An introduction is useless, here, as they are the most famous Memovoxes.
Here are 2 of the 5 Vintage Diving Memovoxes: The Lecoultre Deep Sea Alarm ( E 857 ), and the Jaeger Lecoultre Polaris ( E 859 ).
Among these references, you have 2 variations, depending if you have a Lecoultre or a Jaeger-LeCoultre model ( E 857 ) or depending of the age of the model ( Polaris 65 or 68 ).
To be complete, there was a 5th Diving Memovox, the so called Polaris II, Reference E 870, which came with the same dial, but 3 different colors ( Blue, Slate Grey, and Burgundy Red ).
- The Ref E 857 Lecoultre Deep Sea Alarm:
Among the 1061 produced watches from 1959 to 1961, only God knows how many US and European models were made.
We only know that the US model was, by far, the most produced.
This specimen is 99, 99 % correct, the only missing thing is the correct " onion " crown at 2 o'clock.
Even the bracelet ( JB Champion ) is correct, which is a rare detail to see.
It houses the Cal 815.
The curious thing, on this Diving watch, is that the bezel doesn't turn...
But it was JLC first attempt in this matter, and a pretty elegant one!
To be precise, the DSA is 39, 5 mm big.
- The Ref E 859 so called Polaris.
Here is a fine example from 1968, with its particular luminous painted indexes, its baton hands and an internal rotative bezel, using the Super Compressir case patended by Mr E. Piquerez in 1956.
This is an huge and thick watch for the era ( 42 mm big and circa 17 mm thick ), which was made as a prototype in 1953, then released with a gorgeous non luminous dial in 1965, and in this configuration since 1968.
1714 watches were made, all variations included.
It houses the Cal 825, and is fitted with a JB Champion bracelet.