Selectively conductive ceramic coated with metallic material
AssigneeThe Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
InventorsGuido PLANKERT, Pierry Vuille
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an element comprising the following steps: a) forming a body made of oxide based ceramic; b) exposing at least one portion of the external surface of the body to a reduction reaction, to remove oxygen atoms to a predetermined depth in order to make the at least one portion electrically conductive; c) depositing a metallic material starting from the at least one electrically conductive portion; d) machining the body and/or the metallic material in order to provide the element with an aesthetic finish. The invention concerns the field of timepieces.
Claims22
A method of manufacturing an element for a timepiece comprising the following steps:
- a) forming a body made of oxide based ceramic;
- b) exposing at least one portion of the external surface (F) of the body to a reduction reaction, to remove oxygen atoms to a predetermined depth in order to make the at least one portion electrically conductive;
- c) depositing a metallic material starting from the at least one electrically conductive portion;
- d) machining the body and/or the metallic material in order to provide the element with an aesthetic finish.
A ceramic element for a timepiece, wherein the element includes an oxide-based body and at least one portion of the external surface thereof is low in oxygen atoms and is coated with a metallic material in order to form a functional part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.