216
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Ref. E. 855
Memovox
A very attractive and rare yellow gold world-time wristwatch with black dial, date and alarm
Full-Cataloguing
The present lot is an especially rare version, fitted with an unusual black dial. Housed in an 18-karat yellow gold case, it may have been a special order for an important client.
Made in 1967, the present lot is equipped with JLC’s caliber 825, a so-called “bumper” movement with date. When worn on the wrist, a rotor rotates back and forth in a 180-degree arc, bouncing between two buffer springs to automatically wind the movement. It’s a highly charismatic winding system, where the wearer feels the subtle but tactile bouncing of the rotor with the motion of their wrist.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Swiss | 1833Not all companies in the watchmaking field have been able to stand the test of time quite like Jaeger LeCoultre, also known as the "watchmaker's watchmaker." Founded in 1833 by Antoine LeCoultre and originally named LeCoutre, the firm provided watchmaking's top brands, such as Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet, the high-grade, unfinished mechanical movements with which they completed their watches.
In the early 1900s, Cartier's watch supplier Edmond Jaeger sought out LeCoultre's help in creating the world's thinnest watches. The collaboration resulted in the creation of Cartier's earliest Tank and Santos watches, all housed with LeCoultre movements. The duo decided to merge in 1937, and the firm officially became the Jaeger-LeCoultre brand by which collectors know and adore it today. Some of the firm's most significant and important timepieces include the Reverso, the Memovox, the Atmos clock and, among modern watches, their Master Complications.