# US 2025/0154638 A1 · Process for decorating watch components

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- Number: US 2025/0154638 A1
- Document ID: US20250154638A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/905,296
- Filed: 2024-10-03
- Published: 2025-05-15
- Earliest claimed: 2023-11-10
- Assignees: The Swatch Group Reseach and Development Ltd.
- Applicants: The Swatch Group Reseach and Development Ltd.
- Inventors: Vladislav SPASSOV; Loïc Curchod; Mina Moradi; Simon Springer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250154638A1

## CPC

- C23C 14/0015: {characterized by the colour of the layer}
- C23C 14/0036: {Reactive sputtering}
- C23C 14/024: {Deposition of sublayers, e.g. to promote adhesion of the coating (C23C14/027 takes precedence)}
- C23C 14/025: {Metallic sublayers}
- C23C 14/027: {Graded interfaces}
- C23C 14/0641: {Nitrides (C23C14/0617 takes precedence)}
- C23C 14/081: {of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium}
- C23C 14/14: Metallic material, boron or silicon
- C23C 14/34: Sputtering
- C23C 16/45525: {Atomic layer deposition [ALD]}
- G04B 5/16: Construction of the weights
- G04B 19/042: {Construction and manufacture of the hands; arrangements for increasing reading accuracy (hands with illumination G04B19/305; specially shaped hands, e.g. figures or pictures G04B45/0061; clockwork in the hands G04B45/043; invisible drive of the hands G04B45/046)}
- G04B 19/12: Selection of materials for dials or graduations {markings}
- G04B 29/027: {Materials and manufacturing (alloys, in general C22C)}
- G04D 3/0074: {for treatment of the material, e.g. surface treatment}
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- G04B: MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS (spring- or weight-driven mechanisms in general F03G; electromechanical clocks or watches G04C; electromechanical clocks with attached or built-in means operating any device at pre-selected times or after predetermined time intervals G04C23/00; clocks or watches with stop devices G04F7/08)
- G04D: APPARATUS OR TOOLS SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR MAKING OR MAINTAINING CLOCKS OR WATCHES

## Abstract

A process of decorating a watch component with a white coating. The process includes preparing the watch component, depositing in a deposition chamber a metal adhesion layer over the entire watch component via physical vapor deposition, depositing an aluminum diffusing layer over the entire component under a flow of a reactive gas so that the aluminum layer is deposited in the form of a faceted crystalline structure, via physical vapor deposition, reducing or stopping the flow of the reactive gas when the diffusing layer has reached the desired thickness in order to terminate the layer with a thin layer of pure aluminum, and depositing a transparent protective layer via atomic thin-film deposition.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process of decorating a watch component (1) with a white coating comprising the following steps:
preparing the watch component (1) and installing said component in a deposition enclosure;
depositing a metal adhesion layer (10) over the entire watch component by physical vapor deposition;
depositing a diffusing layer (12) of aluminum over the entire component, under a flow of reactive gas, the rate of reactive gas is maintained so as to obtain a layer of aluminum doped with 0.5 atom % to 10 atom % reactive gas, so that the aluminum layer crystallizes in the form of a faceted crystalline structure, via physical vapor deposition;
reducing or cutting off the flow of reactive gas when the diffusing layer has reached the desired thickness in order to terminate the diffusing layer (12) with a thin layer of pure aluminum (13); and
depositing a transparent protective layer (14) by atomic thin-film deposition.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The decorating process according to claim 1, wherein the adhesion layer (10) is a metal layer or a metal alloy selected from: aluminum, titanium, titanium aluminide or chromium.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The decorating process according to claim 1, wherein the adhesion layer (10) has a thickness of between 30 nm and 100 nm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The decorating process according to claim 1, further comprising a step of depositing a dielectric layer (11) under a flow of oxygen or nitrogen after deposition of the adhesion layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The decorating process according to claim 4, wherein the dielectric layer (11) has a thickness of between 500 nm and 2000 nm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The decorating process according to claim 4, wherein the dielectric layer (11) is a nitride, oxide or oxynitride of aluminum, titanium or silicon.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The decorating process according to claim 1, wherein the diffusing layer (12) has a thickness of between 300 nm and 6000 nm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The decorating process according to claim 1, wherein the pure aluminum layer (13) has a thickness of between 50 nm and 400 nm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The decorating process according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer (14) has a thickness of between 0.5 nm and 20 nm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The decorating process according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer (14) is selected from the following materials: titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The decorating process according to claim 1, wherein the reactive gas used for the diffusing layer (11) is oxygen or nitrogen.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A watch component such as a dial, a hand, an applique, a bridge, a plate, an oscillating weight, a barrel, a clasp, with a white surface obtained by the process according to claim 1.