In 1928, engineer Jean‑Léon Reutter developed a revolutionary clock mechanism capable of living quite literally “on air.” Placed into production by Jaeger‑LeCoultre in the 1930s, the Atmos quickly became a design icon, running from the smallest variations in atmospheric temperature. Nicknamed the “President’s Clock,” it was long adopted as the official diplomatic gift of the Swiss Confederation.

To mark the 80th anniversary of the Atmos in 2008, Jaeger‑LeCoultre unveiled an extraordinary creation at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie: the Atmos Marqueterie “Gustav Klimt,” produced in only ten examples worldwide. This series elevated the Atmos from technical marvel to artistic masterpiece, uniting precision horology with the decorative arts in homage to one of the greatest masters of Art Nouveau.

The cabinet that encases the atmos clock recreates Gustav Klimt’s famed Judith I (1901). This striking artwork portrays the biblical figure Judith triumphantly holding the head of Holofernes, whom she has just beheaded. The theme of this dramatic event has been frequently represented in art since the Renaissance. Klimt's friend and perhaps lover, the Viennese socialite Adele Bloch-Bauer, serves as the subject of this captivating work. It epitomises Klimt’s opulent fusion of portraiture, mosaic, and gilding. Translating its shimmering surface into wood and gold demanded extraordinary virtuosity. French marqueteur Jérôme Boutteçon achieved it by assembling more than 1,200 individual fragments of rare woods—amboyna burl, lemonwood, satinwood, tulipwood, and others—many gilded with delicate layers of gold leaf. The resulting surface glows with iridescent depth, perfectly echoing Klimt’s mosaic brilliance.

A hidden button opens the cabinet to reveal the Atmos mechanism, safeguarded by rhodium‑plated crystal glass. The mother‑of‑pearl dial adopts a regulator display: hours at 12, the sweeping minutes at center, months and moon phases at 6. Ornamentation is of jewelled sophistication: a cushion‑cut yellow sapphire at 60 minutes mark, petrified wood indexes enrich the scale on the mother-of-pearl inlay, and a diamond‑set golden moon graces the lunar aperture. Blue‑varnished hands provide a refined finishing touch.

At the heart of the clock beats the Jaeger‑LeCoultre cal. 582, distinguished by its architectural elegance and mechanical poetry. Driven by a hermetically sealed capsule of gases that expand and contract with temperature changes, the mechanism winds the mainspring in a cycle of near‑perpetual motion. Its moon phases display is astonishingly precise: deviating by only one day in every 3,821 years.

The Atmos Marqueterie “Gustav Klimt” is more than a timekeeper: it is an artistic manifesto, a convergence of horology, craftsmanship, and fine art, echoing the same spirit of innovation that defined both Jaeger‑LeCoultre and Klimt. Preserved in exceptional condition, it is numbered 6 out of the limited edition of 10 pieces. With its spectacular marquetry cabinet and ingenious Atmos movement, this remarkable clock is a landmark in the history of Jaeger‑LeCoultre and a defining dialogue between horology and fine art.