Answer first
A replica Atmos 568 is a copy of a Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos clock. The 568 is a movement number, not a model name. Genuine Atmos clocks run on a sealed gas capsule that reacts to temperature change. Copies sold as "Atmos 568" seldom use that system. Most hold a quartz or battery movement inside a case shaped like the original.
What the Atmos calibre 568 is
Jean-Léon Reutter patented the Atmos in 1928. Jaeger-LeCoultre took over production in Switzerland in the 1930s. The movement has no battery and no winding key. A capsule filled with gas expands and contracts as air temperature moves. That motion winds the mainspring. One degree Celsius of temperature change gives about two days of running.
Calibre numbers come from Jaeger-LeCoultre. A 568 marks one movement generation. The company lists clocks by model name, such as Classique, Transparente, Phases de Lune and Marqueterie. A calibre number alone does not name a model.
What buyers get in a copy
Listings that use "Atmos 568" fall into three groups.
- Quartz desk clocks in a glass and brass case. Battery powered. Price range: $60 to $400.
- Battery clocks with a rotating disc that imitates the torsion pendulum. No gas capsule.
- Decorative or non-running units sold as props.
Ask the seller for photos of the movement, the case back and the gas capsule. If the seller shows no capsule, the piece is not a working Atmos.
Checks on a genuine Atmos
- Case back: Jaeger-LeCoultre engraving, reference number, serial number.
- Movement: circular, rhodium or gilt finish, torsion pendulum that turns once per minute.
- Base: leveling feet and a locking lever for transport.
- Papers: a numbered guarantee card and service records.
Jaeger-LeCoultre service centers handle repairs. A full service runs several hundred dollars and up. Sellers of copies rarely offer service.
Price ranges
Genuine Atmos clocks sell used from about $1,000 to $4,000. New models run from about $8,000 to more than $20,000 for marquetry versions. Copies sell from $60 to $500. A seller who offers a "new Atmos 568" for $300 and calls it 1:1 is selling a quartz clock.
US legal status
Counterfeit goods are illegal to import into the United States. US Customs and Border Protection can seize shipments. Sale of goods that carry a protected trademark without authorization is a trademark violation. Buyers in the US carry that risk on any clock marked Jaeger-LeCoultre that is not genuine.