Covering the 50-year ‘golden age’ of 20^th-century watchmaking (1920s-1970s), The Collectibles encapsulates the way that watchmaking evolved through five decades of momentous social and technological change, and the role played in that evolution by the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre. Under The Collectibles programme, a continually evolving selection of historically significant timepieces is released as a series of capsule collections presented in different cities around the world, and available for purchase.

To complement these meticulously curated collections, Jaeger-LeCoultre has published The Collectibles book – the definitive reference to 17 historically significant models that represent high-water marks not only for Jaeger-LeCoultre but also for the development of watchmaking in the 20^th century. Written by the experts within La Grande Maison and covering each model in encyclopaedic detail, supplemented by copies of historical documents from the Maison’s archives, the beautifully illustrated coffee-table book also offers fascinating insights into the cultural and social milieu in which the watches were developed. All watches offered under The Collectibles programme will be drawn from among the 17 models represented in the book.

The second capsule collection, comprising 11 watches, includes a 1920s Duoplan, an early Reverso and two great innovations from the beginning of the 1950s: Futurematic and Memovox.

The Futurematic was the world’s first fully automatic watch without a conventional crown and winding mechanism and was claimed to be the world’s most accurate wristwatch of its day. Thanks to the ground-breaking Calibre 497, the watch stops before it is fully unwound – effectively ‘going to sleep’ while retaining enough energy to restart with utmost accuracy, even after a long period of immobility. With the time set by a disc on the case-back, the absence of a winding crown accentuates the purity and symmetry of the Futurematic’s design.

In 1957, seven years after creating the first Memovox, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s engineers combined two major technical advances – an alarm function and automatic winding – for the first time to create Calibre 815. Among the five Memovox pieces offered in this second capsule collection are two Memovox Automatic Calendar pieces; equipped with Calibre 825, they have the added benefit of a date display at 3 o’clock.

Every Collectibles timepiece is presented with an extract from the Jaeger-LeCoultre archives and a complimentary copy of The Collectibles coffee-table book, as well as a new calf leather strap chosen to complement the style of each watch. In addition, when available, the original box and papers, and original strap or bracelet will be included.

Every piece is thoroughly vetted by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s historical experts and fully serviced and restored by the specialised watchmakers of the Manufacture’s restoration workshop. Currently numbering 10 experts, the restoration team can go through the Manufacture’s archives and find the blueprint of every piece ever made, and in some cases also find original spare components. If there is no component to hand, there is a stock of some 6,000 swages or stamps that they can use to make an identical component from scratch. Because the Manufacture is fully integrated, the entire process can be carried out in-house. While the mechanical restoration may, in some cases, be significant, the intervention on the case and dial must be kept to a minimum, since too much work would alter the historical nature of the piece for collectors; therefore, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s acquisitions team seeks watches that are as close as possible to their original condition.

The second capsule collection will be unveiled in Los Angeles for collectors and Jaeger-LeCoultre enthusiasts to view at the Maison’s boutique on Rodeo Drive from 16 June until 21 June. Along with the newly restored watches offered for sale, visitors to the boutique will discover a display of pieces from the Manufacture’s archives that represent each of the 17 chapters in The Collectibles book, shining the spotlight on the pioneering spirit that has always driven La Grande Maison. They will also enjoy live demonstrations of the painstaking craft of polishing screws and the fascinating art of heat-blueing hands. These two crafts are among the dozens of skills employed in the Manufacture’s restoration workshop, breathing new life into decades-old pieces and enabling these timeless objects to be passed from one generation to the next.

The second capsule collection of The Collectibles programme will be available online through jaeger-lecoultre.com, as well as during the Los Angeles presentation.

Born at the height of the Art Deco period, the Reverso perfectly epitomised the spirit of its time – a dazzling and exuberant modernity that changed everything from music and art to architecture, fashion and sport, and introduced a radically new aesthetic language.

In a world where silvered dials prevailed, the original Reverso models featured a black dial with contrasting indexes. The black dial was described as having incredible legibility and was referred to as “the dial of the future”. Almost immediately, aesthetic variations began to appear with notable-coloured dials. Introduced at a time when coloured dials were rare in watchmaking, made to order dials in bright red, chocolate brown, burgundy or blue lacquer made the Reverso appear even more modern and distinctive. From the beginning, different case metals and re-sized models for women were offered to be worn on a cordonnet bracelet or transformed into pendants or handbag clips.

However, there was never any compromise on the core design elements – the horizontal gadroons that emphasise the rectilinear geometry of the case; the triangular lugs that appear to be a seamless extension of the case sides; and the case that fits so perfectly into its carrier that, at first glance, there is no evidence that it can be flipped over. The proportions of the original rectangular case were crucial to the success of the design. The ratio of its length to width was based on the golden mean – a unique mathematical relationship defined by the ancient Greeks, which humans instinctively find to be the most aesthetically pleasing proportion.

