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The Atmos Instructor's Charges for the LeCoultre Atmos Clock.
Copyright © 1998-2023 Michael P. Murray & Mike's Clock Clinic
Mike' Murray
Membership: NAWCC
P. O. Box 562
1151 D Street
Fossil, OR 97830-0562
The P.O. Box is for the USPS only and should be removed for all other carriers.
My Web site is located at http://www.atmosman.com/
Main FTP site is located at http://home.earthlink.net/~atmosman/earthpdf.html
No longer teaching and have no alternatives.
However, I will sell the course and the details are below.
I still overhaul your Atmos clock and that link is Atmos Clock Repair
Course Information on all Calibers of the LeCoultre Atmos
Introduction and Detail
You can view an outline of this course and a cost breakdown for the course.
I make my living overhauling the Atmos and 400-day or Anniversary clocks from
all over North America and Europe and I'm an Atmos overhaul Instructor.
Many students travel to my shop in Myrtle Point and take the course one on one.
As a matter of fact most times my course is taught to an individual rather than
a group.
I will travel to anyplace within 1,250 miles of my Clinic because I dislike
plane travel. I will instruct any person or group of up to 16 students in the
complexities and my overhaul techniques in servicing the Atmos. Students must
be fluent in the English language.
I require that all my travel, lodging expenses and my $500.00 Instructor's
fee per day, must be pre-paid by the students. The Instructor's fee for the 2-day
course is $1,000.00 and for the 3-day course $1,500.00 because the "course"
takes 2 or 3 days of at least 10 hours per day including breaks and lunches.
The students must provide their own or a customer's Atmos with a serial # of
under 600,000. Serial numbers of over 600,000 comprise the Atmos caliber # 540
and that is a different beast and cannot be covered along with all other Atmos
calibers which are the Atmos II, 519, 522, 526, 528, 529, & 532. If you want to
add a third day, then I'll be glad to include the Atmos caliber # 540 which LeCoultre
started producing in 1983 and is currently still in production.
If you are already proficient in the 528/526 and earlier calibers, then I'd be
glad to provide a one day course in the overhaul of the 540 caliber. Because of a
1-day course, I'll need 2-days of compensation or $1,000.00 because of the disruption
to my normal schedule.
If I can drive to your location or you or your group can come to Gardena then
the normal fee of $500.00 is all that's required.
If you'd like to include the Anniversary Overhaul Repair Course
then please add 2 days to the total course fees and expenses. Please see the above
link for more details.
All course material is copyrighted. All course material will be given to the
individual students at the time they take the course and not before.
All courses are strictly a movement overhaul course and any case, dial, or hand
restoration will NOT be covered.
All parts must be paid for by the students whether or not they are supplied by
myself or purchased before the course.
I'm charging exactly what my customers are charged for any needed part.
But this does not mean a "basket" case is acceptable for training. If I deem that
your Atmos needs too many parts, then I will substitute one of my own for you to
work on and that clock will not be allowed to leave under any circumstances.
All information about part procurement can be obtained at:
http://www.atmosman.com/future.html
I have rewritten the LeCoultre Repair Notes to include many steps that are not
provided in these notes. My step by step Notes are now much more clear and include
steps that I have discovered overhauling over 3,000 of these movements.
If you, or your group, are considering coming to Gardena for this or any other
class, you are most welcome to come. But due to the size of my facility, I can only
handle four or less students at any one time. Instructor fees remain the same at
$500.00 per day and all your travel, meals, and lodging must be handled by the students.
Required Student Skills
There are requirements for students taking this course. Each student MUST have
the necessary skills prior to taking this course. These skills, for the Clockmaker,
are the knowledge and skills required in order to completely disassemble and properly
assemble a "carriage" type clock with a platform escapement and that includes the
platform. Or the knowledge and skills to completely disassemble and properly assemble
a pocket watch. Any watchmaker, with the knowledge and skills in order to completely
disassemble and assemble a mechanical watch, may also take this course.
