THE PROGRAMMABLE MEMS MOVEMENT

The Story Behind a Technology that’s Changing History

20 years of research, breakthroughs, and innovations

1989

BEGINNINGS OF A REVOLUTION

The first time a silicon motor was shown to be feasible was in Berkeley, California. This laboratory break-through heralded the dawn of a new field of tech research.

1990

ACADEMIC RESEARCH

Research into MEMS (Micro-Electromechanical Systems) is structured in France. The CNRS sets-up the joint Franco-Japanese project LIMMS (Laboratory for Integrated Micro Mechatronic Systems) at the Univesity of Tokyo.

1996

FIRST SILICON MOTOR

Patrice Minotti and french researchers at LIMMS created the first silicon electrostatic micro-motor, 10,000 times superior to the Berkeley model.

1997

SPECIALIST RESEARCH

Back in France, Patrice Minotti and its research team continued their academic work at the Institut des Microtechnologies de Besançon, which went on to become the FEMTO-ST laboratory.

2003

CREATION OF SILMACH

The team of researchers, led by Patrice Minotti, the inventor of the technology, founded SilMach with the goal of mass-producing their silicium micro-motor in the historic French watchmaking capital. After many years under development, this technology has come to life.

2013

MASTERING MICROELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING

CMOS foundries started using microelectronic manufacturing processes to produce high-voltage integrated circuits tailored to meet the market’s demanding energy consumption requirements.

2018

Industrial production

Creation of the TiMach subsidiary, a joint venture with the Timex watchmaking group, which contributes its know-how in industrial watch production.

2020

TECHNOLOGICAL SHIFT

At the beginning of 2020, SilMach broke new ground by developing high-speed hybridisation processes that means that the Silicium Machinery can be integrated with a level of precision of +/- 3 microns.

2023

THETIMECHANGER :
CHAPTER 1

SilMach launches the first watch powered by MEMS technology. A real demonstrator of the potential of this new type of quartz movement, produced and assembled in Besançon.

2024

Introduced at CES® 2024 and awarded “BEST OF INNOVATION”.

MEMS micromotor technology wins “Best Of Innovation ‘*, the highest distinction at the CES® 2024 Innovation Awards in the ’Embedded Technologies” category. This is the utmost recognition for our technology and our pioneering spirit from the world’s biggest technology event.

THETIMECHANGER :
CHAPTER 2

The new THE TIME CHANGER watch, the fruit of a collaboration between SilMach’s MEMS engineers and watch designer Alain Silberstein, is presented at the WE LOVE WATCHES event in Paris on October 12, 2024.