Striking mechanism for watches

A striking mechanism for a timepiece comprising a support, a resonant organ, a hammer, a stop that is fixed relative to the support, first return means and second return means,

• the hammer comprising a first part, referred to as the drive part, and a second part, referred to as the percussion part, arranged so as to be able to strike the resonant organ, the drive part being fitted so as to pivot on the support around a first axis of rotation between a first position, referred to as the rest position, against the fixed stop, and a second position, referred to as the wound position, away from the fixed stop, the first return means being arranged such that they permanently return the drive part in a first direction to the fixed stop and can rotate this drive part in the first direction from the wound position after the release of a strike on the resonant organ,
• the drive part and the percussion part being assembled by a pivot connection such that the percussion part can pivot relative to the drive part around a second axis of rotation, and the second return means being arranged to exert a return couple between the drive part and the percussion part so as to return the drive part and the percussion part to a first configuration, referred to as the stable configuration of the hammer,
• the striking mechanism being arranged such that the percussion part is separated from the resonant organ when the hammer is in the stable configuration and the drive part is in the rest position against the fixed stop, the striking mechanism being arranged such that, when the hammer is in the stable configuration and the drive part comes up against the fixed stop while rotating in the first direction, the kinetic energy of the percussion part drives the latter against the second return means towards the resonant organ over an angular path of the percussion part relative to the drive part, the hammer then momentarily leaving the stable configuration;
• wherein the second return means comprise two magnetic elements respectively fixedly carried by the drive part and the percussion part, these two magnetic elements being arranged so as to generate between them a magnetic force returning, at least over an initial part of said angular path, the percussion part and the drive part to the stable configuration of the hammer.