ATO. - Lot 8

ATO. Double-sided electric wall clock in steel, white frame with Roman numerals, signed. Provenance: SNCF hangar. 76 x 30 cm. Léon Hatot (1883-1953) was a major figure in French watchmaking, trained at the École d'Horlogerie in Besançon and at the Beaux-Arts. He founded his own workshop in 1905, specializing in the engraving of watch cases and jewelry, before moving to Paris in 1911. A visionary, he developed a passion for electric watchmaking, and in 1920 created the Société des Établissements Léon Hatot, with the help of engineer Marius Lavet. Together, they launched the ATO brand in 1923, producing innovative electric clocks that won a Grand Prix at the 1925 Decorative Arts Exhibition. Key innovations: "Rolls" watch (1929) / "ATO-RADIOLA" clock (1928). Time distribution systems: taken over from Maison Paul Garnier in 1933 to equip stations and public buildings. Despite the crisis and the war, Hatot exported its inventions and collaborated with brands such as Junghans. During the Second World War, his company manufactured instruments for the air force and navy. After his death, his patents (notably on transistors) were sold to giants such as Junghans and Bulova, and his chronometers were used by the French Navy. Léon Hatot left his mark on watchmaking with his inventive spirit, blending art (Art Deco style) and technology. His archives and drawings, now the property of the Swatch Group, bear witness to his lasting influence.