While the modern Reverso has incorporated high complications, the enduring success of the model is fundamentally not about the mechanical complexity of the watchmaking; its value lies in the ingenious conception and perfect execution – a deft synthesis of form and function that responded so well to a particular need that it was able to transcend that utilitarian purpose and take on a life of its own. This is not to diminish the intricacy of the flip mechanism itself and the ingenuity of its engineering, which combine to produce the tactile pleasure of the case gliding in its carrier and the satisfying click as it locks into place. But that, too, is entirely a matter of the Reverso fulfilling its original intention – with the greatest possible elegance.

The design of the Reverso had unexpected benefit. While its blank metal flip side had begun as a purely functional solution to avoid damage to the dial, it was an ideal surface for personalisation with monograms, emblems or personal messages using lacquer, engraving or enamel. The owner can keep this decoration as a personal, hidden treasure or flip the case over so that its back becomes the front.

Among the examples from the 1930s in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s museum collection is a Reverso decorated with the emblem of the British Racing Drivers Club, a piece with the Eton College coat of arms, and a 1935 Reverso that commemorates the record-setting flight from Mexico City to New York by the aviator, Amelia Earhart. In India, the Maharajah of Karputala commissioned 50 Reverso watches, with a miniature-painted portrait of his wife reproduced on the caseback in enamel. Although these pieces are all believed lost, Jaeger-LeCoultre has a similar Reverso in its collection, dating from 1936, with a portrait of another Indian beauty, thought to be Kanchan Prabha Devi, Maharani of Tripura State.

From the mid-20th century onwards, as changing tastes rejected ornamentation in all areas of design, the traditional artistic crafts such as enamelling, miniature painting and guillochage began to disappear – the skills dying out along with the older generation of artisans. Fortunately, the revival of mechanical watchmaking in the 1990s, sparked a renewed interest in these crafts before they were lost forever.

In 1996, the Maison released its first timepieces to be decorated with grand feu enamel in modern times. Crafted by Miklos Merczel, a former watchmaker at Jaeger-leCoultre who established the Manufacture’s in-house enamelling studio, the set of four Reverso watches each bore a perfectly reproduced miniature of a work by the Art Nouveau master, Alphonse Mucha. Enamelling became a signature of the Reverso collection and, to this day, Jaeger-LeCoultre remains one of the very few Manufactures to have its own in-house enamelling atelier.

The Manufacture’s enamellers were joined by engravers, gem-setters and guillochage masters – all of them eventually brought together in one vast studio in 2016, with the establishment of the Atelier des Métiers Rares®. As the full potential of the Reverso as a canvas for artistic expression became apparent, these artists created increasingly elaborate and spectacular embellishments. High Jewellery models have featured invisibly set baguette diamonds over the entire case; the cordonnet bracelet has been reinterpreted entirely in diamonds; and casebacks have been transformed into glittering expanses of snow-set diamonds. As the most recent releases of artistic Reverso models suggest, the creative possibilities have almost no limits.

As the launch of the Reverso Soixantième in 1991 coincided with the rebirth of mechanical watchmaking that followed the quartz crisis, the Reverso embraced its potential to be much more than a time-only watch. It became the vehicle through which the Manufacture would redevelop its expertise in high complications, despite the added challenge that rectangular movements dictate an entirely different architecture from that of the round movements that had traditionally been used for complications.

Calibre 824, developed especially for the Reverso Soixantième, incorporated a date indicated by a central hand and a power reserve indicator. This was followed in 1993 by the Reverso Tourbillon – the Manufacture’s first wristwatch tourbillon. Then came the Reverso Répétition Minutes in 1994, the first time Jaeger-LeCoultre had miniaturised a minute repeater for a wristwatch, Calibre 943 was the world’s first rectangular minute repeater movement. In 1996, La Grande Maison introduced the Reverso Chronographe Rétrograde, with an intricate display on the reverse side that solved the problem of how to arrange the chronograph counters within a rectangular frame. This was followed two years later by the Reverso Géographique and, coinciding with the Millennium, the Reverso Quantième Perpétuel. Naturally, these pink-gold limited-edition pieces are highly sought-after by collectors.

In the years since the Millennium, innovation has continued. Developed for the Reverso Septantième and released in 2002, Calibre 879 provided an 8-day power reserve – very rare at the time. Five years later, the Reverso Grande Complication à Triptyque introduced Calibre 175: a single movement incorporating 18 different functions, including civil time, sidereal time and a perpetual calendar, displayed on three dials – the third dial being set into the carrier plate of the watch. The Reverso has also housed Jaeger-LeCoultre’s unique bi-axial flying tourbillon, first in the Reverso Gyrotourbillon of 2008 and again in the 2016 Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon. And in 2012, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Reverso Répétition Minutes à Rideau, in which the chiming mechanism is activated by the movement of a pair of theatre-style curtains as they reveal and conceal the dial.

