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Copyright © 1995-2012 Michael P. Murray & Mike's Clock Clinic




Mike's Atmos Clock Clinic's LeCoultre Atmos Clock
& Reutter Atmos Clock Service Charges




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@atmos-man.com (Preferred method of contact)

MCC's Web site is located at http://www.atmosman.com




Here's the basics:


My mechanical overhaul for the LeCoultre Atmos is $450.00 plus parts.
This includes all labor, my 5-year parts and labor warranty, and return shipping
within the U.S.  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 more 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.


Details below:




For overhauling jobs outside North America, please see:
Service charges for clocks outside North America


Atmos Clock Service Charges





Overhaul Pricing and Comparisons


      I make my living overhauling the Atmos from all over North America,
and in fact the world, 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, plus shipping,
handling, and insurance, which adds $50.00.  This brings the
base overhaul total to $450.00 which includes $2,000.00 of
return shipping insurance.  Added to that base charge is any
needed parts.  The above price includes a 5-year warranty.

      Shipping to Canada, Alaska and Hawaii doubles to $100.00.
International shipping triples to $150.00 and complete information
is located at: Service charges for clocks outside North America.

    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 a 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 20 years of 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 still the original part.

      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.

    If you have a caliber 540 or higher, which translates into a serial
# of 600,000 or higher, then there is about a 95% possibility that your
Atmos will NOT need any parts including bellows refilling.




If you need a specific part then please see my Atmos parts page.



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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.

    I will overhaul these clocks for $750.00, which is a base
mechanical overhaul including all labor.  Add to that shipping plus
any needed parts.  Reutter's will carry my 5-year warranty.  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 but can provide any
needed internal and movement parts.

      These clocks were wound with two mercury filled glass vials.
I have no way to replace the glass vials or the mercury, which make
up the Reutter's bellows.  But manual winding is a snap and to
access just open 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" 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 $50.00.  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.

    Proper Starting section of my operations manual.

      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 properly
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 4 to 6 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 and E-mail you that the clock has arrived.  It usually
takes about a week or 2 to perform the complete disassembly.  Once I disassemble,
I 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 or dial 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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Customer's Close Enough to Bring in the Atmos


	The true benefit of bringing your Atmos in yourself is that I disassemble
your Atmos while you watch.  I announce the expected measurements before I take
them and we discuss their meaning.  The entire disassembly takes about
45 minutes, so schedule enough time if you can.

	Also you leave with a photocopy of the invoice and that copy becomes your
"repair ticket" and the price on that ticket becomes a quote and a firm price
with no chance that the amount will increase.

    You MUST realize that once I start the disassembly, I'm looking for any
and all reasons why the cost of the overhaul will increase.  I'm not saying the
costs will increase but please realize that I'm NOT looking for anything that
would be considered a "quick fix".  The rare quick fix would have already been
addressed in the first few minutes of my examination.

    One other minor benefit is that you save the $50.00 in shipping costs.
Naturally this assumes that you pick up your Atmos when the overhaul is completed.

    All MUST realized that I require an appointment.  The reason is that I'm
still performing house calls and they vary my schedule each week.  An appointment
could be as informal as calling before you are ready to leave and if I answer
the phone and have nothing scheduled for later that day, then that's an
appointment.  Or they can be as formal as you need with a specific date and time
and Saturday's are fine.

    Please do NOT expect an appointment on Sunday's or Monday's.

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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.

    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.

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Payment and Estimates


      I would like payment by Pay Pal, money orders, certified checks,
or company checks but considering the testing time, personal checks
are fine and actually preferred over Pay Pal because Pay Pal takes 3%.

      I discourage prepayments, except for part charges that exceed
$500.00.  However, I usually collect 1/2 of the invoice total once the
disassembly is completed.

    You may also use Pay Pal by clicking on the link below:

    You do NOT have to be a member of Pay Pal in order to issue a payment.

	Here's something right off Pay Pal's Web site:
Get paid by anyone with a credit card — they don't even need
a Pay Pal account.











