Method for producing a functional element on a timepiece component

A method for producing a functional element on a timepiece component, comprising the following steps:

• determining descriptive data describing a reference digital graphical representation to build the functional element, the descriptive data includes elements that are characteristic of the reference digital graphical representation, the characteristic elements comprising:
• at least one dimension of the reference digital graphical representation,
• visual, aesthetic, or structural aspects of the reference digital graphical representation, and
• physical or chemical functional characters possessed by the functional element;
• generating based on the descriptive data, with a control unit, at least one control command for a printing device intended to reproduce the reference digital graphical representation relating to said functional element in a mounting region of a surface of the timepiece component, on which the functional element will be produced, said at least one control command comprising data describing said reference digital graphical representation to be reproduced;
• and
• constructing on the mounting region, with at least one printhead of the printing device, at least one layer of at least one functional particle printed on the timepiece component so as to form the functional element, the timepiece component being an element of a movement of a watch and the functional element is configured to change state in a reversible manner as a step in an operating process of the movement of the watch,
• wherein the functional element is produced directly on the timepiece without the layer of at least one functional particle passing through an intermediate transfer element between the at least one printhead and the timepiece component,
• wherein the construction step comprises, for the layer of at least one printed functional particle, a sub-step of applying a layer of at least one functional particle onto the timepiece component and the sub-step of applying said layer includes execution, by the control unit, of said at least one control command, and
• wherein the method further comprises processing the mounting region of the surface of the timepiece component on which the functional element will be produced, said processing contributes to ensuring adhesion between the surface of the timepiece component and the functional element produced on the timepiece component.