Even If Left Alone for 4,000 Years, This Clock Will Still Be Ticking

It runs on air. Seriously.

December 12, 2016 9:00 am

You may not actually believe how this clock charges itself. 

This is the latest iteration of the Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Atmos clock, invented by Jean-Léon Reutter in 1928. To put that in perspective, pundits believed dirigibles would replace ocean liners as the primary way of traveling between continents when it was designed. 

This version of the clock, though, runs on air. 

To be more specific, small changes in atmospheric pressure keep it running: As Bloomberg puts it, “a shift of only one degree hotter or colder can keep it going for 48 hours.” 

This newest version, given an aesthetic update by designer Marc Newson, showcases the movement within a Baccarat crystal housing — the better to give admirers a view of its guts: 211 pieces that, if left alone, would continue operating, and accurately telling the time, for another 4,000 years. 

Magic — even if, at $28,000, it definitely doesn’t come cheap. 

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