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Copyright © 1995-2012 Michael P. Murray & Mike's Clock Clinic
Mike's Clock Clinic's LeCoultre & Reutter Atmos Clock Service Charges
This page deal with Atmos overhauls from outside North America.
For overhauling jobs within North America, please see:
Service charges for clocks within North America
Mike's Clock Clinic
17000 Western Avenue # 7
Gardena, CA 90247-5262
Phone: 310-225-5645 or 877-286-6762 (Toll Free)
E-mail address: Mike@atmosclock.us
MCC's Web site is located at http://www.atmosclock.us/
Here's the basics:
My mechanical overhaul for the LeCoultre Atmos is $400.00 plus parts and plus
return shipping. Shipping varies from $75.00 to $150.00. This includes all labor
and my 5-year parts and labor warranty. Parts are an unknown until the clock is
disassembled. All parts and all refinishing are extra. 50% of the time an Atmos
will need parts. Virtually every detail is covered below, so please give this page
a good read before you E-mail.
One last thing and that is I have been working on the Atmos clock since 1990 and
that was 8 years after I started my clock repair business. This experience is vital
in order to due a first rate job on your Atmos and that is why I back my work with
a 5-year warranty.
Atmos Clock Service Charges
Overhaul Pricing and Comparisons
I make my living overhauling the Atmos and 400-day or
Anniversary clocks from all over the globe and I'm an
active Atmos overhaul Instructor.
Because of the complexities of the Atmos clock, an Atmos
needs a complete mechanical overhaul whenever serviced. An Atmos
keeping good time does not need any periodic maintenance, so don't
waste your money on what other's may have said.
The current price of a mechanical overhaul for any LeCoultre made
Atmos is $400.00, which includes all labor. Shipping, handling,
and insurance is added to that base charge as well as any needed parts.
International shipping varies from $75.00 to $150.00.
Please keep in mind that there may be a custom's fee or tariff
based on value. I'll insure your Atmos for anything up to $2,000.00,
more if your insist, but be sure to check your country's policies
when it comes to something being returned to you from the United States.
One part of note because of its expense is the bellows also
called the motor. It is the large round "bowl shaped" object on
the back of the clock. The current cost to refill your original
bellows (if needed) is $150.00. On average 80% of bellows can be
refilled and that assures that your Atmos stays 100% original. If
the bellows cannot be refilled then the choices are; use another
refilled bellows that is close to the date of your original bellows
(usually within a year) for the an extra $50.00 for a total cost of
$200.00 or replace with new bellows which costs $500.00.
My overhaul service takes about 4 to 6 weeks and includes a
5-year warranty on all labor and any part you paid for and installed
by myself. Add about a month if the bellows needs to be refilled or
if your case or dial is to be refinished.
The price exceptions are the 50th and 150th anniversary special
editions; those Atmos' are $650.00 for the base labor overhaul.
The Reutter Atmos is the only other exception, the base labor
overhaul is $750.00.
I have over 30 years experience on the LeCoultre and Reutter Atmos
and I have the longest warranty anywhere at 5 years.
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Parts (If they are needed)
I use genuine LeCoultre parts and proven after-market parts
where the cost saving are justified.
Also, many overhauls require a new suspension spring, which
currently cost $150.00 installed. It has been my experience that
if the serial # of the Atmos is under 150,000 then, sometimes,
the suspension spring WILL need replacing, if it is the original
part. Also, there is a slight possibility in these older Atmos'
that the mainspring is set. A set mainspring has lost its ability
to hold its tension and therefore cannot drive the clock accurately.
This is very rare but there are times when a new mainspring is
needed and the current cost is $100.00.
Because of the high cost of the new bellows, currently $500.00,
I do not replace it unless it has lost 9 mm or gas or more. That
would make my depth measurements 32mm or greater. In most cases,
I can have your original bellows refilled at a cost to you of
$150.00 and that represents a $350.00 savings over new replacement
bellows.
Refilling the bellows is my personal preference because it
keeps the clock 100% original and your original bellows contains
the date of manufacture, which is used to date your Atmos.
If the clock stops within the 5 year warranty period and we
find that it is the bellows, then I do NOT charge for my labor to
install a refilled or new bellows but you would be responsible for
the cost of the bellows and the return shipping charge of $50.00.
I like to take the wait and see approach. I have seen
bellows "flat" after only ten years and I've seen "perfect"
bellows that were 65 years old.
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J. L. Reutter & Mercury Bellows
The very first commercial production run of the Atmos (now
called the Atmos 1) was made by Compagnie generale de radio (CGR).
Together with Jean-Leon Reutter, production started in June 1929.
Two French patents were granted for the Atmos 0 (624.595) and for
the Atmos I (664.689) but that company never produced the Atmos 0.
They are very nicely made and typically they have a plate saying
"Reutter Brevet" or "Brevets J. L. Reutter S. G. D. G."
(Brevet = Patent). Production stopped on July 27, 1935 when
the company transferred all inventory and work in progress to
LeCoultre.
These clocks were wound with two mercury filled glass vials.
Assuming these glass vials are intact with the proper amount of
mercury, I will overhaul these clocks for $750.00, which is a base
mechanical overhaul including all labor plus shipping plus parts.
Please be aware that original parts are nonexistent but
internally the LeCoultre parts will work as original parts. This
means that I have no access to any external or case parts.
I have no way to replace the glass vials or the mercury.
But manual winding is a snap and to access just opening the back
door and then push the protruding small knob on the bellows up
and then allow it to come down on its own. Once the bellows
no longer comes down on its own, the clock is fully wound and
should last for about a year.
Please see Atmos History for more information
about the history of the Atmos clock.
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My 5-year Warranty
The reason I give a 5-year warranty is because I feel
that no one can touch my service or expertise in the repair
of the Atmos clock.
All Atmos clocks will run anywhere from 14 months to
20 months on a full wind of the mainspring, which all "repair
persons" do for any level of service. Typically the older an
Atmos is the longer it will run on a full wind of the mainspring.
Realize that the bellows job is to wind the mainspring, so if
there are any bellows or winding troubles, they will not surface
for over a year and that may be after "their" the warranty expires.
If an Atmos comes back within the 5-year warranty for
any reason and I find that I take it from its packing box and
then to the test bench and it runs continuously, there is a $100.00
charge plus return shipping of $75.00 to $150.00. Most times if an Atmos
I have worked on stops, it will run provided that the customer follows
my stating procedure that is contained in my operations manual.
The link to Proper Starting
If the returned Atmos is still under my 5-year warranty and
stops within a few weeks from packing box to test bench then there
is no charge what-so-ever and will be returned running as it should
in about a month.
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Shipping and Turnaround
I advise shipping the Atmos with the original carton if available.
Please make sure that the clock does not rattle in its first shipping box.
Take up any space with packing peanuts or newspaper in order to eliminate any
looseness. In any case, please be sure to double box the clock and insure
it for at least $2,000. By double box I mean to pack the 1st and 2nd boxes
as if you were going to ship each independent from the other one. Also, to
reduce your shipping costs ship via UPS, be sure that the 2nd box measures
16" x 16" x 16" or less. Please pack each box WELL. When I
ship the Atmos back, I use a 12" x 12" x 12" box for the clock
and then the 16" x 16" x 16" for the second.
For return shipping I use UPS for all shipping. If you want
to use another carrier then you will have to arrange everything for shipping,
meaning I hand the box to the driver, get a receipt and nothing else.
I understand some trepidation about shipping an Atmos and I can assure you
that if the clock is packed well, and the pendulum (balance) is locked, then
there should not be a problem. With the balanced locked, any Atmos can withstand
a great deal of shaking and movement just short of dropping it. I have shipped
overhauled Atmos' all over the world and never have had to deal with shipping
insurance because of any damage done during transit. I must have shipped over
1,000 Atmos' so just use common sense and pack each box well.
My turnaround is usually 3 to 5 weeks. Please be sure to LOCK the
pendulum before doing ANYTHING! Old parts are returned by request only.
Upon the receipt of the clock, I inspect it to make sure that it survived
its trip to the Clinic. If all appears okay, then it usually takes about 1 week
to perform the complete disassembly. At this time, I call or E-mail you to advice
on what, if any, parts are needed and the amount quoted, at that time, becomes a
firm price.
After that initial contact, the parts are ordered and the overhaul work
usually begins within 2 to 3 weeks, longer if the bellows needs refilling or
if the case need refinishing. The reason for the longer turn times is that I
must send these out to another professional and I'm subject to their work volume.
My volume of Atmos overhauls has been steadily increasing and turn times are
estimates and may be longer than indicated above.
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Testing and the Unknown
Once testing starts it is performed in two parts. The first test is
the function test to ascertain whether or not your Atmos will run properly.
During this electronic test the clock is "timed" without the dial
or hands being attached. This most always takes about 24 hours.
Then the second test is the Atmos fully assembled and is the final test
which takes any where from a few days to as many as 6 weeks. I ship when both
the final payment and the testing period have been satisfied. Normally shipping
takes place about a week or so after the overhaul is completed.
Here's how long it takes each wheel in the Atmos to turn.
1 turn of the mainspring barrel occurs in 103.57 days
1 turn of the 2nd wheel occurs in 20.714 days
1 turn of the 3rd wheel occurs in 3.4524 days
1 turn of the 4th wheel occurs in 8.2854 hours
1 turn of the 5th wheel occurs in 1.0000 hour
1 turn of the 6th wheel occurs in 0.2500 hour
Now a test for 104 days would be excessive but 3 or even 6 weeks is in the
realm of possibilities.
The best of all worlds would be for me to test for 6 weeks, which allows
most wheels to turn at least 2 revolutions. I realize that some people do not
have the patience for that and why I'm willing to send them off in a little as
a week´s testing but prefer 3 weeks.
What sometimes does happen is that the Atmos, after the overhaul, is now too
efficient. Meaning that the balance will rotate too much. The excessive
rotation causes the roller on the balance to pass though the fork and then have
so much more rotational force that it then hits the fork on its side, some 340°
away. This hitting the fork after it has passed through causes the Atmos to run
too fast and in fact you will not be able to regulate it.
I bring this up because it takes at least a week and many times 2 weeks for
the balance to arrive at full rotational strength.
NOTE: Just for your information, a balance rotation of under 360° in total,
from stop to stop, will have a similar affect. Here the Atmos can run either fast
or slow, there is just no telling. The reason for this is that the balance is now
underpowered but can keep running for months and months.
So for those that have the patience to wait for a three or six week test,
I'll be more than happy to do so BUT I would need to be paid in the same time
frame as if I would be shipping it with only a week of testing.
The three and six week test also negates the paragraph below about the
suspension spring being too weak because that will show up and be corrected,
if necessary.
But even with the extra testing, you will still have to adjust the timing of
your Atmos because each environment will have a different average temperature
and the hours it stays at any set temperatures would also be different. The
Atmos is affected by the temperature of the environment it is located in.
The "fun" will be that once you have it adjusted, the outside temperature
will be changing enough so that the inside temperature will change as far as how
long it stays at one temperature or another and then you'll have to adjust the
Atmos again.
If an Atmos is within 30 seconds per month then it is an accurate Atmos.
So I can test it until the cows come home and you will still have to address
the fact that the Atmos will run at a different rate at your location.
When I ship back the clock, the package will contain your
original invoice and an instruction manual that I authored.
Please be advised that the original estimate cannot determine whether or
not the suspension spring currently has the strength to properly slow the
rotation of the pendulum. An older weaker suspension spring will cause the
clock to run fast because the balance will swing until it is stopped by
opposite side of the fork. This secondary contact of the fork prevents the
balance from making its full rotation and therefore the clock will run fast
and you will not be able to regulate the time. The vast majority of times the
original suspension spring can be used but I cannot guarantee that fact until
I complete testing.
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Payment and Estimates
I would like payment by money orders, certified checks, or
through Pay Pal.
I discourage prepayments, except for part charges that exceed
$500.00.
You may also use Pay Pal by clicking on the link below:
If you decide not to go ahead with the repair, then I return
the clock. The charge will be $100.00 labor, plus my standard
shipping and the insurance charges. This total works out to be
between $175.00 to $250.00 for a clock returned unrepaired after
my estimate.
