Worlds apart

The Great Shopping Spree of 2008 began in earnest as a coping mechanism for life's disappointments. Things however went out of control and I ended up buying one car and a total of three timepieces within maybe four or five months. That is a financial madness for the work-at-home type like myself. And I will have to deal with the consequences for years to come but life is short so ...

The first watch, covered in an earlier post below, is this IWC Portuguese Automatic.


It was a logical choice and a rational purchase, all things considered. The brand is among my three all-time favourites (Omega, Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC). The design is understated and to my taste. The movement is somewhat special and a real looker. And I would have had to buy it sooner or later anyway.

But the next purchase is not so rational. In fact, it is not rational at all. Paying for a watch with this price tag is silly enough by the average, non-watch-collecting consumers' standard. And it is almost like a cardinal sin for collectors to pay this amount for a watch with ... (gulp) ... a quartz movement!

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Airwolf. Breitling Airwolf!


With its hypnotizing turbine caseback


And night vision goggle compatible digital display


Breitling claims in their literature that the SuperQuartz movement at the heart of this watch is ten times more accurate than conventional quartz movements. The tiny thermometer on board adjusts the watch's rate automatically to compensate for temperature variations at a given moment (or something like that).

The Airwolf was introduced in 2007 in the Professional collection as the replacement B-1. It is in the same league as the Aerospace but one would have to operate all functions via the crown on that watch. A good friend of mine, a former F-16 fighter jet pilot, is very fond of this watch. What's not to like about it? There are so many practical features typical of quartz watches in the guise of a more sophisticated timepiece. The DD/MM/YY function is a godsend when I have to date bank papers. The chronograph comes in handy when cooking. And the countdown feature is really useful as I need a reminder to tell me my laundry is done. These are not be exactly the applications Breitling had in mind when developing the watch, are they?

And on the very same afternoon I bought this quartz, I also bought a very different timepiece. Something which is worlds apart from it. Mechanical, of course, but not of the kind you might have expected.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos Classique phases de lune. A housewarming gift for myself.


A closer look reveals a perpetual calendar, regrettably with only month and moonphase displays.


The Atmos is one very special collection of clocks. Its maker calls it “the clock that lives on air”. This totally mechanical timepiece works without the need for a battery. And it doesn’t have to be wound manually nor to be plugged into a power outlet. A world’s first.

With that said, the technology can’t be labeled innovative as it had been over eighty years since the first Atmos came out. In layman’s term, the Atmos houses a sealed chamber of ethyl chloride and other gases which expand and contract as temperature rises and falls. This action eventually drives the winding mechanism of the watch. A change of temperature by only one degree Celsius is sufficient to provide two days worth of power.


The JLC Atmos can be likened to a fragile and finicky living thing. Fragile because you can’t move it without stopping it first. It’s not suitable for places where children, curious adults or pets are present. Finicky because you have to ensure the clock is properly leveled in order for it to perform with optimal accuracy.


The thoughtful people in Le Sentier have included a user-adjustable regulator to compensate for any environmental influences as needed.


But this quest for accuracy is not without hindrance. You have to allow the clock to run for weeks to pass before you can determine if your example is fast or slow then adjust accordingly. Then you have to wait as long to see if your intervention is working out all right. And then, when it is time to move the clock for cleaning or any other need, the whole process has to be repeated again. Atmos is not a timepiece for accuracy freak. Rather, it is an invention that excites the enthusiasts, a small pride of the owner to have in possession a timepiece with a life of its own.


It seems my dream to have a JLC Shrine has come true. You can say I’m a happy man! :D