JLC Atmos
Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 5:49 pm
A much more ubiquitous, but no less interesting, desk clock is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos. It's powered by the slight fluctuations in temperature that occur throughout the day. Ethylene chloride gas, sealed in the bellows at the back of the clock, expands and contracts as the temperature changes. This moves the bellows in and out, which in turn pulls a chain which winds the movement.
The standard Atmos is encased in a rather humdrum brass frame, but JLC have produced several special editions, like the one above, which give a much clearer view of the clock's mechanism. They also liberate the bellows from its conventional capsule.
The white circle at the very top is a bubble level. It's very important for the clock to remain level as it also uses quite a unique and delicate escapement. The disk suspended from the bottom of the movement is effectively a huge balance wheel, which oscillates only twice per minute. Here's a better view of the escapement; the balance spring can be seen at the top of the balance wheel's shaft.
Since its invention in 1928 the Atmos has remained more or less unchanged, and I suspect that it will remain unchanged and in production for a long time hence. While not as actively amusing as the Time Fast D8, it still presents a passively entertaining spectacle. When you think about it, the Atmos is probably as close to a perpetual motion machine as we're going to get, and you know how much we humans like those.
The standard Atmos is encased in a rather humdrum brass frame, but JLC have produced several special editions, like the one above, which give a much clearer view of the clock's mechanism. They also liberate the bellows from its conventional capsule.
The white circle at the very top is a bubble level. It's very important for the clock to remain level as it also uses quite a unique and delicate escapement. The disk suspended from the bottom of the movement is effectively a huge balance wheel, which oscillates only twice per minute. Here's a better view of the escapement; the balance spring can be seen at the top of the balance wheel's shaft.
Since its invention in 1928 the Atmos has remained more or less unchanged, and I suspect that it will remain unchanged and in production for a long time hence. While not as actively amusing as the Time Fast D8, it still presents a passively entertaining spectacle. When you think about it, the Atmos is probably as close to a perpetual motion machine as we're going to get, and you know how much we humans like those.