Jaeger-LeCoultre has unveiled the astronomical interior clock with its most accurate moon-phase display.
The Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590 moon-phase display will only have one day of error in 5,770 years. We've already discussed the remarkable Master Grande Tradition Caliber 945: a wristwatch with a minute repeater, orbital flying tourbillon, astronomical and zodiac calendar displays, as well as world-time and sidereal time indications.
It was the culmination of twenty years of research and development at the Grande Maison in the village of Le Sentier in the Swiss Vallée de Joux. You could say this year's novelty is the embodiment of the 94 years of effort which has gone into developing the amazing Atmos family. Atmos holds many world records.
Let's start with the fact that you don't need to wind the clock because a one-degree Celsius change in the room temperature where the clock is stationed will provide sufficient energy to wind the barrel for two days. This clock also boasts the lowest energy consumption at 25 nanowatts!
Imagine how perfected the construction for the tellurium complication had to be, which is hoisted up on this movement and simultaneously demonstrates the Earth's rotation around its own axis, the Moon's orbit around the Earth and the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
The heliocentric model is complemented by indications for the month, season, zodiac and synodic calendar displays, and of course all of these function together as a perpetual calendar. The moon-phase display has set a new record for accuracy, as it'll only be off one day every 5,770 years.
It's interesting that Jaeger-LeCoultre decided to beat its own record, which was held by the wristwatch moon phase in the Duomètre Sphérotourbillon Moon, accurate to 3,887 years. The tellurium ultimately consists 443 components and meticulous work was required to create each of them.
The tiniest of deviances would lead to a sharp increase in the force of friction and the clock's movement would simply stop without enough strength to keep itself running. The clock's creators weren't able to answer my question about the specific amount of energy the new Caliber 590 consumes, saying they simply hadn't gotten around to recording all the calculations yet.
The terrestrial and lunar surfaces are illustrated with photographic accuracy. The masters at the Grande Maison were confronted by yet another objective contradiction: a tropical year lasts 365.2466 days but the reference value in the Gregorian calendar used for civil timekeeping is 365.2425 days.
This may seem like a negligible difference at first glance but adjustments to the perpetual calendar's work need to be kept to a minimum. The result achieved by the Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590 means it'll only need to have its year indication adjusted in the year 2412, i.e., once every 390 years.
The clock has of course been exquisitely decorated in the Métiers Rares atelier on the manufacture's premises. The Earth's continents and oceans along with the lunar surface were initially laser-engraved before being painted and coated with lacquer.
It goes without saying that all of this work was done by hand and natural meteorite is inlaid on the Earth-Moon ring. In addition to this captivating display, all the other components in Caliber 590 also require finishing and decoration because they're all fully visible from every angle.
The harmonious work of the astronomical orchestra is enclosed in a simply spellbinding cylindrical crystal cabinet measuring 253 mm in height and 215 mm in diameter. One last thing — the Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590 clock will be a ten-piece limited edition, each priced at USD 545,000.