What you didn’t know about Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Memovox
The story of the Memovox stretches back more than half a century to 1950
Is there a timepiece with an aesthetic quite as iconic as Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Memovox?
It got a bump in exposure this year, when it inspired the new Polaris collection. No doubt part of that appeal came when the brand tapped Hollywood actor Benedict Cumberbatch as the face of the line.
The Polaris looks to the Polaris Memovox from 1968 for inspiration. The collection features five models: Polaris Automatic, Polaris Chronograph, Polaris Chronograph WT (WorldTime), Polaris Date and a limited-edition Polaris Memovox.
The highlight is the Polaris Memovox, limited to 1,000 pieces, and boasts a look reminiscent of the vintage 1968 model, from the vanilla Super-LumiNova treatment to the trapezoid-shaped indices and the three-crown design. Another design highlight is the closed caseback engraved with a picture of a scuba diver, hinting at its history as a diving watch. It is driven by the Calibre 956, which boasts a power reserve of 44 hours.
The story of the Memovox, however, stretches back more than half a century to 1950.
Equipped with a useful alarm clock, the name “Memovox” is a portmanteau of “the Voice of Memory”, hinting at what it was used for. But unlike its contemporaries, the Memovox of 1950 featured an additional crown, used specifically to control the alarm function.
It was marketed as the must-have watch for busy businessmen who needed a gentle reminder of their next meeting or appointment. An advertisement from 1950 put the timepiece’s purpose succinctly: “Memovox reminds, notifies, and wakes up”, it read, setting the tone for future generations of Memovoxes.
We take a quick look at the history of the Memovox, highlighting its most memorable moments.
1950: Birth of the Memovox
