By Charlie Dunne
There are a some watch models and references that will forever be meaningful to me. Models such as the Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675, Vulcain Cricket, Rolex Submariner reference 5512, and the Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 1018 are a few that feel very personal. It almost always derives from obsession and then eventual ownership – so here’s to my future black-dial Rolex Milgauss reference 1019! I recall purchasing my first vintage watch – a Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox reference E 855. I had a great feeling that I had the smartest watch on the scene. An unassuming alarm watch with dual crowns. I didn’t understand the condition of what I was buying, and it didn’t necessarily matter to me at the time. It was a vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre!
JLC in many ways to me is among the greatest manufacturers of all time. People often cite the “Holy Trinity” of watchmaking. In my perspective, manufacturers such as Rolex, Longines, and Jaeger-LeCoultre are amongst the highest rank for their amazing heritage, designs, near vertical integration, production, and contributions within the story of watchmaking. I am convinced there has been a Vacheron PSYOP occurring over the past two decades. Few manufacturers can claim their role as a patron to the Swiss watchmaking industry to the degree Jaeger-LeCoultre could. Yet the manufacturer is far too sophisticated and deferential to boast. It is a connoisseur’s watch.
“I think you can do better” was Eric’s response when I asked him to share his thoughts on my Memovox. Looking back, it was a tragic and shameful sight – over polished and in terrible condition. I deleted the IG posts, but you never truly forget. It was at this time I decided to sell my first Memovox E 855 and a few other watches to focus more on condition. The watches I collected were not E 855s, yet very respectable examples. Although I continually searched for a great E 855 to one day add back into my collection.
Image credit: @jmsfisk
The Memovox is one of the many watches that deserves recognition in the vintage watch collecting scene, and not entirely due its association with the alarm complication. From a design perspective, many gravitate toward the dual-crowned watch only to then learn about the timepiece’s vocal tendencies. Of course, others became aware of the watch after its appearance on television shows like ‘Mad Men’. Attracting the attention of both collectors and noteworthy performers, the Memovox has been worn by the likes of Miles Davis, Charlie Chaplin, Robert De Niro, Tony Bennet, Stirling Moss, and even Steve McQueen.
1950 Basel Fair ad of Jaeger-LeCoultre reference 3150 Memovox with hooded lugs. Image credit: Ad Patina
Introduced at the Swiss Watch Fair at Basel in 1950, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s alarm wristwatch has enjoyed decades of continual production and a diverse catalog that can be looked back upon with fondness. As for the lines’ impact upon the manufacturer, the Memovox is an integral part of JLC’s legacy alongside such timepieces as the Reverso and Atmos clock. Of the dozens of iterations, it is the models from the late 1950s and 1960s that I find most exciting to collect and wear.
