anything/else

watches/not/gp: Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox 855

By now you as a reader of my blog would have figured out that I mostly own and collect watches from Girard-Perregaux and rest assured that’s not going to change any time soon. However, once in a while, I look beyond GP as there are other tempting watches. T.W.O modern Rolexes I had added to my collection and I’m also a proud owner of a vintage Patek Philippe 2552. While I had stepped my toe a little bit into vintage Zenith and a vintage JLC Reverso, those had left my collection, but now here I stand and considering to look at vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre again as a future target.

It helps of course if you have influential friends and when it comes to Jaeger-LeCoultre there is the one and only Blomman. Looking into vintage JLC for a good entry, a Memovox seems a good start, so I asked for some recommendations and sure enough, a Memovox 855 and 875 landed in my hands and on my wrist. Now don’t get me wrong, the Memovox 875 is a wonderful vintage watch, however, I was taken over by the charm of the 855 with its more classic look and that unique feeling of a bumper movement.

To learn all the details about the Memovox 855, go and check out this superb article on The Blomman Watch Report:

threememovoxes855

But let’s go back to the Memovox 855 I was allowed to put my hands on. 37 mm case is a sweet spot for me when it comes to vintage watches and the double crown adds “weight” to that diameter as well, increasing even more its presence on the wrist. The lugs are very classic and elegant. The best part however is the silver sunburst dial with the slightly darker silver alarm disc.

memovox855 2
Classic shapes everywhere you look.

I could look at the watch all day long without getting bored. And there is the alarm! Unlike on the GP Alarms, the alarm is engaged when the crown is pushed in, which is more practical as it seals the case better. The ring is loud and of a nice tonal balance, more sophisticated than the cricket sounds of the AS 1475 movement.

memowrist
37 mm is a sweet spot for vintage watches on my wrist

So yeah, I think this is a good hunting target. Not something that you can just buy right away, it will take some time and patience to find the right one in the right condition, something that adds to the appeal and eventually making it truly “mine”. So thanks to Blomman for showing me his Memovox 855 and leading me (again) down a rabbit hole.

%d bloggers like this: