Memovox Tribute to Polaris

Description

pMemovox Tribute to Polaris,/pprenaissance of a legendary watch./ppFor 175 years, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been tirelessly inventing and discovering new technical/ppand aesthetic horizons, thus renewing the grand Swiss watchmaking traditions. Both/ppreflecting and perpetuating this vocation, the Memovox Polaris represents an inexhaustible/ppsource of inspiration for the creative talents at work in the Manufacture. Regarded as the/ppepitome of the sports watch for the past four decades, the Memovox is an extremely rare/pptimepiece that is fiercely coveted by collectors. Its powerful design, dynamic form and blend/ppof performance and energy continue to pervade all the Jaeger-LeCoultre sporting models to/ppthis day: from the Master Compressor Memovox to the AMVOX, as well as the all-new/ppMaster Compressor Diving watches. It was therefore high time for the Manufacture to/ppexpress its gratitude to a watch that has become an icon. And what better tribute could it/pppay than by opting for faithful replicas equipped with the latest technical innovations inherent/ppto Jaeger-LeCoultres 21st century automatic movements?/ppThe two models that made the most lasting impact on their era were chosen for the 2008/ppre-editions, presented under the title of Memovox Tribute to Polaris. The first corresponds/ppto the original Memovox Polaris, as it was launched in 1965. The second is the most famous/ppmodel of all, created in 1968./ppHistory of a legend/ppAlmost half a century ago, Jaeger-LeCoultre had already left an indelible imprint on the history/ppof diving. The Memovox Deep Sea launched in 1959 was the very first divers watch to be equipped with an alarm. The latter served to remind the diver that it was time to return to the/ppsurface. It was driven by a Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 815, the first movement in watchmaking/pphistory to feature both automatic winding and an alarm function./ppSix years later, the Memovox Polaris was born. Representing a new breakthrough in/pptechnological history, its triple-back case enabled optimal diffusion of sound under water. Since/ppwater resistance is the cornerstone of any divers watch, the new model featured the patented/ppPiquerez Compressor system, as well as three super-sealed crowns./ppPowered by the automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 825, with a balance performing 18,800/ppvibrations per hour, the Memovox Polar also showed the date through a window at 3 oclock./ppIn harmony with the size of the case itself, the movement was remarkably large for a wristwatch:/pp14 lignes, meaning 31.6 mm in diameter, and 7.6 mm thick. In order to meet the specific/ppdemands of the American market, the first to show an interest, the Memovox was christened/ppPolaris after the famous American missiles symbolising the Western strike force during the Cold/ppWar. But this name mostly echoed the adventurous spirit of the 1960s, distinguished by a/ppdetermination to travel ever faster and further, in an era when the public at large was fascinated/ppby the space race, ocean discoveries and polar exploration./ppResearch work began on the Memovox Polaris in 1962, and 1,714 of these watches were made/ppbetween 1965 and 1970. They were equipped with several types of dial and hands, according/ppto the markets for which they were intended; today, the slightest variations of numerals, hourmarkers/ppand signatures generates passionate interest among fervent contemporary collectors./ppIn 2008, Jaeger-LeCoultre honours this legendary model by creating two Memovox Tribute to/ppPolaris replicas. Each is a nod to one of the milestones in the history of this icon watch: the first/ppcorresponds to the original Memovox Polaris as launched in 1965; while the second is the most/ppfamous of them all, created in 1968./ppA 21st century watch that is faithful to the original/ppTo the delight of collectors and avid followers of the emblematic Polaris watch, the two/ppMemovox Tribute to Polaris models faithfully reproduce the 1965 and 1968 models, while/ppfeaturing their essential characteristics./ppFirst of all, the large round 42 mm-diameter case with polished finishing and no visible bezel,/ppequipped with three crowns featuring a chequered motif. Just as when this model was first/ppintroduced, the watchmakers of the Manufacture have inserted the rotating bezel beneath the/ppdial, with its famous central triangle serving as an index for dive times. To facilitate handling, the/ppcase is equipped with a crown at 3 oclock, framed by the two distinctive Memovox crowns./ppThe one at 2 oclock enables the user to adjust, wind and start or stop the alarm function,/ppwhich has its own independent barrel. The other one at 4 oclock services to set and wind the/ppmovement./ppThe alarm time indicator is immediately recognisable by means of a luminescent triangle in the/ppdial centre. Controlled by the alarm crown, the central disc turns to line up the triangle with the/ppdesired alarm time./ppLoyal to the black dial of their predecessors, each replica bears its own signature features. The/pp1965 re-edition has nickel-plated and polished straight hour-markers, Arabic numerals, Meanwhile, the main indications on the re-edition of the most famous 1968 model are/ppluminescent. This star model is also distinguished by its openworked baton-type hands and its/pplarge trapeze-shaped hour-markers. On both versions, the Jaeger-LeCoultre logo at 12 oclock/ppembodies this reassuring presence that asserts its mastery over time./ppThe sapphire crystal – a must in contemporary watchmaking – is exceptionally replaced on/ppthese models by a synthetic material forming the original domed shape of the Polaris watch./ppPurists will certainly concur with this deliberate infringement of current industry rules./ppA new movement in the Memovox line/ppWhile the Memovox Tribute to Polaris watches are faithful to the spirit and aesthetics of their/ppforerunners, they nonetheless naturally deserved to be equipped with the latest technical/ppinnovations by Jaeger-LeCoultre, in order to meet modern demands for precision, sturdiness/ppand reliability./ppAs the latest interpretation of the automatic Memovox movement, the new Jaeger-LeCoultre/ppCalibre 956 houses the striking mechanism, featuring a gong hanging at the back of the case,/ppalong with central seconds and instant-jump date-change system. Measuring 7.45 mm thick, it/ppprovides a 45-hour power reserve and a level of precision guaranteed by 28,800 vibrations per/pphour. Its oscillating weight is equipped with ceramic ball-bearings that require no maintenance or/pplubrication./ppA double-back case guaranteeing water resistance to 200 metres/ppThe historical Memovox Polaris was distinguished by its three-part case. The first element was/ppan inside back in bronze that enhanced the resonance of the alarm sound. The second was a/ppsealed back that protected the precious mechanism from any water seeping in, down to depths/ppof 200 metres. The last was a third back drilled with 16 holes, which prevented the sound being/ppmuffled by the watch being squeezed against its owners diving suit./ppThe back of the Memovox Tribute to Polaris models features an inner sealed back that/ppmaintains its role as a resonance chamber (an additional bronze back is no longer necessary/ppwith a hanging gong), and an outer back with 16 round openings, secured to the waterresistance/ppback in harmony with the original design./ppThe latter is adorned with an engraving inspired by the original ‘compressor diving helmet and a/ppset of technical information provided inside the case of the original model to symbolise its/ppexceptional watertightness./ppA tribute encompassing the smallest details/ppThe Memovox Tribute to Polaris is available in two limited series equipped with a black leather/ppstrap and small pin buckle. […]

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