For sale a signature Memovox, ref. 853 from Jaeger-LeCoultre. A beautifully preserved specimen, considered to be one of the icons of 20th century wristwatch design. After the Reverso, the Memovox is probably the second most recognizable vintage wristwatch by the Manufacture. After the creation of alarm wristwatches by other brands, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduced the Memovox lineup in 1950. Equipped with a mechanical alarm, the model owes its name to a composite of two Latin words: Memor (remembering) and Vox (voice). The name Memovox cleverly means “the voice of remembering,” a perfect choice for an alarm watch.

The presented example is the automatic version of the bumper from the 1950s, featuring a clean and timeless design. Please read the condition report carefully and refer to the high resolution pictures to help you assess the overall condition of the watch.

MODEL / REFERENCE: Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Ref. 853, serial no. 1478390

DIAL+HANDS: The bold silver dial is two-tone and slightly curved. The creamier outer portion hosts the chapter ring with sunburst finish and applied baton indexes which are centrally set with black inserts. The ring for minutes/seconds with luminous indications at the hours is beautifully intact and sits on the inward edge for more precise reading. The silvery revolving disc has a satin grain finish, and a luminescent triangular indicator for setting the alarm. The dial has beautifully aged to a creamy tone, displaying a crisp text and applied silver logo. The original, luminous steel hour and minute dauphine hands are well preserved and slightly curve along with the dial.. CRYSTAL: This Memovox proudly keeps its original heavily domed acrylic crystal, which is rarely seen. The crystal has minor surface scratches which you will not notice during daily wear. MOVEMENT: This Memovox is powered by the revered K815, the first bumper automatic alarm movement ever produced. This rhodium-plated calibre is ornate with a “fausses côtes” decoration. It Features a straight-line lever escapement, a Kif-Flector shock absorber and a self-compensating flat balance spring oscillating at 18,000 beats per hour. The movement has been professionally serviced thus runs smoothly and keeps excellent time. All functions work as intended. CASE: Coming in at 37mm in diameter, this beauty sits in a quite contemporary size sweet-spot. The three-body stainless steel case features curved lugs that hold it nicely to the wrist. The case is in very good condition with minimal signs of wear throughout and no major scuffs or nicks given the age of the watch. It still retains sharp lines suggesting that it has never been polished.

CASEBACK: The caseback is held in place by a 5 notches, screw down rim. They are in excellent condition just like the case, preserving the original mix of finish patterns with a brushed center and polished periphery. The caseback displays some opening scratches and two clearly visible stamps of the model reference and the case serial number. The inside is decorated with a perlage pattern and engraved with the “LeCoultre Company” . The caseback carries the refernece number 855.42 We dont know the reason for it, it might be a later caseback which has been used as replacment.

CROWNS: We love seeing little touches like the original signed dual crowns. The upper crown is for setting and winding alarm. Pulling the same crown out allows the user to rotate the inner disc anti clockwise, and align the triangle on the inner disc with the desired time of notification. Once activated, simply pulling the top crown out will silence the alarm, allowing the user to set a new time. The lower crown separately winds the movement and allows time setting. Both crowns work perfectly as described.

BRACELET: The watch comes a new lizard leather strap with unsigned steel buckle.

ACCESSORIES: Saffiano Leather watch roll.

WARRANTY: We guarantee the authenticity of the watch. We also provide 12 months guarantee for the correct function of this timepiece. All guarantees are subject to the General Terms and conditions.

Please feel free to ask questions, we will be glad to answer. Virtual or face-to-face viewing is available by appointment.