A chaton is a small round ring, usually made of gold or brass, that holds a jewel bearing in place in a mechanical movement. Because the jewel sits in its own setting, a faulty stone can be replaced without reworking the main plate.
How is a chaton fitted?
The bearing jewel is pressed into the chaton, so the stone sits in its own small ring. In older work, the jewel was rubbed into the chaton. The jewel and its ring were then fixed together into a larger hole in the plate. Small screws held the setting in position. The plate holds the setting, and the setting holds the stone. This is why a damaged jewel can be taken out with its ring, and the plate itself needs no rework.
Why are chatons rare today?
In ordinary production, chatons gave way to a cheaper method. The jewels are pressed straight into the plate, with no separate ring. A later rubbing-in method set the jewel the same way as before, but directly into the plate, without a separate setting. A German watch magazine says chatons today are purely ornamental. It describes them as framing the red jewels in a thin gold border.
Where it comes from
The name chaton for metal jewel settings comes from French and Swiss watchmakers. French jewellers have used the word chaton since about the 12th century. For them, it means the metal setting that holds a stone in a finger ring. In French, chaton also means kitten. The watchmaking term does not come from that meaning. It comes from a separate sense of the word.
Checked