Watches and Wonders 2022: Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590
An accurate depiction of the cycles of the Earth, Sun and Moon—all powered by air
Falling under the parameters of the second category represented in the very title of the prestigious Geneva trade show Watches and Wonders, Jaeger-LeCoultre‘s Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590 is a most wondrous and accurate depiction of the moon’s daily trek around Earth, and our home planet’s annual jaunt around the sun. Once set, this “tellurium” (a title that nods to historic astronomical time-telling devices) won’t need adjustment until the year 2412. Equally impressive, this beguiling glass-encased table clock draws power from the horological brand’s Atmos perpetual motion system—which Jaeger-LeCoultre’s engineers perfected in 1928. Through the expansion and contraction of its glass (a natural occurrence pertaining to external conditions like temperature), the clock stays wound.
As anyone familiar with the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland-based maison would expect, this sophisticated addition to their repertoire incorporates astounding details. Earth has been hand-painted. Laser engraving lends the moon its pocked surface. Inlaid meteorite adds a true touch of the cosmos to the mechanism’s Earth-Moon ring. Hour and minute hands pass above a radiant central sun structure. The clock also relays months, seasons and—for the mystically minded—a zodiac calendar.
Only 10 Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590, which take months to craft, will ever be produced.
Images courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre
