IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,396,529
Granted Patent B2
US 12,396,529 · App. 18/053,780 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

External part element for timepiece or piece of jewellery and method for manufacturing such an external part element

Inventors: Polychronis Nakis Karapatis (Premier, CH); Lucien Germond (Giez, CH); Adrien Chappuis (L'Isle, CH)
Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.
A44C27/003C08J5/042C08K7/06C08L71/08C22C45/003C08J2371/08C08L2207/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,396,529
App. No.
18/053,780
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An external part element or component for a timepiece or piece of jewellery made with a fibre-reinforced polymer matrix composite material, this external part element including on at least one of the faces thereof at least one cavity wherein an insert made of metallic glass is housed. A method for manufacturing such an external part element is also described.

Claims (25)

1. The external part element or component for a timepiece or piece of jewellery made with a fibre-reinforced polymer matrix composite material, said external part element comprising on at least one of the faces thereof at least one cavity wherein an insert made of metallic glass is housed.

2. The external part element or component according to claim 1 , wherein the external part element for a timepiece or piece of jewellery is a back, a middle, a bezel, a bracelet link or a clasp.

3. The external part element or component according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer material used to form the matrix is thermoplastic or thermosetting.

4. The external part element or component according to claim 3 , wherein the fibres which reinforce the polymer matrix are chosen in the group formed by glass fibres, carbon fibres and aramid fibres.

5. The external part element or component according to claim 3 , wherein the polymer material is chosen in the group formed by polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyamide-imide (PAI).

6. The external part element or component according to claim 5 , wherein the fibres which reinforce the polymer matrix are chosen in the group formed by glass fibres, carbon fibres and aramid fibres.

7. The external part element according to claim 6 , wherein the composite material is composed of 35% PEEK polymer and 65% carbon fibres within plus or minus 10%.

8. The external part element or component according to claim 1 , wherein the metallic glass used to produce the insert is bulk metallic glass.

9. The external part element or component according to claim 8 , wherein the metallic glass used to produce the insert has a vitreous transition temperature less than or equal to 350° C.

10. The external part element or component according to claim 8 , wherein the metallic glass used to produce the insert contains zirconium or platinum.

11. The external part element or component according to claim 10 , wherein the metallic glass used to produce the insert comprises, as a mass percentage, platinum, copper, nickel and phosphorus according to the following quantities:

80≤Pt≤90

5≤Cu≤10

1≤Ni≤3

4≤P≤7.

12. The external part element or component according to claim 11 , wherein the metallic glass used to produce the insert is, as a mass percentage, given by the composition Pt85Cu7Ni2.3P5.7.

13. The external part element or component according to claim 10 , wherein the metallic glass used to produce the insert results, apart from the unavoidable impurities, from an alloy of zirconium, copper, nickel, aluminium and/or niobium and/or titanium.

14. The external part element or component according to claim 13 , wherein the metallic glass used to produce the insert comprises, as a mass percentage, zirconium, copper, titanium, nickel, aluminum and niobium according to the following quantities:

60≤Zr≤75

10≤Cu≤20

0≤Ti≤6

7≤Ni≤15

0≤Al≤8

0≤Nb≤6.

15. The external part element or component according to claim 14 , wherein the metallic glass used to produce the insert is an alloy with the composition Zr70Cu13Ni9.9A13.65 Nb3.4 as a mass percentage, or an alloy with the composition Zr65.7Cu15.6Ni11.7A13.7Ti3.3 as a mass percentage.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2022
From: KARAPATIS, POLYCHRONIS NAKIS; GERMOND, LUCIEN; CHAPPUIS, ADRIEN
To: MONTRES BREGUET S.A.
Reel/Frame 061701/0679 →
Priority Claims (2)
EP 21217928 · Dec 28, 2021 · regional
EP 22201436 · Oct 13, 2022 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230200504A1 · Jun 29, 2023
References Cited (5)
US 20110103199A1 · Winkler et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20210088976A1 · Le Loarer · 2021 [cited by applicant]
EP 2138323A1 · 2009 [cited by applicant]
EP 3795341A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
European Search Report issued May 30, 2022 in European Application 21217928.7 filed on Dec. 28, 2021, 3 pages (with English Translation of Categories and cited documents). [cited by applicant]