Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox E 855 Black Dial

There was an incredible variety of Memovoxes, from the very early '50ies to the end of the 70ies...

Numbers speak for themselves:

Around 100 000 pieces were made ( !!! ) in more than 20 different references, using 6 Calibers!

Here I will speak of one of the most rare of them, the black dialed ref E 855.

If we can say that the ref E 855 is one of the most produced Memovox ( around 50 000 pieces for this only ref, in SS, Yellow or Rose Gold ), the Black Memovox E 855 is certainly one of the rarest, and one of the most beautiful.

For your interest, here are the production numbers which were given to me by Courtesy of JLC:

- 43825 in SS.

- 4707 in YG.

- 321 in RG.

But I don't have any number for SS Memovox Black Dial.



Here, a very nice model with white writings, but with 2 problems:

Aftermarket crowns, and weird luminous hands.

If the hands are correct, the tritium is triangular, which doesn't seem correct, as it has to be rectangular, as you will see on MY Black Memovox.

1/ This watch is an icon, for me.

And, as we speak of icons, here are 2 together...







I can't resist to the temptation ot add a 4th pic...



An Icon with 2 other Icons...

As the Reverso and the Polaris, this Black Memovox is a timeless piece...

Can you only imagine that this piece is a bit more than 40 years old???

I rather have the feeling that it is a piece that was produced nowadays, that only the tritium round indexes and hands allow to locate it earlier in time...

2/ It is a very elegant, pure and classy time piece.

These proportions are perfect...

A 37mm Case, quite thin, with some nice round volumes due to the plexy.

Look at this pure, perfectly balanced watch!





The very thin and curved lugs, the discrete crowns, which perfectly integrate the case, all these small details contribute to make of this watch a perfect one, in an awesome homogeneity.

And what to say abotu the dial, which makes all the difference with all the other Memovoxes, IMO ?

The words which immediately come to mind are Strenght, Balance, Distinction, Geometry.

Have a look at it, and you'll see a perfect integration of round and " lines " indexes, a rectangular Date Window, triangular Alarm Symbol and hands, all, once again, in a perfect harmony, which is not that easy when you mix all these geometrical features together...







Now, look at another great and fine detail of these watch: The Golden Writings ( Gilt for the Rolex Guys! LOL ), and you' ll see that the refinement is at the top!









These Gilt Writings match so well with the golden patina of the tritium, how to say it, like " echoing " to the patina of the small pearls of luminous material.

The refinement is also in the way JLC treated the case and case back, with Polished and Brushed parts...



Not very easy to see on the following pic, BUT the brushed parts are on the side of the case and lugs, while the polished parts are on the top of the case and lugs.





3/ A reliable movement, the Cal 825.

You all know it, this is the one housed in the Legendary Polaris, and in all the E 855 Memovoxes ( the Polaris is also a Memovox, although )...



This is a 17 Jewels Automatic winding movement, beating at 18 000 vibrations per hour, with the following functions:

Hour,

Minutes,

Central Seconds,

Date,

Alarm.

It is Shock Protected and Anti Magnetic,

Here a Technical draw of the Cal 815 which is the same than the Cal 825, but without the Date:



The Accuracy of this movement is astonishing...: 1 to 2 sec per day, on my Memovox !

The 2 Daughters...



4/ On the Wrist, this is one of those watches that makes you litteraly shivering of pleasure.



Indeed, the size doesn't matter when you approach the perfection in this way...

Another time, Presence, Distinction, and surprisingly, a watch whoch is easy to wear, with Casual or Dressy Clothes.

The light weight makes you forget that you wear a watch, but the fine and pleasant " Clong " of the Bumper makes you remember its presence!

Yes, defintely, to me, this Memovox, or should I say THESE Memovoxes, are to JLC what Calatravas are to Patek, A Cult, Icon Watch!



A Calatrava...With an Alarm!

And to give an end to this post, its daughter, the black Memovox from the 90ies, which I hunt, too, to complete my Collection:



Hope you liked it!

Best.

Nicolas This message has been edited by amanico on 2008-12-23 00:29:03 This message has been edited by Dje on 2008-12-27 01:36:00