CALOTTE

The calotte is a small container, most often circular in shape and fitted with a lid, intended to protect and hold a movement between two stages of its manufacture or servicing — after quality testing, awaiting casing, or during workshop operations such as cleaning or intermediate storage. It shields the most sensitive components from dust, impacts and oxidation. Long made of aluminium, a lightweight, inexpensive Material that is not very abrasive on contact with parts, the calotte is nowadays most often molded from transparent plastic, which makes it possible to identify its contents without having to open it and thus without exposing the movement to ambient dust. The dimensions of calottes are increasingly standardized according to the diameter of the movement, expressed in lignes or millimeters, which facilitates their integration into production lines, automated handling systems and established workstations. The calotte, a removable container intended for the transport and storage of the complete movement, is thus distinguished from protective devices fitted directly onto an isolated component during a specific machining or finishing operation.