From its genesis, through 90 years of evolution and countless variations, the Reverso has continually reinvented itself without ever compromising its identity. Versatile and ageless, a chameleon that changes yet remains unchanged, it has become one of the world’s most recognisable wristwatches.

But it is more than simply a watch. The Reverso has rightly become recognised as an icon of 20th-century design, in the true meaning of the term.

The Reverso story began with a challenge: to create a wristwatch that could be worn on the polo field without being smashed. In 1930 César de Trey, a successful entrepreneur who was well acquainted with both Jacques-David LeCoultre and the Parisian firm of Jaeger SA through his activities in the watch business, was travelling in India, where British army officers had taken up polo. Asked if he could find a way to protect the glass and dial of their watches during matches, de Trey had the idea of a case that could be flipped over. He approached LeCoultre to produce it and, through connections with Jaeger, a French industrial designer, René-Alfred Chauvot, was engaged to design the case.

On 4 March 1931, the Paris patent office received an application to register “a watch capable of sliding in its support and being completely turned over”; in July, de Trey bought the rights to Chauvot’s design and in November he registered the Reverso name. Eager to get the revolutionary design to market as soon as possible, de Trey and Jacques-David LeCoultre set up a business partnership and began production immediately. The first pieces were on sale less that nine months after the patent application had been filed.

Success was immediate: as a quintessential expression of Art Deco style and the embodiment of modernity, the Reverso was adopted by tastemakers from all walks of life. Cases were offered in gold as well as the original Staybrite steel, and feminine models appeared, with options to be worn as pendants or handbag clips, as well as on the wrist. For those seeking even greater individuality, brightly coloured lacquer dials could be made to order, and the reverse side of the case personalised with engraving and lacquer.

As tastes changed after World War II, interest in the Reverso waned and by 1969, when the first quartz wristwatch heralded the greatest crisis the Swiss watch industry had ever faced, it had been largely forgotten. However, as the quartz invasion gathered pace, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Italian distributor, Giorgio Corvo bought the last remaining 200 Reverso cases, had them fitted with mechanical movements, and sold every piece within a month. In 1975 the Reverso was officially reborn.

Jaeger-LeCoultre decided to bring production of the case in-house and, in 1981, assigned one of its engineers, Daniel Wild, to redesign it to modern technical standards. However, given the Reverso’s status as a design classic, any aesthetic change had to be almost imperceptible. In 1985, the new case was unveiled – the first to be machined at Jaeger-LeCoultre using (then new) CNC technology. Waterproof, dust-proof, with a new flip-over mechanism and redesigned lug attachments and carrier, it comprised 55 parts, rather than the 23 of the original. Stylistically, it appeared completely unchanged.

In 1991, six decades after the Reverso was born, it began its transformation from ‘one style, one watch’ into an entire collection. In 1994, the Reverso Duoface was created – a unique expression of dual time, with local time on the front dial and home time on the reverse. It was followed, in 1997, by the Reverso Duetto, a feminine interpretation of the double dial principle.

FROM MUSIC BOXES TO POCKET WATCHES

Before Antoine LeCoultre turned to watchmaking, he and his father invented a new type of ‘keyboard’ for mechanical music boxes. Cut from a single piece of metal and shaped like a comb (peigne in French), it improved the quality of the sound, and prevented the instrument from detuning. Variations of this device became standard for almost all music boxes. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Heritage Collection features an early example from the 1820s, fitted with a LeCoultre ‘Peigne’ mechanism and set in a finely decorated tortoise-shell box.

After it was established in 1833, the LeCoultre atelier quickly gained a reputation for both inventiveness and quality and, by the 1860s, was known for its complicated watch movements, incorporating calendars, chronographs and chiming mechanisms. Around 1880, a decade after developing its first minute repeater, the Manufacture LeCoultre created Calibre 19/20 RMS, a Minute Repeater with Three Hammers, rather than the standard two hammers and gongs. Thanks to the third hammer, it creates a unique melody, with a distinctive three-note chime for the quarters.

As the Maison broadened its expertise, watchmakers also incorporated automata into chiming watches. The best-loved of these were jacquemarts – human figures with articulated limbs, set on the watch dial. Animated by the watch movement to coincide with the striking of time, they provide a visual representation of the chime. The intricate dial of an early 1890s Jacquemart Pocket Watch by LeCoultre, features a pair of jacquemarts in a romantic scene, decorated with enamel and engraving.

In 1895, Jaeger-LeCoultre invented and patented the silent strike-governor, also known as the silent regulator. This eliminated the background buzz characteristic of traditional regulators, thus producing a clearer chime. Different versions of that invention have since become an industry standard in chiming watches. Among the examples in the Heritage Collection is a 1914 pocket watch powered by Calibre 19 IMCCV, which unites a mono-pusher chronograph and a minute repeater.

In the early 20th century, LeCoultre was one of the few Manufactures to master triple-complication watch movements. For the 1910 Minute Repeater Triple Complication, LeCoultre Calibre 19/20IMCSQ brought together a minute repeater, a chronograph and a perpetual calendar in a classical hunter-style case.

To create an aesthetic worthy of the technical complexity, decorative crafts were often lavished on the more complicated watches. In a 1928 Lépine-style pocket watch, LeCoultre Calibre 17JSMCCRVQ combined a minute repeater with a perpetual calendar and a chronograph, providing a magnificent canvas for the crafts of skeletonisation, enamelling and engraving. Lépine refers to a style of watch movement architecture developed in the 1760s by the French watchmaker Jean-Antoine Lépine, which made calibres thinner.

MEMOVOX

In the mid 20th Century, as people increasingly sought watches with practical functions, Jaeger-LeCoultre drew on its mastery of chiming mechanisms to develop alarm watches. In this form of chiming calibre, the extremely rapid strikes of the hammer create a continuous single-pitch sound, closer to a buzz than to the bell-like chime of a minute repeater. The Memovox (its name, taken from Latin, means ‘voice of the memory’) has remained the reference in alarm watches for 70 years.

In 1950, the Maison introduced Calibre 489 in the first Memovox watch. The design was classically understated: on the dial, a triangular pointer on a mobile central disc indicated the alarm time, and the two crowns – one for winding and time-setting and the other to set the alarm – were set close to the case-sides.

Having created its first automatic wristwatch movement in 1946, the Manufacture launched the first automatic alarm movement, Calibre 815, a decade later. The oscillating weight is fixed at the centre of the movement, its swings limited by two bumpers, equipped with tiny shock-absorbing springs.

In 1958, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Memovox Calibre 814 in two new variations. With international businessmen in mind, the Memovox International incorporated a 24-hour world time display on the dial’s inner disc. The Memovox Parking was designed to help motorists avoid fines for exceeding the pre-paid time on their parking meters by buzzing when the allotted time expired.

In 1959, responding to the rapid growth of leisure diving and the corresponding demand for purpose-built watches, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the world’s first diving watch with an alarm, the Memovox Deep Sea (Cal. 815). To enhance underwater safety, the alarm sound provides an acoustic signal and the vibration of the watch a tactile reminder of the elapsed diving time.

Introduced in 1963 and updated in 1968 with the addition of a date display (Cal. 825), the Memovox Polaris further enhanced the diving functionality of the alarm watch. A rotating inner bezel provides a visual indication of elapsed dive time, and a super-compressor case with a triple-layered caseback amplifies the alarm sound when submerged, while ensuring water resistance to 200 metres.

In 1970 the Memovox Speedbeat introduced Calibre 916, the first of a new generation of higher-frequency automatic movements by Jaeger-LeCoultre. Increasing the balance-wheel frequency to 28,800 vph made the movement more stable and thus more accurate. A new automatic winding system introduced an oscillating weight that turned 360 degrees around its axis to wind the mainspring.

Fitted with Calibre 918, the Master Réveil was introduced in 1994. In this new alarm mechanism, the hammer struck a gong rather than striking directly on the case, as it had done previously. The result was the distinctive ‘school bell’ sound that has remained the signature of Memovox to this day. The Master Réveil was also the first Memovox to undergo the demanding 1,000 Hours Test, which is recognised as one of the most stringent in-house quality control protocols in the watchmaking industry.

This great legacy in chiming watches has provided Jaeger-LeCoultre with a deep well of expertise on which it continues to draw to this day. The Manufacture’s constant evolution of its chiming watch repertoire epitomises the deep respect for tradition and constant quest for innovation that have driven La Grande Maison throughout its 187-year history.

MEMOVOX Reference 3161 sold for EUR 61’100 at Monaco Legend

MEMODATE POLARIS Reference E859 sold for CHF 40’000 at Phillips

Fall proved to be a fruitful season for Jaeger-LeCoultre treasures hunters as three extremely rare watches hit the auction block. Each one of the three watches embodies the spirit of innovation and aesthetics dear to the brand with a special twist, which makes them a treasure for collectors. Thanks to their unique features and provenance, they all contribute to enrich the brand’s heritage archives. Last but not least, all three pieces beat their highest estimate.

Reminiscing the roaring 60’s, while men conquer space and seas, gentlemen wish to work, travel and dive in style. Amidst the technological revolution, Jaeger-LeCoultre releases three unique watches, a Memovox reference 3161 made in platinum, a Memodate Polaris reference E859 and the Lucky 13 featuring the number 13 at every hour marker.