If a student comes to the class that is obviously not qualified to work on the
Atmos, then I'll be forced to ask them to leave or sit quietly. The reasoning here
is because this two or three day course cannot provide introductory lessons for the
beginner and each and every student would suffer and I doubt that we will be able to
cover the overhaul in it's entirety.
Class Facilities Needed
Where ever we meet, there must be a class room like facility, an overhead
projector and screen, a blackboard and chalk or a free standing drawing pad and
writhing implements, chairs and tables, source for electricity and good lighting.
This can be anywhere and even in someone's home. Class facilities must be provided by
the students.
Tool List that the students must bring to the class.
A copy of the Atmos Repair Notes which is available from most major clock part
suppliers. Please read it prior to coming to the class. I'll have a supply of these
notes and overheads from those notes.
Tools: (It should be noted that I don't expect you to bring everything listed here
but please make your best effort to bring as many as you possibly can).
It is strongly recommended that an Atmos tool set be purchased and TimeSavers sells
a complete set, which is part # 23781. If you are trying to get by with the minimum
speciality tools, then at the very least please purchase the following:
The hand remover, part # 23919
The movement holder, part # 23920 or its equivalent as mentioned below
The balance tube bender, part # 23921
TimeSavers, Inc. (Steven Berger)
7745 East Redfield Road # 500
P. O. Box # 12700
Scottsdale, AZ 85267
Phone: 480-483-3711 or Fax 480-483-6116
E-mail address: clocks@timesavers.com
Web site address: http://www.timesavers.com/
A clock supplies material house.
Specific Tools
1/100th second, hand timer or an electronic timer that reads BPH to at least two
places after the decimal point or greater.
2 tweezers or more (any combination of # 3, # 5, # AA, or # MM)
2.5 mm flat blade screwdriver (either a # 6 or # 7 and bring several)
6 mm flat blade screwdriver (either a # 2 or # 3 and bring several)
5 sided cutting broach and smoothing broaches
8 mm or 5/16" box or open-ended wrench and corresponding sockets
6´ extension cord and one electric strip with at least a 4 plugs
4/0 emery paper
3/0 synthetic steel wool or ultra fine Sanding Sponge
Atmos balance posing tool
Atmos minute hand remover (You may use thin clock pry bars with
a negative film strip)
Atmos movement holder, or a Bulova electric watch movement holder, or a
Bulova Universal Movement holder # 300
Brass hammer and nylon hammer
Bench lamp
Crow's foot
Demagnetizer or Weller soldering gun for the same purpose
Ear Syringe or other air blowing source
Large thin clock pry bars (Bergeon # 30011)
Loupe or other work magnifier
Pegwood & toothpicks
Penetrating oil
Pithwood
Portable bench riser of at least 8" x 12" x 6" high
Portable bench vise
Regular and needle-nosed pliers and bring several
Shellac (Flake or liquid)
Small smooth jaw parallel pliers and bring several
Staking set (clock or watchmakers set). The watchmakers set is preferred.
(Bring both if you can)
Surgeon-type or cloth gloves
Svelte or Shammy cloth
Any of your own bench hand tools
Any Atmos specific tools that you may have accumulated and most Atmos tools are
available from TimeSavers.
If the course is three students or under then we can share all my tools but try
to bring as much of the above as possible.
Return to Index
Purchasing the Course Material ONLY
Your opportunity to purchase the course does NOT preclude the need for
purchaser (student) to be a competent horologist. This means that in order to
qualify for the 30 days of E-mail help from me you must have the necessary skills
in order to work on the Atmos. In other words, if you are a complete novice and
purchase the course, then you will be on your own. As soon as I determine that you
do not have the experience to work on the Atmos, then all E-mail help will stop and
there is no chance what-so-ever for any type of refund on the $1,000.00 paid.
