Jaeger-LeCoultre

Clavi
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Well, actually, as a diving instrument, both Polaris and DSA are pretty much pointless...

Kari,

Please let me react to your " I am considering the watch only as a diving tool from the perspective of a diving professional" 

To start with, I love (and own) both the Polaris and its predecessor the DSA, and I feel glad that you do the same with your re-editions of the Polaris..

But, to argue that these watches were a valid solution as a diving instrument back in time  (and specially compared to Rolexes and Blancpain of the time as you do, which really WERE diving instruments) is pointless.

There is no argument on deciding which of JLC or Vulcain came first as a diving alarm.
Vulcain came first, this is very documented, and it was the first watch to use the Supercompressor case with triple back and an alarm feature  (actually they were the inventor of the triple back with resonaotr which was later adapted to the Polaris).
The supercompressor case itself back then had been in use for several years in many non-alarm watches already before the Polaris was created.

And, IMHO, there is also no argument to pretend that the addition of an alarm feature, in the way it is designed in the memovox, was indeed a practical and useful feature in a diving watch.

When diving in deep waters, every minute counts with regards to decompression.

And, with a memovox, be it a 857 or a 859 (or any later memovox), there is no way you can set-up a decent alarm time withing say a 10 minute range accurately, which is definitively a pre-requisite when considering serious diving.

Therefore, I consider both the 857 and 859 to be interesting watches in history, for that they have tried to bring a new complication underwater. But retrospectively, they were mostly novelties with a marketing purpose, not proper 'tools'  (and I don't think that any diver will disagree on that point).

That can not be said on the Blancpain and Submariners of the time that you refer to, which were proper diving tools designed by divers for divers.

That being said, the Polaris is a fine looking watch. But we should take it only as this. A fine looking watch.... 
No technical justification is needed IMHO.

An alarm could be indeed a very relevant feature underwater, but for that you would need to be able to set it underwater, and to set it really accurately.
Both feature that neither the vintage, nor the modern memovoxes can achieve.

In these conditions, if one is still insisting on diving with a mechanical watch, there is nothing that can beat a rotating bezel with accurate indexes (which the NSA fortunately has). 

Now, all 'legend' watches don't need to be exactly functional for us to love them I reckon, so please do enjoy your three nice Polarises as they deserve... They are just beautiful as they are without requiring any technical justification !

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