Vintage
Amanico revisits the Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox International Ref 3160, a vintage piece that combined the brand's iconic alarm complication with a world time function. This post serves as a historical counterpoint to contemporary JLC world time offerings, highlighting the brand's early innovations in travel-friendly complications.
While we are discussing the new JLC World Time, the Geophysic Universal Time, it is good to keep in mind that this complication was already offered by Jaeger Lecoultre some 60 years ago, more precisely in 1958 with another cult complication for the brand, the Alarm.
Complication... The World Time?
Well, not really, if we speak about the Memovox World Time Ref 3160.
Here, the yellow gold version belonging to Clavi.
The cities of the world were printed on the alarm disc, and you didn't have a 24 hours ring to show you what's the time everywhere in the world at a simple glance.
Same for the more recent Memovox International, by the way, which is the true descendant of the 3160.
No, to have a true world time at JLC, you had to wait till 2005 / 2006 with the birth of the Extreme World Chronograph, and a bit later, the Extreme World Alarm.
But the Ref 3160 remains a legend every vintage JLC collector wants to get or madly hunts, in steel or in yellow gold.
And... It belongs to the Jubilé collection, from 1958, along with the Geophysic, the 2233 and the Memovox Parking!
Best,
Nicolas
Excellent! Thank you for this post.
I just need three or four more: Geophysic RG, but I fear it is a bit too late, the Blue Lecoultre Chrono, and the Red Polaris II. This is the 4th one, but I fear it won't be the easiest one to find... Best, Nicolas
That's another challenge... Reverso Gran Sport Chrono, Memovox Manual Black, Duometre à Chrono, UTT and QL Enamel... If I am still hungry, a Master Geographique, Steel, Black Dial. Best, Nicolas
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