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Refilled Bellows
Through various efforts in the trade, I now can offer to
refill your original bellows (if needed). Bellows are filled
with ethyl chloride, which is that same material used by LeCoultre.
I offer this service for a cost of $150.00, which is a
$350.00 savings versus a new bellows. If the bellows fail within
the 5 year warranty period, you must pay for return shipping. I will
replace your spent refilled bellows, which was initially refilled by me,
with another refilled bellows that is within a year of your original
bellows and only charge the $50.00 for return shipping, no labor cost
will be charged.
The above costs are only good as part of a complete overhaul.
If you want the bellows refilled as a stand alone service, then
the cost is $350.00. That includes return shipping and you will
have to remove the spent bellows and sent it to me and reinstall
the refilled bellows.
If you do not have the old bellows, then I can supply a bellows
usually manufactured within a year of your serial #. That adds
$50.00 to the $350.00 mentioned above.
You can also order a "spent" bellows that will date within a year
of your original bellows. For just an old bellows without refilling,
the charge is $100.00 including shipping.
You must be aware that there is a 20% failure on refilling used
bellows. Therefore, I cannot guarantee that your bellows refill will
be successful. I can, however, have one of my old stock bellows refilled
in case of failure and that adds $50.00 to the refilling charge.
If the procedure fails, then I'll return your original bellows
at no charge, assuming that you sent just the bellows for refilling or
take a spend bellows from my inventory that is close to the date of
your original bellows (usually within a year) and charge $50.00 extra
for a total of $400.00.
If you sent the entire clock as part of an overhaul, then I will
install either a new bellows at an extra cost of $500.00 or use another
refilled bellows that is close to the date of your original bellows (usually
within a year) for the an extra $50.00 for a total cost of $200.00.
I will NOT and do NOT sell "NEW" bellows to anyone and will only
install new bellows as a part of a complete overhaul.
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Soldered Bellows
Many of the older Atmos' with a serial # below
50,000 have soldered bellows. This presents a whole new
set of problems in order to replace worn out bellows
because the bellows are actually soldered onto the
bellows canister and plate.
I have a procedure for removing a "dead" bellows
from the old soldered bellows cover found on the older
Atmos' and it's located at: Bellows2.pdf
If you would like me to do the same procedure,
which keeps the original bellows canister and hardware,
except the "dead" bellows, I charge $1,000.00 which includes
the new bellows. The actual original bellows is replaced
with a new one.
The $1,000.00 only covers the material and labor costs
for changing the soldered bellows canister to one where any
future changing of the bellows would be greatly simplified.
The above costs are only good as part of a complete overhaul.
All overhaul and other part costs will be added to the $1,000.00.
If you want your soldered bellows replaced with a new bellows
as a stand alone service, then the cost is $1,200.00. That includes
return shipping and you will have to remove the entire bellows
(cover and motor included) and sent it to me and reinstall the
completed bellows. The $1,200.00 must be pre paid and the service
can take as long as 4 months because of slowness in the ordering
process for the new bellows.
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Dial and Case Refinishing
Dial refinishing is offered as a stand alone service for an
additional $50.00 ($200.00) plus shipping. Payment must accompany
the dial. Shipping is $50.00 outside the U.S. ($250.00). You would be
responsible to remove and reinstall the dial. Expect the dial to
be returned to you in about 6 weeks.
Dial refinishing is $150.00 when it is part of an overhaul.
This will make your old worn Atmos dial look like new. This is a
nice companion to case refinishing. Dial refinishing adds about 3 weeks
to the overall process because I sent it to another professional.
Case work such as stripping, polishing, and lacquer
sealing is an additional $450.00. This procedure makes the clock
look new and extremely hard to tell that there is no gold plating.
Polishing and lacquering includes all exposed case parts,
all base parts, the bellows canister and the canister lid.
Normally the pendulum and dial bezel do not need this but it's
included if they have been tarnished. Please be aware that some
pendulum bobs cannot be refinished because of their uniqueness.