Memovox stands for the “voice of memory” and was known as the most reliable alarm watch at the time it was released. The model sold at Monaco Legend, the Memovox 3161, is considered as one of the most collectible piece ever produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre as well as extremely rare as it is made in platinum and features the iconic alarm complication. Moreover, the piece is accompanied by the extract of the archives from Jaeger-LeCoultre confirming its production in 1962.

Surfing on the trend of “complications with a practical purpose” typical of the 60’s, Jaeger-LeCoultre makes a diver’s version of the Memovox known as the Polaris is the United States and the Skin Diver Memovox in Europe. The reference E859 offers both a visual timer in the inner bezel and an auditory alarm which vibrates against the skin for ultimate safety. Whereas most Memovox dials do not bear any inscriptions apart from the brand name, the Polaris sold at Phillips is stamped Memodate, a particularity hardly ever seen.

From the deep sea to space, it was only a short step taken by Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1962 with the Lucky 13. On Friday April 13^th, thirteen Senators gathered at the Anti-Superstition Society presented the Lucky 13 to Colonel John H. Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit Earth. Featuring the number 13 at every hour marker on the dial, the watch commemorates his spacecraft capsule number 13 and is an ode to the rejection of the number 13 as unlucky. Produced and assembled in the United States, the Lucky 13 is a further testimony of the tight links between Jaeger-LeCoultre and the American market.

Jaeger-LeCoultre is very proud to actively participate in discovering and tracing its legendary watches provenance. The three pieces sold at auction this fall epitomize the brand’s avant-garde and refined style. They are part of the rich and complex history of our brand which is yet to be fully unveiled and definitely to be continued.

And because we are also fearless, we wish you all a happy Friday 13^th!

The Home of Fine Watchmaking regularly invites its guests to make stopovers in its different ateliers, and to discover the restoration workshop as well as the Heritage Gallery.

Today, the Manufacture’s historic building, built in 1833 and enlarged in 1866, is in the spotlight and inaugurates a fully renovated façade.

The renovation of the historical building’s façade

For five months, the works consisted of restoring the historic appearance back to this building. For this, the Luc Chappuis Maison carried out substantive design operations: new lime plaster, new window frames made of Jura stones, bush-hammer technique... An opportunity for Jaeger-LeCoultre to pay homage to the past all while meeting the new energy saving norms and displaying the Maison’s primary vocation. “MANUFACTURE D’HORLOGERIE” (Watchmaking Manufacture) is written in appliqué letters above the entrance.

The Restoration Workshop

Behind the walls of this façade is the restoration workshop. Here, the antique watches are put into the expert hands of about ten watchmakers. The immediate proximity of the Heritage Gallery makes their job easier. Benefiting from direct access to the original plans, they can draw on this living memory in order to reproduce components that are impossible to repair or that have changed, for antique watches, pocket watches and other treasures entrusted to them by their owners for a complete restoration. The rich collection of nearly 6,000 stamps or swages, manufactured by the Maison for their unique movements and preciously preserved at the Manufacture, is also available for this precise watchmaking work.

The Heritage Gallery

The Heritage Gallery, redesigned between 2016 and 2017, presents the iconic timepieces and collections of Jaeger-LeCoultre. It offers visitors a unique, connected experience as well as total immersion into the key stages of the Maison’s history and the art of watchmaking.

On two levels, immense display windows are set in a vast space full of light with a pure décor. One part encloses the Maison’s archives, varying from the written record of technical plans, patents, drawings, old books, client registries, advertisements and catalogues which mark out the history of Jaeger-LeCoultre to meaningful chronological benchmarks. Besides their historical interest, these archives constitute a constant source of inspiration. As if to provide a window on the past, a workbench like the one used by Antoine LeCoultre is also exhibited. With its weathered wood and original tools which we like to imagine could have been used a few hours before, this old furniture generates a profound emotion.

Atmos, Reverso, Memovox, Polaris... Their name makes enthusiasts dream... In the centre of the Heritage Gallery, a monumental glass wall captures your attention. Around a staircase that is as white as snow, this transparent wall exhibits 340 of the 1’ 262 mechanical movements designed, created and assembled by the Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture. The smallest movement in the world is nestled among them, the calibre 101 weighing barely one gramme which was developed in 1929.

Throughout the visit, it is hard to not let yourself be captivated by the 413 patents of the Maison or the Millionometre. Invented in 1844 by Antoine LeCoultre, this genius’ instrument allowed us to measure microns, a unit of measurement that that didn’t exist yet at the time. Upstairs, where the atmosphere is more intimate, or even confidential, aesthetic masterpieces and exceptional pieces are set side by side without overshadowing each other in individual display cases. An opportunity to admire the renowned Hybris Mechanica collection.

