Posted 4 years ago
rlwindle
(142 items)
This is the first ATO clock I purchased and cut my teeth on. It has been in my possession for over ten years now and runs fine. The clock name comes from the three middle letter in Leon H"ato"t surname.
Léon Hatot
Born on the 22nd April 1883 at Châtillon Sur Seine, Léon Hatot is a pupil at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and, then, the Ecole d'Horlogerie de Besancon from 1895 till 1898. In 1905, he specializes his activity in the artistic engraving of clocks, jewellery, cases and mechanisms made from precious metals. He emploies twelve people in his workshop.In 1911, he moves to Paris and becomes a member of the "Circle of Master Engravers" . He works with the leading jewelers of Paris, such as Boucheron, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.
After the war, in 1919, he comes back to the production of luxury clocks and jewellery. He cooperates with Marius Lavet, a talented engineer who had already been a leading participator in the development of the Bulle clock. He acquires Bredillard, a leading manufacturer and supplier of watches, clocks, jewelry and other stylish accessories to the leading firms of Place Vendome. It is the start of the manufacture of the electric clock. In 1920, he founds a separate division for research and development of clocks and watches powered by electric cells. In the same year, his businesses both in Paris and in Besançon is amalgamated as a single company: "Société des Etablissements Léon Hatot".
The same year, the trademark ATO appears. A patent application is filed in 1923. Electric clocks are produced in Besançon in a partially rebuilt factory in the rue de la Rotonde. ATO provides its movements to the renown glassmaker René Lalique. In return, Lalique designs and makes clocks that are proposed under the ATO mark. Throughout this time, Léon Hatot maintains also a workshop for jewellery and highly decorated watch cases in Paris.
Leon Hatot also sculpts and is rewarded with Grand Prize for this part of his artistic carreer in 1925 in the "Exposition des Arts Decoratifs de Paris" where Ruhlmann, Printz, Janniot, Legrain, Lalique, Brandt, Chareau, Follot, Groult, Dufrêne, Dunand, etc.. are amongst exhibitors. Since then, he has been so famous for his clocks that people forgot what a great art deco figure he was.