An example would be if your pendulum bob has black lines on it
because the refinishing would remove these black lines and I have
no way to accurately "reline" the bob.
If 24 karat gold plating is desired then the total
additional cost is $900.00. Gold plating is so expensive
because it involves the initial polishing procedure to bring
the parts down to brass. Then the parts are nickel plated
which is followed by the 24 karat gold plating and finally
the clear lacquer.
Both the $450.00 for polishing and $900.00 for polishing
and 24 karat gold plating are added to the cost of the overhaul
and any needed parts.
Dial refinishing and case polishing and/or plating is NOT
offered as a separate service and will only be done in conjunction
with an overhaul. The same goes for any part, which means that
I do NOT sell parts nor am I a source for Atmos parts.
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Trade Discounts
I do not give any trade or volume discounts.
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"Rush" Jobs
A job that requires the return of the completed Atmos clock
in less than a month is available. The "catch" is that my
labor charge doubles from $400.00 to $800.00, with everything
else staying the same.
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Generic Operations Manual
A link to my Atmos Operations Manual
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Why an Atmos Would Run for a Short While Then Stop
I am asked why an Atmos would run for a few hours or a few
days and then stop. Most assume it is the bellows, but there are
many reasons as to the "why" and here's a few reasons.
There are many reasons and I'll try to list
as many as I can think of:
- Dead or dying bellows; causing the wind on the mainspring
to be deficient.
- Winding system has failed from another reason other
than the bellows. (Broken chain, broken click spring,
broken or misaligned ratchet click, chain stopper pin
worked its way loose, broken or misaligned pulley washer,
etc.)
- Dirty mainspring.
- Dirty frame bearings (4).
- Dried up lubrication in frame and/or mainspring.
- Dirty movement and/or bearings (jewels.)
- Cracked jewels.
- Bent arbors or pivots.
- Scored pivots or pinions.
- Bent tooth on any gear.
- Minute wheel set too low and rubbing on the
movement top plate.
- Balance out of poise.
- Balance and/or fork out of beat.
- Locking system rubbing on the balance even
though it is in the unlocked position.
- Balance mounted either too high or too low
causing rubbing friction.
- Twisted or kinked suspension spring.
- Broken suspension spring.
- Broken mainspring.
- Fork position as it related to the roller
is misaligned. (Fork position too high, too
low, fork tines too closed, too open, fork
too deep, too shallow, etc.)
- Dirty roller and/or fork tines. (2 "fingers").
- Clock not level.
- Household temperature not varying by 5 degrees
or more per day.
- A friend or incompetent "repair" person recently
worked on it.
Most likely others that escape me at
the moment.
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Accuracy of This Web Page
For whatever reason, I get asked if the above Web site is up to
date and accurate. If and when anything about my business
practices, prices, or policies changes, the first thing I do is
update this Web page regardless of the "last updated" date that
appears at the bottom.
In other words, if you are viewing this Web page for the first
time and/or have hit the "refresh" on your browser, you can be
assured that all the information is accurate and completely
up to date.
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Respectfully,
Michael P. Murray
A service from, E-mail address: Mike@atmosclock.us
Mike Murray Founder of Clocksmiths
A specialist in Atmos and 400-day clock repair.
Also, I overhaul most plug in electric clocks.
In continuous service since 04/01/1982.
Mike's Clock Clinic Memberships: Clocksmiths & NAWCC
17000 Western Avenue # 7
Gardena, CA 90247-5262
Phone: 310-225-5645, or 877-286-6762 (Toll Free)
My Web site is located at http://www.atmosclock.us
Main FTP site is located at http://home.earthlink.net/~atmosman/earthftp.html
Memberships: Clocksmiths & NAWCC
N.A.W.C.C. International 400-day Clock Chapter # 168
Published in Chapter 168's "Torsion Times"
Published in AWCI's "Horological Times"
Formally AWCI's 400-day (Anniversary) clock Bench Course Instructor!
Back to Mike's Clock Clinic's Atmos Web Page
Copyright © 1995-2012 Michael P. Murray & Mike's Clock Clinic
Created in December of 1995 and last updated January 02, 2012.
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