JAEGER-LECOULTRE, STAINLESS STEEL MEMOVOX POLARIS II BLUE WRISTWATCH, REF. E870

According to the Archives of Jaeger-LeCoultre, the present Memovox was manufactured in 1970. It is a very well-preserved example of the legendary Polaris II model, distinguished by its large size sand-blasted case, the colour graduated ocean blue dial, matching turquoise bakelite bezel, luminous numerals and hands. The two crowns are still the original version, featuring the JL logo.

In 1950, Jaeger-LeCoultre released the Memovox, or the "voice of memory", name derived from the Latin words "memories", memory, and "vox", voice. In 1956, a Memovox featuring the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 815 became the first self-winding alarm watch in history.

The Memovox Polaris is part of Jaeger-LeCoultre's series of divers’ watches developed between 1959 and 1970, the name evoking the spirit of adventure and discovery at an epoch passionate about polar exploration, ocean voyages and the conquest of space.

The present watch is from the second series, launched in 1971 and named Memovox Polaris II, breaking new grounds in the pursuit of accuracy. It was fitted with a revolutionary case design, the dials either blue or burgundy marked "HPG" for "High Precision Guarantee for those for the North American market. The designation referred to its caliber with high beating frequency (28'800 alto/hour) to improve accuracy. Those destined for the European market were marked “GT” for “Grande Taille”.

In production between 1970 and 1972, a total of only 1’120 examples of the Memovox Polaris II were made, today highly coveted collectors pieces.