIGS. 1 to 11  represent schematic sectional views of the operating sequences of a method according to the invention: 
         FIG. 1  represents the making of a base; 
         FIG. 2  represents the mirror polishing of each apparent surface of the base intended to be seen by the user; 
         FIG. 3  represents a first coating operation wherein each polished apparent surface is coated with a deposition of a first transparent or coloured semi-transparent layer of a first material in a dry process, or PVD or CVD or ALD process, or lacquering or zapon varnish process. 
         FIG. 4  represents a first transfer operation of affixing and bonding at least one decorative element on a first external surface of the first layer; 
         FIG. 5  represents a second coating operation wherein the first layer and each decorative element carried by the first layer is coated with a deposition of a second layer of a transparent treatment material in a dry process, or PVD or CVD or ALD process, or lacquering or zapon varnish process; 
         FIG. 6  represents a final machining operation wherein geometric alignment is performed on the second layer and/or a polishing operation is performed on the second external surface of the second layer; 
         FIG. 7  represents, after the first coating operation, an intermediate machining operation wherein geometric alignment is performed on the first layer and/or a polishing operation is performed on the first external surface of the first layer; 
         FIG. 8  represents, prior to the execution of the second coating operation, a transfer operation wherein at least one marking is applied by pad printing to the first external surface of the first layer; 
         FIG. 9  represents a variant wherein, at the same time, at least one decorative element is affixed and bonded and at least one marking is transferred by pad printing, to a first external surface of the first layer; 
         FIG. 10  represents, in a similar manner to  FIG. 5 , a second coating operation wherein the first layer and each decorative element, added according to  FIG. 9 , is coated with a deposition of a second layer of a transparent treatment material in a dry process, or PVD or CVD or ALD process, or lacquering or zapon varnish process. 
         FIG. 11  represents, in a similar manner to  FIG. 6 , a final machining operation wherein geometric alignment is performed on the second layer of the blank of  FIG. 10 , and/or a polishing operation is performed on the second external surface of this second layer; 
         FIG. 12  represents a watch including a dial made and decorated by the method of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The invention concerns a method for fabricating a composite timepiece or jewellery component comprising at least one decoration affixed to a substrate which has at least one apparent surface intended to remain visible, and wherein the following steps are performed in this order:
         in an initial operation  100 , making a base  1  in a substrate which has at least one apparent surface  11  intended to remain visible;   in a first polishing operation  200 , mirror polishing each apparent surface  11  intended to be seen by the user;   performing a first coating operation  300  wherein each polished apparent surface  11  comprised in base  1  is coated with a deposition of a first transparent or coloured semi-transparent layer  2  of a first material  5  in a dry process, or PVD or CVD or ALD process, or lacquering or zapon varnish process.   performing a first transfer operation  400  by affixing and bonding at least one decorative element  3  on a first external surface  21  of first layer  2 ;   performing a second coating operation  500  wherein first layer  2  and each decorative element  3  carried by first layer  2  is coated with a deposition of a second layer  4  of a transparent treatment material in a dry process, or PVD or CVD or ALD process, or lacquering or zapon varnish process.       

     According to a particular feature, after second coating operation  500 , in a final machining operation  600 , geometric alignment is performed on second layer  4  and/or a polishing operation is performed on second external surface  41  of second layer  4 . 
     According to a particular feature, after first coating operation  300 , an intermediate machining operation  320  is performed, wherein geometric alignment is performed on first layer  2  and/or a polishing operation is performed on first external surface  21  of first layer  2 . 
     According to a particular feature, prior to the execution of second coating operation  500 , a transfer operation  350  is performed, during which at least one marking  5  is applied by pad printing to first external surface  21  of first layer  2 . 
     According to a particular feature, during initial operation  100 , at least one apparent surface  11  is made on a warped surface with a particular curved shape, and, prior to performing first transfer operation  400 , a warped sacrificial support is made, which corresponds to the particular curved shape to which at least one decorative element  3  is affixed with an adhesive fastening. 
     According to a particular feature, during intermediate machining operation  320 , at least one portion of first external surface  21  comprised in first layer  2  is made with a warped surface having a particular curved shape, and, after performing first transfer operation  400 , a warped sacrificial support is made, which corresponds to the particular curved shape to which at least one decorative element  3  is affixed with an adhesive fastening. More particularly, during initial operation  100 , base  1  is made with geometric marker elements, and the warped sacrificial support is made with marker elements complementary to the marker elements of base  1  for the exact relative positioning thereof prior to the bonding of each decorative element  3  carried by the sacrificial support. 
     According to a particular feature, during initial operation  100 , at least one base  1  is made with at least one machined receiving surface for receiving at least one decorative element  3  or one marking  5 . This receiving surface may be a projecting surface with respect to base  1 , or a recessed surface, such as a counterbore, a groove, or a hollow, which allows both the positioning and the insertion of added mechanical components such as appliques or indices or otherwise, 
     According to a particular feature, during initial operation  100 , at least one base  1  is made with at least one hollow housing for receiving an intermediate decorative layer in a coloured material different from the material of base  1 . 
     According to a particular feature, during intermediate machining operation  320 , at least one hollow housing is made in first layer  2  for receiving at least one decorative element  3  or for receiving an intermediate decorative layer in a coloured material different from the material of base  1  and/or the material of first layer  2 . 
     According to a particular feature, between first coating operation  300  and second coating operation  500 , at least one intermediate coating operation is performed during which there is deposited or affixed, in at least one housing, an intermediate decoration in a coloured material different from the material of base  1  and/or the material of first layer  2 . More particularly, the intermediate coating operation is performed by depositing an intermediate layer of coloured material, followed by a machining and/or polishing operation to confine the intermediate layer only to each housing in which the intermediate layer is deposited. 
     According to a particular feature, an acrylic or epoxy varnish is chosen as the material of second layer  4 . 
     According to a particular feature, during initial operation  100 , a mother-of-pearl substrate is chosen, which may be natural mother-of-pearl or synthetic mother-of-pearl. 
     According to a particular feature, during initial operation  100  a ceramic substrate is chosen. 
     According to a particular feature, the timepiece component is fabricated to form an external element or a dial. 
     The invention also concerns a watch  1000  including at least one timepiece component made by the method. The invention also concerns a piece of jewellery comprising at least one component made by the method. 
     Naturally, the invention is advantageous, not only for timepiece components, but also for jewellery or jewellery components, or spectacles or fashion items.