In 1927, the young engineer Jean-Léon Reutter presented the prototype of the Atmos watch he had developed.
The response in the press was great and so he signed a contract with the Compagnie générale de radiologie, which built and sold the ‘Atmos I’ from 1930 under Reutter's direction.
As there were repeated problems with the watches, the movements were manufactured by Le Coultre et Cie in Switzerland from 1933 and in 1935 the production rights for the Atmos watch were transferred to Ets. Ed. Jaeger in 1935.
They focussed on developing a simpler and more robust motor and from 1938 the era of the Atmos from Jaeger-LeCoultre began.
 
The ‘watch that lives on air’ utilises the ‘breathing movements’ of a gas-filled bellows caused by temperature fluctuations to wind the movement.
The movement of the watch stands out due to its cylindrical box on the back. It contains a bellows-shaped expansion chamber filled with chloroethyl, a gas that expands particularly strongly between 10 °C and 27 °C.
A temperature difference of just one degree Celsius winds the watch for 48 hours. This interesting winding mechanism is complemented by an exquisite movement of extreme precision with a heavy torsion pendulum (rotating pendulum).
The condition for the accuracy of the clock is a stable and vibration-free installation.
 
Also worth mentioning is the absolute environmental friendliness of the watch, which does not require a battery or any other electrical drive despite its unlimited running time.
For decades, the Atmos has been Switzerland's official state gift to prominent visitors, e.g. politicians from abroad.