      If you decide not to go ahead with the repair, then I return
the clock via UPS and COD.  The charge will be $100.00 labor, plus
the COD charge ($10.00), plus my standard shipping and the
insurance charges ($50.00).  This total works out to be $160.00
for a clock returned to you and not repaired after my estimate.
The labor change is for my time in disassembling and then reassembling.
The COD is dropped if you are a previous customer of mine or if
you pay the $150.00 before the clock is shipped.

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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 $310.00.  That includes return shipping (in the U.S.) 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 $310.00 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 $60.00 including shipping (in the U.S.).

    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 $360.00.

    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 $1,160.00.  That includes
return shipping (in the US) and you will have to remove the entire
bellows (cover and motor included) and sent it to me and reinstall
the completed bellows.  The $1,160.00 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 $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 is offered as a stand alone service for an
additional $50.00 ($200.00) plus shipping.  Payment must accompany
the dial.  Shipping is $10.00 in the U.S. ($210.00).  You would be
responsible to remove and reinstall the dial.  Expect the dial to
be returned to you in about 6 weeks.

      Case work such as stripping, polishing, and lacquer
sealing is an additional $400.00.  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 $400.00 for polishing and $900.00 for polishing
and 24 karat gold plating are added to the cost of the overhaul
and any needed parts.

      Case polishing and/or plating is NOT offered as a separate
service and will only be done in conjunction with an overhaul.


    Individual parts may be obtained by going to the link 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'm 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.

	I'll try to list as many as I can think of:

	Most likely others that escape me at the moment.
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Who Does the Work?



It should be known that ALL work is done in house and by me personally.
The exceptions are bellows refilling and fabricating a new replacement part,
which is very rare.

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What you need to do if you sent the Atmos to me for an overhaul


    Assuming you sent the Atmos my way for an overhaul, then you must
make sure that the clock is packaged properly and the balance is locked.
Instructions on locking the balance can be found at: Locking the balance.
If you cannot lock the balance then don't go to any extremes in order to do so
because the balance locking device will be working properly when the Atmos is
returned.  Please see the link above about Shipping & Turnaround for proper packaging.

    Please make sure you have your name, address, phone number, and E-mail address
somewhere in either box.  The address must be the physical location you want me
to return your overhauled Atmos.  If you plan on going to a shipping store, then
please write or print the information on a file card or something similar so that
the person packing the Atmos can include that information along with the clock.

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Why am I the ONLY qualified repair person on the West coast in the US?


    A good question and I do not have a definitive answer.  I know that there were
at least two others when I started in 1990 and they have either passed on or
retired.

    Around 2005, LeCoultre stopped opening parts accounts for the procurement of
Atmos parts and "the rest" of us were grandfathered in.  So if a competent repair
person wanted to overhaul the Atmos since 2005, they would have no access to parts.
The other parts factor is that all with Atmos accounts have signed a contract NOT
to sell parts and only use these parts in conjunction with the Atmos currently
being worked on.

    Probably most important is the fact that ever since I was taught Atmos
overhauling, my intent was to teach the same.  I have taught many others and
since they cannot get parts, most take my course for general knowledge and to
keep their Atmos in good running order.  It is surprising and time consuming
to think to yourself, ©How would I convey this to another©, each and every time
you tear down or rebuilt something concerning an Atmos clock.  But this is
exactly what I do every time I overhaul an Atmos.  I guess some habits are valuable.

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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.

    I'm also asked if I'm taking in work and I can assure you
that I'm taking in work and if that ever changes then this Web site
will be deleted.

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Respectfully,


Michael P. Murray

            A service from,   E-mail address: Mike@atmos-man.com
            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  Membership: NAWCC
17000 Western Avenue # 7
Gardena, CA  90247-5262
Phone:  310-225-5645, or 877-286-6762
My Web site is located at http://www.atmosman.com/
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
Formally published in Chapter 168's "Torsion Times"
Formally published in AWCI's "Horological Times"
Formally AWCI's 400-day (Anniversary) clock Bench Course Instructor!

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Copyright © 1995-2012 Michael P. Murray & Mike's Clock Clinic

Created in December of 1995 and last updated January 01, 2012.