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Memovox Paris Exhibition: The First Memovoxes

By: amanico : December 5th, 2010-23:59

Let's start from the beginning, and have a look at the first Memovoxes, which were manual winding.

A detail makes all the difference, between the very first Memovox, the Ref 3150, and all the other which came later: The shape of the lugs.

As you will see on the pictures posted here, the lugs are tubular.

And if you pay attention to the pictures, you wil notice that the case back is not " sitting ", but elevated on the wearer's wrist, in order to enhance the resonnance of the Alarm.

The 3150 was produced from 1950 to 1952, and, was officially introduced to the Public at the Basel Fair Watch in 1950.

This reference houses a Cal 489, which is manual winding movement, 17 jewels, beating at 18 000 vibrations per hour, with a power reserve of 45 hours and an autonomy of 20 seconds for the Alarm.

This reference came with different dial variations:

Nr 1, painted numbers:

Nr 2, Applied numbers and indexes:

Nr 3, applied indexes only:

It also came in solid gold, as pictured below:

I don't have the numbers of production for this reference, though.

What is important to say is that the JLC Memovox ref 3150 was not the first Alarm wrist watch released, as the anteriority has to be credited to Eterna, and to Vulcain ( 1947 for Vulcain ), which received ( the Vulcain ) the nickname of the Presidents Watch, because some US Presidents wore it.

But no other brand than JLC offered such a diversity of Alarm watches, and the with the 3150, the Legend is starting!

The 3150 is not the only reference to use the Cal 489, though, and not the only manual wind alarm movement, as we'll see now:

The Calibre 489 was massively produced from 1950 to 1958, as some 47 500 movements came from the Manufacture at this moment.

However, most of them have been sent out to the US division LeCoultre to be assembled in locally produced cases / different styles, and therefore the despite the large production of cal 489, the number of Jaeger-LeCoultre versions is quite limited

You will notice that on the following watches, the reference of this Calibre slightly changes, as it is mentionned P 489/1.

It is exactly the same movement, but the P stands for Parachoc ( shock protected ).

Exit the Tubular shaped lugs, and welcome the classic straight or teardrop lugs, a nice evocation of the style and design from the fifties.

You will also notice, like on the very first Memovox, the variatons on the design of the dial, with indexes and numbers, indexes alone, numbers alone etc.

- The 3151 ( this watch was produced in 1952, while the reference was in the catalog till 1956 ) .

Radium index numbers and Losange hands:

- E 850:

This reference was produced from 1954 to 1958 in 4262 pieces.

As often, several dial variations saw the light.

Nice large bezel, thick case and lugs, for this 33 mm watch.

Here a superb model, with its Dauphine Hands, and the 6 / 12 applied index numbers.

- E 851:

As written on this catalogue from the mid fifties, the E 851 is 2 mm bigger than the E 850, and was available in solid gold or stainless steel.

The watch pictured below was released in 1954:

And this one, in 1953:

Please note that the E stands for etanche ( water resistant ) which means that the case back of the " E " Refs is screwed, at the contrary of the non " E " References, which have a snap bakc case.

- And to end, a last reference, the Memovox 3154, housing a movement which is close to the Cal 489, the Cal 601.

Here, a picture of the Cal 601 provided by our friend Greg B:

The Cal 601 was made in a quantity of 2 000 pieces.

The particularity of the watch to which it is related is that the Alarm disk has been replaced by an Alarm hand.

The case is gold plated.

This particular watch was released in 1952.

To be clear, there are more than two other manual wind Memovoxes, but I keep some ( very special ) of them for the end.

Here, I will mention 2 references, the E 852 and the E 858.

- The E 852.

Honestly, this is the first time I saw one, in the flesh or even in picture.

Let's say that it is not the sexiest Memovox I've seen.

A weird " curved " ( I don't know how to describe it ) bezel which makes it look as a fake, yet it is original!

This reference was produced from 1956 to 1962, and houses the Cal K 814 ( K standing for Kif Shock ), which has the same characteristics than the Cal 489.

The Cal 814:

The E 852:

The dial is a classic one, and a pure beauty, though.

- The E 858.

One of my favourite reference:

Long straight and simple lugs, superb case and very sober dial, this watch is a must!

It was produced in the first half of the Sixties, and the number of watches which were produced is low, from what I've been told.

Like the E 852, the E 858 houses the Cal K 814.

Next episode on next Monday.

Best,

Nicolas.