The first question that comes to mind when looking at the Atmos clock by Jaeger-LeCoultre is: “How does it work?”
The simple answer is that the mechanism inside the Atmos is powered by everyday fluctuations in the temperature of the air around it. You could say that the clock runs on air.
Technically speaking, the dome that houses the clock is a hermetically sealed, gas-filled capsule, which is connected to the clock’s drive spring by a membrane. The slightest temperature variation changes the volume of the gas, causing the membrane to “breathe” like the bellows of an accordion, and this in turn winds the spring.
Its energy consumption is so slight that it would take 60 million Atmos clocks to consume the same amount of energy as a single 15-watt in a lightbulb. A temperature fluctuation of just 1°C provides the clock with an operating ability of about two days, enabling it to run perpetually under normal everyday conditions. This is all thanks to inventor Jean-Léon Reutter who created the clock in 1928 that “defies” the laws of physics to ensure the clocks are able to run for centuries without the need for any conventional energy source or rewinding.
Since the 1930s, Jaeger-LeCoultre has made numerous technical improvements and its creative talents to enhance what has become a prized objet d’art. This year, the Maison launches two new clocks: Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590 and the Atmos Infinite Q5405311. In a video call from Geneva, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre Catherine Rénier and design director Lionel Favre debuted these special clocks to the media.
Rénier says: “Our creative imagination and spirit of invention initiated by our founder Antoine Le Coultre has been the driving force behind the watchmaking inventions that have allowed us to master timekeeping in not only wristwatches but also clocks. The Atmos mechanism is fascinating in every way, so it lends itself naturally to different artistic expressions. Throughout its history, we have seen the Atmos design evolve in many ways, yet, it always remains true to its original optical spirits.” She adds that so far there haven’t been any copies found in the market and if there are these are usually powered by quartz energy.
Plus, it takes about four to five years to complete a new design. It first starts with the idea and then the creation of the movements such as the new movement for the Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre Atmos Infinite Q5405311 590 that was built from scratch. The execution of the glass dome is just as complex as the calibre as the bell shape done is totally transparent there is not a mark to be found on it so as to give an obstructed view of the movement along with the lacquer and micro painting which takes time to perfect and complete. E
Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590
The measurement of time used to be done by observing the movement of celestial bodies. First, the days are divided into periods of light and darkness and determined by one complete rotation of Earth on its axis. Later came years, defined by the time it takes for the Sun to return to the same position in the sky, completing a full cycle of seasons.
Over the millennia, clockmakers began to measure time by using the values of the various astronomical cycles — although the units of standard civil time are only approximate, based on the average values of solar, lunar and sidereal cycles.
In keeping with Jaeger-LeCoultre’s eternal quest for precision, its engineers and watchmakers have created a new complication that reproduces the true cycles of the earth, sun and moon more closely than ever before. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s watchmakers have mastered the challenge of adding functions to the mechanism without substantially increasing energy consumption. In doing so, they have discovered that the complications best suited to the Atmos are those based on longer cycles, such as the seasons, months, and phases of the moon.
The Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590 is driven by the new calibre which was entirely conceived, designed, and constructed within the Manufacture Jaeger-Le- Coultre. Rénier explains: “The Caliber 590 powers everything within this clock. We decided to do a new calibre done from scratch because what we had before were calibres that would power only the time, or all the complications, but not a Hy- bris Mechanica complication. So we had to recreate a whole new movement with the perfect wheels and construction of the movement in order to perfect both the time and the complication.”
Atmos Infinite Q5405311
This new design is an object that reinterprets the timeless elegance of the classical Art Deco “glass box” cabinet for the 21st century. With its complete absence of visual distraction, the seamless glass cabinet gives a full view of the remarkable Atmos mechanism, which appears to float freely within it. In fact, it is held in place by glass supports, designed to be virtually invisible. From every angle, this allows an unrestricted view of the entire mechanism, with the bellows, chains, and gears that keep the clock moving.
The minimalistic approach extends to the clock’s functions: Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 570 is a simple hours-and-minutes movement that eschews the dis- traction of additional complications. Its construction, too, is pared back to the essentials, yet fine watchmaking finishes abound, including brushed surfaces, polished edges, and Côtes de Genève stripes.
The black lacquered dial is composed of two concentric circles onto which polished baton-shaped indexes have been applied, and is complemented by hands that match the silvery rhodium finish of the mechanism. On a metal outer ring, the minutes are marked by tiny indented dots that is also seen on the round indentations on the annular balance, which spins back and forth in its slow and mesmerising rhythm be- neath the body of the movement.
