This design marks the 80th anniversary of Atmos clocks by the Swiss maker Jaeger LeCoultre (try spelling that 10 times really fast!) Now bear with me while I explain how it works, because it’s a little science-y. The power source is a capsule that contains gas and ethyl chloride. When the temperature rises, the gas/chloride mix expands and compresses a spiral spring, whereas when the temperature falls, the gas condenses and loosens up the spring. Somehow that equals a constant winding of the clock, so no human intervention is necessary.

The original Atmos clocks also relied on this temperature change-o presto gimmick, but using different variations on the chemical reaction (like the one shown below, which showcases a rather unfortunately placed cable.)

For the Atmos 561, you only need a change of 1 degree Celsius to get 2 days worth of winding power. Ergo, I’d like to do an experiment where I move it from fireplace to freezer a bunch of times and see if I can get it wound so tightly it explodes. Is that so wrong?

[via The Watchismo Times]