External element or dial for horology or jewellery made of conductive material

A method for fabricating a timepiece component made of conductive material, wherein a basic cycle is performed at least once, comprising, in this order, the following steps:

• in an initial step, producing a base from a substrate made of conductive material, which is either metal or ceramic or organic or composite, defining an upper layer of said base;
• in a first coating operation, coating said base with at least a first layer of a first sacrificial metal protection material;
• in a first etching operation, etching a first recessed decoration, to a depth at least equal to the local thickness of said first sacrificial metal protection layer, either mechanically or with an ultrashort pulse laser of the picosecond laser or femtosecond laser type;
• in a second coating operation, coating said first recessed decoration and a remaining part of said first sacrificial metal protection layer with at least a second layer of a second metal decorative treatment and/or coloured decorative treatment material, to form a first intermediate compound;
• in a first chemical removal operation, removing by chemical means the remaining part of the first sacrificial metal protection layer, to obtain a first blank comprising a first decoration formed by a remaining part of said second layer;
• and
• making said timepiece component either directly in the form of said first blank, or by finishing said first blank,
• wherein:
• either during said first coating operation, or respectively during said second coating operation, said coating is at least partially applied in a dry process or at least partially by electrolytic or electrochemical means, with the superposition of several said first layers, or respectively of several said second layers of different types;
• the method further comprises:
• after said first chemical removal operation, in a third coating operation, coating said first blank with a third layer comprising a surface layer of said first sacrificial metal protection material or of another sacrificial metal protection material followed by coating the third layer with a fourth layer comprising a surface layer of said first sacrificial metal protection material or of another sacrificial metal protection material;
• in a second etching operation, etching a second recessed decoration to a depth at least equal to a thickness of the third and fourth layers;
• in a fourth coating operation, coating the second recessed decoration and the fourth layer with a fifth layer of a fifth metal decorative treatment and/or coloured decorative treatment material;
• in a second chemical removal operation, removing the third layer, fourth layer and part of the fifth layer to leave a remaining portion of the fifth layer in the second recessed decoration.