At the end of the visit of this building filled with history, each guest enjoys a unique watchmaking journey to the heart of the Grande Maison, where the past illuminates the present to better reveal it... and set off from the Vallée de Joux with sparkles in their eyes…

and the unique LUCKY 13 to be sold by Phillips New York in December 2019

Throughout its history, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been driven by the spirit of inventiveness, its expertise rewarded with more than 400 patents, and its watchmakers’ technical skills and creative imagination embodied in more than 1,200 different calibres.

As these two rare watches from the mid-20th Century demonstrate, every decade has brought fresh ideas and solutions, reflecting the spirit of the times. Among the many changes brought by the 1950s and 60s – represented by each of these watches – were, on one hand, tremendous advances in technology and aerospace, and on the other, the transformation of diving from a challenging pursuit to a widely practised leisure activity.

A rare LeCoultre Polaris Memodate (1967): to be sold at Phillips Geneva, November 2019:

In 1950, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced its first wristwatch featuring an alarm and called it the Memovox (‘voice of memory’). As the model become one of the most desirable and reliable on the market, the company introduced different variations, including a date display, a self-winding version and even an alarm designed to time parking meters.

In 1959, noting that diving had begun evolving from a specialist pursuit into a recreational sport enjoyed by thousands, Jaeger-LeCoultre decided to adapt the Memovox to the sea. The company realised that it could offer both a visual timer (on the inner bezel) and an auditory alarm (which also caused vibration against the case) for ultimate diver safety.

To do so, Jaeger-LeCoultre created a patented, multi-layer case-back that optimised the alarm’s sound transmission under water. The outer case, with its 16 holes, allowed for the alarm tone to be heard and also felt on the wrist, while the inner case sealed and protected the movement.

Known in the United States as the Polaris, and in Europe as the ‘Montre de plongeur E859’, the reference E859 featured three crowns, each with the cross-hatch pattern characteristic of SuperCompressor watches. The first crown is for time setting, the second rotates the inner bezel for dive timing, and the third rotates the central disc to align the arrow with the alarm time.

The example being offered by Phillips was made in 1967 for the American market and stands out from other models thanks to its very rare dial markings. While most of the dials were stamped Memovox or bore no inscription other than the LeCoultre name, this watch is stamped Memodate.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about the Memodate Polaris is its combination of two apparently opposite aspects of watchmaking: the tradition of delicate aural complications and the needs of a practical sporting timepiece. In this respect, it epitomises the open-minded spirit of inventiveness that has created such a rich patrimony at Jaeger-LeCoultre and continues to drive the Maison to this day.

Polaris “Memodate” Ref. E 859: An extremely rare and attractive stainless steel diver's wristwatch with alarm and date, produced in 1967.

The unique LeCoultre “Lucky 13” (1962): to be sold at Phillips New York, December 2019

The LeCoultre “Lucky 13” is a truly remarkable and unique watch presented by the Chicago Anti-Superstition Society alongside 13 U.S. Senators to an original Mercury Seven U.S. astronaut to commemorate his historic achievement of becoming the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth.

Featuring the number 13 at every hour marker, the watch celebrated the Friendship 7 spacecraft capsule used for the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission. Friendship 7 was the 13th space capsule produced by McDonnell Aircraft Corp, and the 13s on the dial were used to illustrate the society’s rejection of the number 13 as unlucky.

The ceremony, taking place on Friday, April 13th, 1962, was entered in the House Congressional Record on October 13th, 1962. The consignor intends to donate a portion of the proceeds of the sale of this watch to The John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University.

LeCoultre, “Lucky 13”: A unique, historically important and unusual gold-filled time-only wristwatch with centre seconds and “Lucky 13” dial, purchased by the consignor directly from the estate sale of Senator John H. Glenn, Jr.

As well as demonstrating Jaeger-LeCoultre’s technical expertise, the deep meaning and personal connections behind the story of these unique timepieces remind us that watches have always had social and emotional significance – which sometimes even overrides their practical purpose. 

“Memovox reminds, notifies, and wakes up.” This is how an advertisement from 1950 highlighted the merits of the watch that Jaeger-LeCoultre had just commercialized. During the years of economic recovery following the Second World War, the Memovox – the Voice of Memory – was designed to help businessmen remember their meetings through its chiming function.

With very sober and classic lines, this manually wound mechanical watch set itself apart with an additional crown to control the alarm function. This is the watch that the Swiss authorities of the Canton of Vaud, where the Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture is located, selected as a gift for Charlie Chaplin in 1953.

Memovox Automatic

In 1956, Jaeger-LeCoultre enriched its Memovox line by developing the first automatic watch in the collection that incorporated an alarm function. This model has since inspired a long line of watches.

