The reason behind this side by side picture is not only motivated by the pleasure to see these 2 beauties, but to see how similar and different they can be, and to try to find an answer to the following question: Did Jaeger Lecoultre use the dial of the P...
yes, the dials have a lot in common. They do serve a very different purpose and will have a different wirst feel, but they are unmistakenly Memovoxes. The LeCoultre Polaris is my favourite. What a watch! CC
But I believe that it is the product of coincidence or a series by a single commissioned designer. Since even the most complete manufactures rarely employed full-time designers until the 1990s, I suspect that JLC may have found a Vallee de Joux artist tha...
It is sad IMHO that the only JLC 'designer' that will be remembered is MM. Likely because she was a young blond person and was quite exposed in the communication as such (yes, I said it, and if you look at the comments from admirers back in the days, comm...
This is exactly how most watches were designed during the mid-century period. Genta, Albert, Richard Arbib, and others worked almost exclusively on a project basis. And while JLC did not "style" the Ervin Piquerez-engineered Super Compressor case itself, ...
I would even argue that Vulcain Cricket Nautical is much more innovative, in that it incorporates a design for decompression times - so, a purposed design for divers - while the 1965 polaris is pretty much just a regular memovox 855 housed in the Piquerez...
.. the way and circumstances it came into my house - very special memories & ocassion in a loved city, when a now very good friend so kindly consulted me @ a certain Horology store & watchmaker.. With that E855 my Purist story began. ( well actually the T...
And are interchangeable... Interesting point, Nicolas. I always thought the black E 855 was inspired to the Polaris 65 dial. But if the timeline you state is true, then most passable scenario would be. white E 855 White -> Polaris 65 -> E 855 Black. It ex...
Ordering 'special dials' was certainly not a thing back in 1968 with JLC (nor has it been much since). Plus, what would be the rationale. I claim BS on that story (as I suspect you do ! )
I don't see a connection between the 1965 polaris dial and the E855 black dial, at least no in this way... If you remember the 2010 exhibition of 40 memovoxes at Artcurial, there was a certified 1961 black E855 memovox with the JL at 12 (back serial numbe...
But not in real. Hard to see that as real, but in the same time, hard to understand why one would make it up... Since the owner is not trying to sell the watch and would make more money on putting in a scrappy Polaris 68... I have tried to get the story c...