In 1928 engineer Jean-Léon Reutter invented an essentially simple mechanism and in the 1930s Jaeger-LeCoultre brought it to the market. What was it? A clock that lives on air. The Atmos clock functions quite independently, without any efforts on our part. A gaseous mixture (involving ethyl chloride) enclosed within bellows, powers the clock. A variation of one degree in the temperature is enough to power the Atmos for two whole days. The temperature rises, the gas expands. The temperature falls, the gas contracts and the clock keeps ticking on.
Jaeger-LeCoultre has released various versions of the Atmos throughout the years, however, their newest version is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. As its name suggests, the Atmos Transparente is completely transparent. Housed in a see-through, anti-reflective glass cabinet, the fascinating mechanism that drives the clock is completely visible. Showcasing an Art Deco style, the dial seems to float around in the cabinet, giving off an almost other-worldly sensation.
The glass dial features twelve sharp, black hour-markers. Similar to the markers, the hands glow with a black polished finish and are almost minimalist in nature. Powered by a caliber 563 movement, the clock ticks away gloriously with perfect equilibrium. The bellows containing the gas at the back, and the balance wheel at the bottom are also visible. The balance wheel makes 120 oscillations per hour, something you can sit and view at your leisure if you have the time that is!
With the world becoming heavily digitalized, the need for table clocks doesn’t always arise. However Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Atmos Transparente is no ordinary table clock, it is, in fact, an artistic masterpiece.
Designer: Jaeger-LeCoultre