Three years after its creation, Jaeger-LeCoultre expanded the audience of its alarm watch. Once limited to businessmen, the Grande Maison saw that this watch with its automatic movement was ideal for adventurers and sportsmen of all types. For proof of this, look no further than an ad from the 1970s, showing the newly created Concorde with this dynamic slogan: “Memovox, for the man of action.”

Memovox Worldtime and Memovox Parking

To celebrate its 125^th anniversary, the Grande Maison created two new models in honor of the Manufacture’s jubilee. The Memovox Worldtime shows the time across the world in the blink of an eye. As for the Memovox Parking, it monitors the parking meter and informs you when the meter is out. Someone had to think of it!

Memovox Deep Sea

In 1959, Jaeger-LeCoultre revealed its Memovox Deep Sea, equipped with the automatic Caliber 815. It was the world’s first diving watch that was equipped with an alarm. On this watch, the alarm no longer served as a wake-up call or to provide a reminder of an important meeting; rather, its purpose was to ensure the safety of divers.

Memovox Polaris

A brief six years later, the Memovox Polaris appeared, fitted with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 825. The idea for the Memovox Polaris was born in 1962, during deep sea exploration. At the time, the world was fascinated with all kinds of exploration, whether it was space, the great depths of the sea, or the poles.

In 1963, a pre-series of 50 pieces was launched. The new case boasted a more generous 42 mm diameter, quite sizable for the era, so as to make it easier to read the time.

Another important development concerned the striking mechanism. The creators of the Memovox Polaris took great pains to find a system that would make it possible for the alarm to ring loudly under water. To prevent the chime from being muffled by the fact that the watch could be in contact with a diver's wetsuit, a triple case-back was developed. A first case-back, in bronze, made the alarm resonate. A water-resistant case-back protected the mechanism from contact with water. Finally, a third case-back with 16 openings made it possible for the sound of the alarm to be heard properly under water.

Water-resistant to 200 meters, this Memovox was resistant to both shocks and magnetism. It was also equipped with a rotating bezel that was no longer external but rather internal, controlled by a third crown.

In 1968, Jaeger-LeCoultre designed a new, more sporty dial for this watch. Its numerals were transferred and coated with Tritium®, just like the hour makers, redesigned in a trapezoid shape, and the small triangle indicating the time of the alarm. The hands were baton-shaped and also covered with luminescent material.

In 2018, fifty years on, this design has inspired the artisans of the Grande Maison in the creation of a new collection, Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris.

Memovox Polaris II

In 1971, a new, more advanced version appeared. Called the Memovox Polaris II, it boasted all the latest technological advances. Its Caliber 916 is part of the generation of high-frequency automatic movements developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre starting in 1970. With its balance wheel beating at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour, the watch reached a new standard of precision. The winding system was also innovative, with a weight capable of turning freely in either direction around its axis to wind the barrel. The caliber proved so effective that it inspired the current Caliber 956 that powers the Master Compressor Memovox.

Master Control Memovox and Master Grande Memovox

In 1998, the Master Control Memovox was introduced. Driven by Caliber 914, this watch boasted performance and reliability certified by one thousand hours of testing.

Two years later came the Master Grande Memovox Caliber 909-440/2, equipped with a perpetual calendar, moon phase display, and a hanging gong replacing the customary resonance case-back of the classic Memovox models.

Master Compressor Memovox

The year 2002 was highlighted by the appearance of the Master Compressor Memovox, representing a crowning achievement in the ongoing success story of the Memovox movement.

Master Compressor Memovox

In tribute to the impressive career of the Memovox Polaris, Jaeger-LeCoultre presented two Memovox Tribute to Polaris limited series in 2008: the “1965” and the “1968” models.

While both these Memovox Tribute to Polaris watches remained totally loyal to the spirit and the aesthetic of their forerunners, they were endowed with the latest Jaeger-LeCoultre technical innovations in order to meet modern standards in terms of precision, sturdiness and reliability. Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 956 therefore houses a striking mechanism composed of a gong suspended from the case-back. Moreover, its oscillating weight is equipped with ceramic ball bearings requiring no lubrication and no maintenance.

The case is fitted with a water-resistant case-back maintaining its role as a resonance chamber, and an external case-back featuring 16 round openings in keeping with the original aesthetic.

Master Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea

In 1959, Jaeger-LeCoultre had presented its very first underwater watch equipped with an alarm, the Memovox Deep Sea – of which there were two versions: one intended for European divers, and the other for their American counterparts. In 2011, the Manufacture paid tribute to this historical model with a limited series re-edition. As with the original, it comes in European and US versions. Equipped with a 40.5 mm diameter steel case and powered by automatic Memovox Caliber 956, the European version (in a series of 959 pieces) is distinguished by its black dial, while the American version (in a series of 359 pieces) features a black/gray dial bearing the “LeCoultre” signature.

