LeCoultre Memovox - 2

 "Ladies and Gentlemen Raise Your Sights" is what an old auctioneer I knew used to say in order to garner special attention for the next item up for bids. It was usually an especially rare item of high quality that would get this kind of attention and that is what we are offering here. This LeCoultre "Memovox" is what we call a New/Old Stock wristwatch, meaning that it has been found in all original "Like New" condition having never been sold when it was first made, circa 1957. This is a very unusual circumstance, as you might guess, but this month we have discovered 4 NOS watches just by sheer circumstance. 

We are offering one here for your approval. It is marked "LeCoultre Memovox" Calendar Alarm and it sports a beautiful 17 jewel movement housed in a gold filled case. which measures 34mm in diameter by 40mm lug to lug. This is an alarm watch which allows the owner to rotate an inner dial with a triangular indicator to the precise hour that he, or she, wishes it to ring.

This is accomplished by a separate crown at the 2 o'clock position which also winds the alarm mainspring. I remember when my Uncle came home one day wearing one of these watches and all of us kids were amazed that it rang on his wrist. Fast forward 59 years and I am in possession of one just like his and in the same condition...as if no time had elapsed It just doesn't get any better than this.

You can take a look at the creamy finish of the dial, the spotless case and movement and realize what powerful appeal these watches had back in the day. Today it is even more overpowering when you find one in this condition. Remember all of our timepieces are warrantied for one year for parts and labor so that you may buy with confidence. Grab this one while you can!

Price: $4100
Year: 1957
SKU: w2943
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LeCoultre Memovox

I cannot remember a time in our 37 years in the business that we have had such a nice LeCoultre "Memovox" let alone two of them (see next listing). Both of these listings are what we call New/Old Stock or NOS. This designation means that these watches were never sold and that they remain in pristine, like new condition.

This "Memovox" has a 17 jewel movement and it is housed in a yellow gold filled case with a stainless steel back that measures 33mm in diameter (not including the crowns) by 40mm from lug to lug. Jaeger-LeCoultre is a Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer based in Le Sentier, Switzerland, that dates back to the first half of the nineteenth century, and was founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833. Their watches are some of the most sought after timepieces in the vintage market and there are many collectors whose attentions turn to the acquisition of a nice LeCoultre "Memovox" when a nice one appears. We just such a watch for you here, circa 1956.

The "Memovox" was first introduced by Jaeger-LeCoultre circa 1950/51 employing the manually wound Calibre 489. ... The name "Memovox" is a composite of two Latin word, Memor (remembering) and Vox (voice), meaning "the voice of remembering," an apt choice for a timepiece that "remembers the time". While we are quite jaded today by all the electronic devices that will tell us the time that was not so back in the 1950's when alarm watches were quite the innovative personal possession. Make sure you take a look at the "Zoom-In" photos to get the real feel of the beauty of this wonderful watch.

You set the inner alarm dial by pulling out the crown in the two o'clock position and rotating the crown counterclockwise. You would position the triangular indicator opposite the time that you wished to have the alarm sound. You would also wind the spring that causes this effect by using this same crown. The crown that winds the timekeeping mainspring is in the 4 o'clock position and it functions like any other manual wind watch. What unusual about this watch is this fabulous rippled marker configuration and the fact that it is in the best condition that you can possibly hope for. Don't forget all of our timepieces are warrantied for one year, for parts and labor, so that you may buy with confidence.

Price: $3950
Year: 1956
SKU: w2942
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A very dramatic Omega 30-T2!

The trend today is what we, in-the-trade, call "Oversize" watches, meaning that anything over 32mm in diameter is considered large by vintage standards. Today, however, this seems minuscule due to the alarm clock size watches that we have seen on wrists all over the country. Back in the day the watch manufacturers were constantly pushing their designers to make watches slimmer, and more wrist-conforming so that watches could easily slide under the cuff of a man's dress shirt. Younger men and women who did not live through the 1950's and 1960's have no idea what was in vogue at that time, and the mantra today is " bigger is better", but this does not comport well with vintage standards. In order to meet that demand we have scoured the South American market for oversize Omegas that were sent there by the company from Switzerland, back in the day.

We here in North America only saw these larger watches if one of our friends or family members traveled down there and brought one back because this size was not in vogue in the North American market. This particular Omega sports a very striking matte-black dial that exhibits a high contrast with the light lume on the Roman Numerals. It still has a nice glow in the dark. The white dagger hands look great as does the oversize seconds bit at the 6 o'clock position. The case is stainless steel that measures 34mm wide by 40mm lug to lug. Our head watch maker has the 15 jewel , 30T2 movement winding, setting, and keeping time just as it did back in 1944 when it was made in Switzerland. Remember all of our timepieces come with our famous one year warranty for parts and labor so that you may buy with confidence.

Price: $2495

SKU: w2903

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