In light of the above paragraph, I'm going to repeat the "student requirements"
again. A novice can still purchase the course but don't expect any help from
yours truly.
Required Student Skills
There are requirements for students taking this course. Each student MUST
have the necessary skills prior to taking this course. These skills, for the
Clockmaker, are the knowledge and skills required in order to completely
disassemble and properly assemble a "carriage" type clock with a platform
escapement and that includes the platform. Or the knowledge and skills to completely
disassemble and properly assemble a pocket watch. Any watchmaker, with the knowledge
and skills in order to completely disassemble and assemble a mechanical watch,
may also take this course.
Costs and Potential E-mail Help
If you want to purchase the course material only, then the cost is $1,000.00
including shipping via electronic delivery (E-mail as attachments). You would
get both the standard 528/526 course and the 540 course and all the supplemental
documents. I'll be available to help with any problems you may encounter for
only 30 days (more on that in the next paragraph) and the material is copyrighted
and only for your personal use. I take no responsibility or liability for anything
positive or negative that may occur once you purchase the course. PLEASE be aware
that many techniques that are in the course materials are stated as
"to be demonstrated" and that will NOT occur if you purchase the course.
I will make myself available for 30 days after the course is E-mailed to you.
During that time I will answer all E-mails pertaining to your taking the course.
I'll try an answer all your questions and guide you through the techniques BUT
realize that my patience does and will have limits and if I determine that we
are just practicing an exercise in futility, then E-mail help will terminate
and all help will terminate. DO NOT phone me because that kind of help will
NOT be provided. Once the 30 day period is over you will be completely on
your own.
All sales of the E-mailed course are final with no possibility of a refund
under any circumstances.
It is strongly recommended that an Atmos tool set be purchased and TimeSavers sells
a complete set, which is part # 23781. If you are trying to get by with the minimum
speciality tools, then at the very least please purchase the following:
The hand remover, part # 23919
The movement holder, part # 23920 or its equivalent as mentioned below
The balance tube bender, part # 23921
TimeSavers, Inc. (Steven Berger)
7745 East Redfield Road # 500
P. O. Box # 12700
Scottsdale, AZ 85267
Phone: 480-483-3711 or Fax 480-483-6116
E-mail address: clocks@timesavers.com
Web site address: http://www.timesavers.com/
A clock supplies material house.
The complete tool list is mentioned above in the Introduction and Detail
Before you purchase the course, I STRONGLY suggest you purchase the original
LeCoultre Repair Notes from TimeSavers. These are good quality photocopies
at an extremely fair price. You may find those materials sufficient in order to
overhaul the Atmos and no longer have a need for my course.
TimeSavers Atmos supplies. The part # is 15640.
I would like payment by money order, certified check, personal check,
business check, or through Pay Pal or Square, which is the only way I take
credit cards. I do prefer a check over Pay Pal because I'm more familiar
with Pay Pal.
The 3.5% is added to the total bill ($1,035.00) if you use a credit card or Pay Pal.
4.5% ($1,045.00) if you are outside North America
With Pay Pal you can pay me directly using "friends and family" where
you absorb all fees and I'm paid the full amount of $1,000.00. There would be
nothing added amount to the final fill if you absorb all fees. Here you log on
to Pay Pal and send me the full amount of my bill, so there is no E-voice
coming from me with this method and you will be charged all Pay Pal fees
on top of my final bill.
With either Pay Pal or Square, I will send an invoice to your E-mail
address. Here you are dealing directly with either service and not me.
All of the added fees are exactly what either service charges me
for taking your credit card.
Return to Index
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 Murray Membership: NAWCC
P. O. Box 562
1151 D Street
Fossil, OR 97830-0562
(Please E-mail rather than call).
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!
My main Web site is located at "http://www.atmosman.com/
Main FTP site is located at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~atmosman/earthpdf.html
Copyright © 1995-2023 Michael P. Murray & Mike's Clock Clinic
Created in October of 1998 and last updated January 02, 2023.