Master Memovox Boutique Edition

In 2016, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its alarm watch with an automatic movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre marked the occasion with an exclusive limited edition model available only in its boutiques. Drawing inspiration from the 1970s Memovox “Snowdrop” model, this blue, vintage-style watch is presented with a very contemporary case and finishes while housing the Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 956.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox

In 2018, the Grande Maison is unveiling its new Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris line, the design of which was inspired by the Memovox Polaris from 1968.

In this collection, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox adopts the look and alarm function of the original model, with a redesigned case. It celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1968 model and is available in a limited series of 1,000 pieces, sure to delight lovers of exclusive objects imbued with history.

From 1950 to today, very few watch movements can boast such longevity, thanks to its initial reliability and successive improvements. In 2018, over sixty years after it first appeared, the Memovox continues to ring with the times.

The journey begins with an exposition of the Maison’s outstanding historical archives, never before shown to the public, that constitute the “memory” of Jaeger-LeCoultre. Registers, documents, and old books have been meticulously categorised and line the shelves of the big archive room. They illustrate the Maison’s creative force since its earliest days. We can see here that as of the 19^th century, the Manufacture was supplying its movements to most of the major watchmaking Maisons. A Patek Philippe pocket watch with a LeCoultre movement is even displayed here for the first time to typify this characteristic of Jaeger-LeCoultre, “watchmaker to the watchmakers”. The Maison’s archives are a significant asset and source of endless inspiration to today’s designers. In this space, visitors get a real sense of that resource. A shelf displays an old cabinet stocked with components, so those who enjoy bygone curiosities can feast their eyes. It is like stepping back into history...

A very fluid experience, the tour leads into an elegant room bathed in light, with an airy curved staircase winding upwards in the middle. Here the Maison’s iconic pieces are on display, with modern-day creations basking in the glory of past masterpieces in a continuum that is purposely highlighted by three-panelled display cases. Atmos, Reverso, Geophysic – the Maison’s great icons are displayed in a setting that helps visitors understand how the current collections are legitimately descended from the rich legacy of the LeCoultre Maison and of Jaeger-LeCoultre.

As an example, the backdrop for the Reverso illustrates the Art Deco era when the watch was launched, along with the polo fields of India where it then took root. The display gives an insight into how the model has evolved over the decades, without losing its essence. The story is also brought to life in a digital animation shown in the central display case.

Upstairs, the journey continues past the restoration workshop where watchmakers labour calmly at their workbenches behind the wall of glazing that shields them. Jaeger-LeCoultre is a master in the art of restoration, and in this demonstration each stage is explained – since the old timepiece is received and appraised, through the search for components and supplies, up until the restoration itself.

The artisans are happy to answer questions and engage with visitors who are curious about their professional vocation, and all the passion and patience it requires. This demonstration of the Brand’s expertise in the field of restoration is reassuring for the client, because this workshop is the only place where the watches can be restored in keeping with traditional methods.

Most watches that are restored here date from the late 1920s to the late 1980s, with some exceptional pieces even dating back to the 19^th century. Restoration is carried out both to the movement and to the external parts of the watch. The challenge for the watchmakers is to get the movement back into working order and return the piece to its original appearance. If the components cannot be repaired or exchanged for stock items, the watchmakers will manufacture new ones using the original design drawings. It is a genuine made-to-measure service.

THE JAEGER-LECOULTRE MANUFACTURE

Since its creation, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been delighting and surprising devotees of beautiful objects. In keeping with the inventive spirit initiated in 1833 by its founder Antoine LeCoultre, the artisans of the Manufacture combine their talents and expertise to create collections which have been at the forefront of watchmaking both technically and artistically: Reverso, Master, Rendez-Vous, Duomètre, Geophysic and Atmos – this rich legacy built by the Grande Maison over centuries serves as a constant source of inspiration in its ongoing pursuit of excellence. In the wake of many legendary models, the 21^st century has seen the emergence of the Hybris Mechanica^™ and Hybris Artistica^™ collections. These rare pieces are as surprising as they are sophisticated yet again bearing witness to the creative passion of the men and women who work in symbiosis under its roof – some of them descending from a long line of watchmakers.

For Jaeger-LeCoultre, 2017 is an opportunity to reveal watchmaking treasures of stunning beauty from four of its iconic collections: Rendez-Vous, Reverso, Geophysic and Hybris Artistica^™. After celebrating the Reverso’s 85^th anniversary in style in 2016, the time has come for the Manufacture to elevate the new Rendez-Vous line to the apex of ladies’ watches; to highlight how the spirit of the Reverso Classic is freer than ever with its automatic movement perfectly embodying the Art Deco philosophy; to pursue the constant renewal of the Geophysic legend; and to showcase mysterious time by creating unique timepieces in very limited editions for the Hybris Artistica collection^™.