Jaeger-LeCoultre and designer Marc Newson have teamed up to unveil two new Atmos models that wind themselves with slight temperature changes. One features a Baccarat crystal case, while the other is the most complex Atmos model, equipped with Tellurium.
Edited by Yousuke Ohashi (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2026 issue of Kronos Japan]
Refinement honed through years of collaboration
Marc Newson's latest Atmos
There's a Japanese expression, "to feed on mist," which likens the way immortals possess abilities beyond human comprehension to how they draw energy from the air. And Jaeger-LeCoultre's "Atmos" watches operate on a mysterious principle, much like immortals feeding on mist.
The Atmos watch doesn't require winding a mainspring. Its most important mechanism is a gas-filled, expandable capsule. A slight temperature change alters the volume of the gas inside, causing the capsule to expand like an accordion. This is the source of the power to wind the mainspring. To highlight its ethereal nature, a design that makes the energy supply path invisible and allows it to float in mid-air is more interesting.
This new model follows the original "568" released in 2016. The Baccarat crystal glass case was chosen for its strength, precision, and high transparency, ensuring stable and accurate support for the movement. The movement has also been redesigned in monochrome, emphasizing symmetry and creating a striking, seemingly floating design. It features automatic winding via temperature changes (Cal. 568), 120 vibrations per hour, and a crystal glass case (265mm x 230mm, 147mm thick). Production is limited to 50 units per year. Price: ¥7,524,000 (including tax).
Two models designed by Marc Newson embody this approach. The "Atmos Designer 568 by Marc Newson" encases the movement in a transparent crystal glass case. The movement and dial feature a monochrome color scheme that highlights the intricate design of the mechanism. It has hour and minute hands in the center and includes a moon phase display that is only off by one day in 4087 years, as well as sunrise and sunset times and an equation of time display function.
Equipped with the complex Cal. 590 movement, one of the most complex movements in the Atmos series. The dial features "tellurium," which recreates the Earth's orbit around the Sun and the Moon's orbit around the Earth. It also includes a constellation calendar and a high-precision moon phase. The domed crystal is adorned with cabochon-cut sapphires arranged in the shapes of the 64 constellations visible in the Northern Hemisphere, creating a celestial globe. Automatic winding due to temperature changes (Cal. 590). 120 vibrations/hour. Glass case (285 x 270 mm). Limited edition of 3 pieces worldwide. Price upon inquiry.
Another fantastical piece is the "Atmos Hybris Artistica Tellurium by Marc Newson." This timepiece features a complex mechanism that precisely and three-dimensionally reproduces the orbits of the Earth, Sun, and Moon with its "Tellurium" function, a constellation calendar displaying the moon and seasons, a high-precision moon phase, and a day/night indicator. Encasing the movement is a glass celestial globe depicting the 64 constellations visible in the Northern Hemisphere.
The former further refines the design of existing models, while the latter reinterprets complex mechanisms through Marc Newson's sensibilities. Years of collaboration have brought further sophistication to Atmos.
