I began collecting clocks some 22 years ago, and of necessity, began repairing them shortly afterward
. I bought my first Atmos in 2002, and I attended the AWCI-sponsored training class in 2003. The particular class I attended was one of the last presented by Gerry Jaeger (no relation to Jaeger-LeCoultre), long time member of AWCI and well known for his Atmos prowess. That class was also hosted by Jeff Hamilton, who is now the Atmos instructor for AWCI. Jeff is also quite skilled and has bailed me out a number of times.
My father-in-law attended that class with me. He is retired, and has been collecting and servicing clocks for over 50 years. Both of us service the Atmos clock, while I do most of the buying and selling.
As a result of that class, I am able to purchase parts for Atmos repairs directly from Jaeger-LeCoultre. Parts accounts are very difficult to come by these days, and I am very fortunate to have access to these resources. One condition of maintaining that account is that parts are purchased for current repairs only, and cannot be resold, so please don't ask.
I service Atmos clocks for a competitive fee, but I find it difficult for a sole proprietor to be profitable in this venture. An Atmos overhaul and the attendant retiming can take weeks to months with the time I have available, and occupies my sole work bench for that period. For me, it is primarily a labor of love and the reward is in returning a fine instrument to a proud owner, having perhaps learned something new from the experience.
I currently own approximately 70 or so Atmos. Many are Ebay purchases, including one large lot from the estate of an owner of a large collection. Most are ordinary (by Atmos standards) and will eventually find their way back to Ebay, hopefully in good repair. Several have already departed via that route; another few have become donors for parts - new parts are quite expensive. Some, however, are a bit more unique and are destined for my heirs. My earliest is S/N 7778, an Atmos II from the early 1940's; the latest is S/N 695020, a rhodium-plated Atlantis.
Ebay is a good source of Atmos clocks and Atmos parts, but there is also a fair amount of 'junk' there. It takes an experienced eye to see the difference, and even then, the best can be fooled by description errors or fuzzy photos, accidentally or otherwise. I have paid both too much and too little for Atmos clocks based on bad descriptions. To help others develop their own Atmos collection, I have created "What to Know When Buying an Atmos". This is by no means a definitive buying guide, but it can help avoid some of the more common issues.
I will be developing this site as time allows. Meanwhile, here are some of the babes at home. The movement mounted on the rectangular base is from a "Borne" Atmos (also known as "Bollard").
If you have questions or comments, or have an Atmos or Atmos parts you'd like to sell, I can be reached at hour_house@earthlink.net. I am also interested in talking with anyone that does Atmos dial or case restoration/plating.
