Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XXV

1 0 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I J aeger-LeCoultre is a Swiss manufacture which does something not many others can do: it unites the vast field of watch lovers behind the brand. Like brands from any industry, be it cars or clothes, most people have those they like and others they don’t. But with JLC, everyone and anyone who knows anything about watchmaking and horology admires their legacy and the continued innovation – both artistic and technical. Jaeger-LeCoultre have a long list of iconic timepieces, from the Memovox through to the Reverso and beyond, but the Atmos is a singular creation – there is nothing quite like it. Known affectionately as the President’s Clock, as so many have owned one, this year the Grande Maison unveiled the new Atmos 568, a stunning new collaboration with Australian designer Marc Newson. As the name suggests, the Atmos gets the energy it needs to run from temperature and atmospheric pressure changes in the environment, and it can run for years without human intervention. This beguiling invention was first launched in in 1928 and has been a legend in horology ever since. The latest iteration sees the acclaimed Marc Newson encase the hypnotic movement inside a glass monobloc. A temperature fluctuation of a single degree is enough to provide the clock with an operating autonomy of about two days. The gear trains are so perfectly designed that they require no oil, which would interfere with the optimum running of the clock. Entirely manufactured and with all 211 parts assembled by hand, it is a sight to behold. The watch displays hours, minutes and the month with a perpetual moon-phase indication that has a one day's discrepancy every 3861 years. Marc Newson has worked with JLC before and it’s clearly a mutually enjoyable partnership. “I was thrilled to have been asked to design an Atmos because it is a timepiece that I have loved since I first saw one when I was in my early teens. An Atmos for me is a complex and magical object; it seemingly runs on perpetual motion or the closest thing to it and it needs a constant environment to function in. It is as if it’s a living thing – you have the feeling that it can sense your presence – which I find strangely comforting,” he said. Jaeger-LeCoultreAtmos568MarcNewson