Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the Atmos Infinite Halo, a temperature-sensitive triumph of horology
Tom Austin- Jaeger-LeCoultre unveils its latest Atmos clock, featuring a striking white lacquered dial.
- Driven by temperature changes in the atmosphere, the Atmos can run perpetually thanks to its ingenious breathing drive mechanism.
- Unveiling during Milan Design Week, the Atmos Infinite Halo proves that JLC is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to contemporary horological design.
One of the beautiful things about watchmaking, or in this case, clockmaking, is that while watchmakers and brands do push boundaries with their everyday products, some of them also enjoy really letting their hair down and challenging what’s possible in horology – and despite clocks not having the same mainstream appeal as wristwatches, there are a few brands that still showcase their craft in this way. Jaeger-LeCoultre has been perfecting its line of groundbreaking Atmos clocks for almost a century now, and 2025 marks the release of its latest version, the Atmos Infinite Halo.
The Atmos clock from JLC first appeared in 1928, a non-commercial concept piece now known as the Atmos 0. Created by Swiss engineer Jean-Léon Reutter, the clock used mercury to react to temperature changes and operate an expansion device to provide a power source for the clock’s movement. Over the decades that followed, JLC has produced over 500,000 Atmos clocks, all with varying degrees of technological improvements over time. They represent not only JLC’s engineering capabilities but also their ingenuity when it comes to horological design aesthetics. In 2022, the Atmos Infinite was introduced, laying the foundation for the Infinite Halo, the brand’s latest interpretation of the design.
Encased in a seamless glass cabinet, the design is based on early Atmos clocks, which were enclosed in glass bell-jar domes. It offers a 360-degree view of everything that’s going on in the clock’s inner workings, something I’m sure everyone will be thankful for. While complex in its mechanics, the design is minimalist (with slight echoes of Art Deco), even going to the lengths of incorporating the mechanism on almost invisible glass supports to ensure no detail goes unnoticed.
JLC could have just let the clock mechanism do the talking, but the new Atmos Halo doesn’t stop there. The large, halo-like dial features a flawless, white-lacquered finish, taking ten applications of lacquer to complete. If anyone understands the intricacies of dial finishing, it’s Jaeger-LeCoultre, with their in-house capabilities allowing them to achieve the purest of finishes and create stunning results. The dial on the Atmos Halo is no different, somehow managing to make what is essentially just plain white look fascinating at the same time. The dial details are just as intricate, with a metal outer ring featuring indentations for a minute track and high-polished, applied hour markers. Large polished hands extend across the dial, curving around the convex edge profile of the main dial plate.
The Atmos Halo’s openworked construction is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The calibre’s functions are simple; no high-end complication here. It’s a pure, time-only piece, but the beauty lies in the power delivery. The movement runs perpetually via a bellows system, drawing energy from variations in ambient air temperature. This is possible thanks to a hermetically sealed, gas-filled capsule connected to the clock’s drive spring. As the atmospheric temperature fluctuates, it allows the gas to expand and contract, moving the bellows and in turn, winding the mainspring.
Unless you live in a vacuum, the temperature fluctuates even in the most sensitive of environments, and JLC’s ingenious design means that even a fluctuation of just one degree can power the clock for an entire two days. Therefore, in real-world environments like your home office, the Atmos Halo will continue running pretty much forever with no human intervention. It goes without saying that the entire mechanism is treated to the classic Jaeger-LeCoultre levels of finishing, with hand-polishing, brushed surfaces, and côtes de Genève throughout.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos Infinite Halo price and availability
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos Infinite Halo is launching on the 8th of April at Milan Design Week; it is available directly from Jaeger-LeCoultre and is limited to 100 pieces. Price: CHF 18,400, A$32,200
| Brand | Jaeger-LeCoultre |
| Model | Atmos Infinite Halo |
| Reference | Q540532J |
| Dimensions | 215mm (D) x 253mm (H) |
| Case Material | Glass |
| Dial | White lacquer |
| Movement | Calibre 570, in-house, annular balance with 60-second oscillation |
| Power Reserve | Two days for 1 degree of temperature fluctuation, theoretically infinite |
| Functions | Hours and minutes |
| Availability | Limited to 100 pieces |
| Price | CHF 18,400 A$32,200 |