I have just set up my phone to wake me up at 4:30. Just for fun, I also set my Jaeger LeCoultre Master Memovox to ring at around 4:35. I am in my room in a hotel in Istanbul, pretty dizzy after a Gala Dinner at Istanbul Technical University. I must leave the hotel at 5 am to catch the flight back home.
The surprise came in the early morning as I did not hear my phone ringing. Instead, the JLC woke me up.
I found out the mistake I have made later that day. My phone was set to 4.30 pm, not am. I obviously caught the flight and returned home safe and sound.
From that moment I realized that even though I am a technology addicted guy, the newest technology can be tricky. Complicated things can lead to failure and not necessarily from its fault, but mine.
Of course, almost all the time I rely on my phone to wake up in the morning. However, this old technology, dated more than 50 years ago, changed my luck in that particular morning.
This is a watch which in pictures is not much, but in reality it is gorgeous. It is also very similar to the ones produced by the company 50 years ago. To fully understand what Jaeger LeCoultre has done, this watch must be seen, touched and heard.
Jaeger LeCoultre Master Memovox technical data
The case is made of stainless steel and it has a 40 mm diameter. It is also available in gold color. It has a silver dial, with a nice sunburst pattern on the center alarm disk and it is lacquered outer disk.
A nice touch is the seconds hand which is blue in color. Some lume is present on the hands and on the markers but it is not consistent, since it has no utility in night readability. The general opinion is that they’ve put that just to mark the existence of it on the specifications sheet.
The crown at 4 o’clock is for setting the time. Good thing this improved movement has hack feature. The one at 2 is for winding the alarm, and when pulled it sets the date in one direction and the alarm in the other direction. Almost every time I want to set the alarm I’m changing the date 😊.
The Master Control logo appears on the case back, together with the water resistance marking of 5bar.
The alarm sounds very loud, especially if it is on a hard surface. Somehow it reminds me of Pink Floyd’s “Time” intro.
The strap is a genuine alligator 21/18 mm with deployment clasp, a high quality one.
The new model launched by JLC in 2020 is very similar. The only differences are the sapphire crystal back case and the brown strap. In my opinion this proves that there is not much that can be changed to this model. The new model is available on Jaeger LeCoultre website.
The movement, Manufacture Caliber 956, is automatic, 28,800 vph, 23 jewels. Fine adjustment via weight screws on the Glucydur balance, Kif shock absorbers, 45 hour power reserve, 30 mm diameter and 7.5 mm height.
Overall, this JLC Master Memovox is a gorgeous timepiece, with a winning design and a rare seen alarm complication.
I think that every watch enthusiast should have one, as this model speaks out loud its fine craftsmanship and its timeless design.
Cheers!
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This is a very beautiful watch…almost every time I was looking at it I was gobsmacked by its beauty and almost perfect proportions. Then, nine time out of ten, I was reaching for a “normal” watch, as this one was a tad too beautiful for me 🙂
Very beautiful watch and comment.