|
Léon
Hatot
|
born |
22.04.1883 |
|
died |
11.09.1953 |
|
1895 - 1898 |
Pupil
at the Ècole d'Horlogerie de Besancon
and the Ècole des Beaux Art. |
1905 |
Specialisation
in the artistic engraving of clocks
and jewellery and cases and mechanisms
made from precious metals. He employed
twelve people in his workshop. |
1911 |
Moved
to Paris and became a member of the
"Circle of Master Engravers"
Expansion towards leading jewellery
manufacturer in France.
Supply of his products worldwide to
famous jewellers and clockmakers. |
1914 |
Manufacture
of armament industry, for instance artillery |
1919 |
Resumption
of production of luxury clocks and jewellery.
Co-operation with Marius Lavet, a talented
engineer who had already been a leading
participator in the development of the
Bulle clock.
The start of the manufacture of the
electric clock. |
1920 |
Start
of the production of the electric clock
with the name ATO.
Earlier, Lavet had worked together
with Favre-Bulle on the development
of the Bulle clock.
Because of his earlier artistic activities,
Hatot was able to further develop the
ATO clock and research the subject of
electric clocks.
Edouard Dietsch became the director
of his firm.
The production of the "ATO Radiola"
together with Marius Lavet. The principle
of the radio-controlled clock was taken
over by the firm of Junghans for their
production of the DCF77 in 1980. |
1922 |
Marius
Lavet became the director of des Etablissments
Léon Hatot. |
1923
|
On
the 26.09.1923, the Patent number 583331
was applied for in France for the ATO
principle. There were 2 basic sizes
of the ATO clocks produced. The ½ and
¼ second pendulum.
|
1924 |
ATO
produced 4 different models |
1925 |
In
a special research department, a vast
varietyof the ATO clock were designed
following plans from Leon Hatot. |
1926 |
13
different models of the Ato clock were
on offer. |
|
Anzeige aus einer alten
französichen Zeitung
|
1929 |
Now
over 50 models of the Ato clock were
on the market. Delivery to the
French railway SNCF of the Ato ½ second
pendulum clock, they were highly accepted
because of their excellent performance.
During the world wide economic slump,
Hatot was forced
to cooperate with Junghans in Schramberg.
The Production and introduction of the
first automatic clock called
“Rolls”. This patent was sold to Blancpainp |
1928
- 1930 |
Built
under the licence from ATO clocks by
the Hamburg American Clock
Company HAU.
Junghans worked closely with HAU and
other clock manu-
facturers in a so called interest group. |
1930 |
Takeover
of HAU by Junghans , leading to worldwide
sales of the ATO clocks until about
1962.
|
1938 |
Takeover
of the firm Paul Garnier. |
1939 |
Closing
of the jewellery branch of the firm.
During the war the existing jewellery
was stored in a Swiss bank.
Not until 1989 were these pieces auctioned
in a very remarkable
auction and reached extremely high prices.
Today these pieces are sought after
and are only secretly handled by a
few jewellers. |
1940 |
Closureof
the clock production due to the German
occupation.
Take over of the maintenance of SNCF
clocksystems. |
1949 |
Lavet
experiments with the deployment of transistor
as replace-
ment for the mechanical contact of the
ATO clock. |
1953 |
Lavet
and Dietsch get the patent for the transistor
controlled pendulum
clock with the name ATO. |
1967 |
Takeover
of the electrical clock branch of the
firm of Lepaute.
Decline in the production of the electrical
pendulum clock because of
the development of the quarz clock. |
|
|
