The Atmos clock from Jaeger-LeCoultre is one of the most underrated horological creations ever made, despite the fact that it is the closest watchmaking has ever come to creating a perpetual motion timepiece. And now, Jaeger-LeCoultre has released a new iteration of the clock called the Atmos Transparente which, as the name suggests, has a completely transparent body that gives a beautiful view of the mechanicals of the clock. But before we talk about the latest edition of the Atmos clock, here’s a little history on the engineering marvel which has been in production for more than 80 years. The Atmos clock was created by French engineer Jean-Léon Reutter, which is based on the idea of clocks wound by changes in atmospheric temperature from the 17th-century. Reutter’s clock didn’t do well commercially which forced him to sell the idea to LeCoultre in 1935 – two years before the company was joined by Edmond Jaeger to form Jaeger-LeCoultre. The concept was refined by the Swiss watchmaker, making it more efficient and reliable.
Coming back to the latest edition, the Atmos Transparente, it features a much simpler and sleeker design than its predecessor, giving it a thoroughly clean and modern aesthetic appeal. The Roman numerals have been replaced by black baton hour markers and glossy black hands. The transparent housing gives a view of the clock’s innards, including the gas-filled bellows that powers the watch and the balance wheel at the base that makes just 120 oscillations per hour as compared to 28,800 in a regular mechanical wristwatch movement. As a result, the watch can run for years without any human intervention. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos Transparente is priced at US$9,450, which makes it incredible value for money.
[Via:Timezone]
