Jaeger LeCoultre*** Memovox Polaris E859*** 1968
LeCoultre Memovox Tropical Dial, Polaris I Ref E859, 1968
Serial: Case 112XXXX / Mvt 194XXXX
Circa: 1968
Reference: E859
CASE: 42mm, stainless steel with three crowns, snap back case back with holes for alarm sound and acrylic glass
MOVEMENT: JLC Caliber K825, Self-winding movement with date and mechanical hand-wound alarm, 17 jewels
DIAL: Tropical aged chocolate brown dial with black rotating inner bezel. Central disc with MEMOVOX and triangle for alarm indicator.
LeCoultre signature at 12 o’clock (US Market only) and Automatic T SWISS T printed at 6 o’clock
STRAP: Not specified
CONDITION REPORT: The Dial has evenly turned to a chocolate brown color from its original black, a so-called Tropical dial. The Inner alarm indicator disc shows signs of aging. The diver rotating ring is in perfect condition. The dial and hands are completely original with their original tiritum lume and are untouched, but show signs of aging. The case has some marks and scuffs from wear, most notably at the one o’clock position on the case. The case appears to never have been polished. The acrylic crystal is a later replacement, but an original crystal was kept with the watch.
The movement was overhauled in 2015 and is working perfectly.
NOTES:
The Jaeger LeCoultre MEMOVOX is known as the original automatic alarm watch. The first MEMOVOX was released in 1950 with the hand-wound mechanical caliber 489. The MEMOVOX name is composed of two Latin words ‘memo’ and ‘vox’ that respectively mean remember and voice.
In 1956, Jager LeCoultre released the Caliber 815 Memovox, which was the first automatic alarm wristwatch with its signature ‘bumper’ self-winding movement.
This was followed by the caliber 825, which had the additional date module and became the most iconic layout for the MEMOVOX automatic date alarm wristwatch.
These watches come signed both as "Jaeger-LeCoultre" and "LeCoultre", the latter being for the US market, and the only style of Polaris that was never remade in recent years.
Jaeger LeCoultre began testing under water alarm diving wristwatches in the 1960’s. To optimise the transmission of sound under water, this Polaris diver’s alarm watch has a patented triple back case. The Memovox Polaris remains a symbol of Jaeger LeCoultre mark left on the development of diving watches in the 1960’s.
According to Jaeger LeCoultre, 1,714 of these Polaris watches were made, and they remain very collectible.
SOLD |