A FINE AND VERY RARE CHROME PLATED BRASS PO1 ATMOS TIMEPIECE JEAN-LEON REUTTER, FRANCE, CIRCA 1932-35 The calibre 30A movement driven by sealed ammonia gas and mercury-filled U-tube 'bellows' contained within the cylindrical chamber at the rear which rock back and forth with variation in temperature to wind the mainspring set behind the movement backplate, the fine wheel-train pivoted between cote-de Geneve engine-turned frontplate engraved 5208 to lower left and spotted backplate inscribed ATMOS, FRANCE, UNADJUSTED FOURTEEN JEWELS to the mounting plate, with lever escapement regulated by large oscillating balance suspended from a torsion wire beneath the dial incorporating locking lever to underside, the inside face of the bellows chamber applied with disc printed ATMOS and notes not to open the chamber in English, French and German, the rear of the chamber support frame with applied plate inscribed BREVETS J.L. REUTTER, S.G.D.G. and stamped with serial number 6382, the open-centred dial with 5.25 inch circular frosted silver finished chapter ring painted with vertically aligned Arabic hour numerals and stamped MADE IN FRANCE to lower edge, the whole raised on simple chrome plated side supports with angled feet secured by screws to a Belge noir marble rectangular platform with rounded angles applied to a slightly larger chromed plate incorporating down-curved feet to each side, with balance locking lever beneath the front left edge and with glass dome cover. 27.5cm (11.75ins) high, 34cm (13.5ins) wide, 16cm (6.25ins) deep. Provenance: Private collection, East Midlands. The original Atmos clock was designed by Jean-Léon Reutter, a Neuchatel engineer engaged as a radiological engineer by the Company Generale de Radiologie (C.G.R.), in 1928. Reutter's intention was to create a 'perpetual' timepiece that would not require regular winding. In that year he produced a prototype (now named unofficially as Atmos 0) which was driven by a mercury-in-glass expansion device operating on temperature changes alone. In 1929 his employers, who were very impressed with his invention, began manufacturing his first commercial model, now named Atmos 1, which used a mercury and ammonia filled U tube and the movement now known as the Cluses movement. In 1935, Jaeger-LeCoultre took over production of Atmos and worked with J.L. Reutter to evolve the winding mechanism which eventually led to the present ethyl chloride filled bellows arrangement used in current models. The current lot is a very rare example from the early years of Reutter Atmos clock production made prior to Jeager-LeCoultre taking-on manufacture in 1935. In September 1932 LeCoultre entered an agreement to develop movements for Company Generale de Radiologie with first deliveries arriving in mid-1933. These movements were called the 30A calibre and annual production was between one and two thousand for years 1933 and 1934, with many being retrofitted by the factory to earlier clocks (to replace the 'inferior' movements made in Cluses). This current model with the glass dome is known by collectors as the PO1 model and due to its desirability was subject to a limited edition re-issue of 300 examples produced by Jeager-LeCoultre as part of their Millennium commemorations.
A FINE AND VERY RARE CHROME PLATED BRASS PO1 ATMOS TIMEPIECE JEAN-LEON REUTTER, FRANCE, CIRCA 1932-35 The calibre 30A movement driven by sealed ammonia gas and mercury-filled U-tube 'bellows' contained within the cylindrical chamber at the rear which rock back and forth with variation in temperature to wind the mainspring set behind the movement backplate, the fine wheel-train pivoted between cote-de Geneve engine-turned frontplate engraved 5208 to lower left and spotted backplate inscribed ATMOS, FRANCE, UNADJUSTED FOURTEEN JEWELS to the mounting plate, with lever escapement regulated by large oscillating balance suspended from a torsion wire beneath the dial incorporating locking lever to underside, the inside face of the bellows chamber applied with disc printed ATMOS and notes not to open the chamber in English, French and German, the rear of the chamber support frame with applied plate inscribed BREVETS J.L. REUTTER, S.G.D.G. and stamped with serial number 6382, the open-centred dial with 5.25 inch circular frosted silver finished chapter ring painted with vertically aligned Arabic hour numerals and stamped MADE IN FRANCE to lower edge, the whole raised on simple chrome plated side supports with angled feet secured by screws to a Belge noir marble rectangular platform with rounded angles applied to a slightly larger chromed plate incorporating down-curved feet to each side, with balance locking lever beneath the front left edge and with glass dome cover. 27.5cm (11.75ins) high, 34cm (13.5ins) wide, 16cm (6.25ins) deep. Provenance: Private collection, East Midlands. The original Atmos clock was designed by Jean-Léon Reutter, a Neuchatel engineer engaged as a radiological engineer by the Company Generale de Radiologie (C.G.R.), in 1928. Reutter's intention was to create a 'perpetual' timepiece that would not require regular winding. In that year he produced a prototype (now named unofficially as Atmos 0) which was driven by a mercury-in-glass expansion device operating on temperature changes alone. In 1929 his employers, who were very impressed with his invention, began manufacturing his first commercial model, now named Atmos 1, which used a mercury and ammonia filled U tube and the movement now known as the Cluses movement. In 1935, Jaeger-LeCoultre took over production of Atmos and worked with J.L. Reutter to evolve the winding mechanism which eventually led to the present ethyl chloride filled bellows arrangement used in current models. The current lot is a very rare example from the early years of Reutter Atmos clock production made prior to Jeager-LeCoultre taking-on manufacture in 1935. In September 1932 LeCoultre entered an agreement to develop movements for Company Generale de Radiologie with first deliveries arriving in mid-1933. These movements were called the 30A calibre and annual production was between one and two thousand for years 1933 and 1934, with many being retrofitted by the factory to earlier clocks (to replace the 'inferior' movements made in Cluses). This current model with the glass dome is known by collectors as the PO1 model and due to its desirability was subject to a limited edition re-issue of 300 examples produced by Jeager-LeCoultre as part of their Millennium commemorations.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
