AnthonyTsai
[PuristS]
22937
Jaeger-LeCoultre presents a new Atmos Classique Phases de Lune
The supremely classical pink gilt cabinet of the new Atmos is the epitome of restraint and purity. This is the third variation of a model that also comes with a yellow gilt or rhodiumed cabinet.
Atmos Classique Phases de Lune,
time with an open heart.
The extraordinary technical achievement embodied by the Atmos has been on the horological stage for over 85 years. The months are indicated on an openwork disc at the centre of the dial; while a second dial, displaying hours and minutes, is also home to the most precise moon-phase display in the history of horology – accurate to a single day every 3,821 years.
The balance makes majestic progress, completing just one oscillation every minute. Hanging it from an Elinvar* wire, an alloy chosen for its tremendous resistance to buckling or warping in standard thermal conditions, helps to ensure extreme functional accuracy. Each Atmos has to undergo weeks of trials and adjustments before it is allowed to leave the workshops. In this task, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s clockmakers bear a heavy responsibility. They know that it is their job to guide the first steps of a mechanism destined to far outlive their own human lifespan.
The fascinating functioning of this mechanism, which famously achieves almost-perpetual motion, is left open to view in the Atmos Classique’s cabinet, which, mounted on a pink gilt base, attains an ineffable purity. The fact that nothing is hidden in no way diminishes the enigma of this most mysterious horological marvel. Primed to measure out the centuries and mark the events that give shape to each of our lives, the eternal, enigmatic Atmos provides a perfect foil to any interior.
Bordering on the perpetual, the Atmos clock lives from generation to generation and celebrates countless special moments. It is this vocation as a messenger and a witness to time that gave rise to the idea of offering personalised engraving of Atmos clock windows. Its glass cabinet may be silkscreen-printed, thus enabling meticulous craftsmanship suited to the executing of sophisticated lettering and motifs. A plate may also be affixed to its base.
The clock that lives on air
Invented in 1928, the Atmos’s almost-perpetual movement counts the hours, day after day, year after year, without any need for a battery or rewinding – this is a clock that literally lives on air. Its secret lies in the hermetically sealed capsule positioned at the back of the mechanism which can transform variations in ambient temperature into mechanical energy. Each time the latter rises or falls by a single degree centigrade, the mechanism is able to store up enough energy to guarantee 48 hours of operation. Only the balance’s extremely slow oscillating speed and its suspension from an incredibly fine Elinvar* wire guarantee the mechanism’s ability to continue functioning unassisted across the centuries.
Needless to say, the construction of this unique clock is an operation requiring extreme precision. In order to limit energy waste and reduce wear, the movement functions without lubricant – the friction of the latter on the gearwheels would be enough to bring the mechanism to a standstill. A couple of comparisons will suffice to illustrate the extraordinary technical achievement that is the Atmos: for instance, although it is the largest mechanism produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Atmos uses scarcely a 240th part of the energy required by an ordinary wristwatch. Or, more vividly still, imagine this: it would take 60 million Atmos clocks to equal the energy consumption of a single 15-watt electric light bulb.
Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre. The Inventors of the Vallée de Joux.
A major player in watchmaking history since 1833 based in the Vallée de Joux (Switzerland), the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre currently houses the 180 skills required to entirely develop and produce the most prestigious timepieces. Driven by a uniquely inventive spirit, Jaeger-LeCoultre perpetuates the tradition of Grand Complication models illustrated by extraordinary creations and legendary watches such as the Reverso, the 101 watch, the Geophysic, the Memovox, the Master Control, the Gyrotourbillon, as well as the Atmos clock. Building on a vast heritage comprising 1,249 mechanical calibres and around 413 registered patents, Jaeger-LeCoultre remains the reference in the field of Fine Watchmaking.
*The Elinvar brand is not owned by Jaeger-LeCoultre 3
Atmos Classique Phases de lune:
the technical characteristics
Movement:
· mechanical -perpetual movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 562, crafted and assembled by hand
· annular balance, 60-second oscillating period
Functions:
· hours, minutes
· indication of the months
· perpetual indication of the moon phase (accurate to a single day every 3,821 years)
Dial:
· white lacquered, black transferred Roman numerals
Hands:
· blue varnished pear-shaped
Cabinet:
· 20-carat pink gilt, polished
Dimensions:
· 200 mm x 155 mm x 225 mm
Reference:
· 511 72 01
This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2014-07-22 12:48:22
