$1,295
Pre-owned Vintage Le Coultre Memovox Memodate 34.5mm, Silver Dial, Black Leather Strap with Tang Buckle, Ref. 2677
The Memovox is somewhat of a cult watch, which means you either know everything about it or you have never heard of it. It has a well-deserved following. This Memovox is a versatile alarm watch, easy and fun to use, that has a vibrating hammer to sound the alarm. The watch has two main springs, one each for the alarm and the time function. The alarm is loud enough to alert the wearer without being so loud as to disturb your companions (although it will certainly attract their attention.) Lasting about 10 seconds, you will choose to respond or let it die out. The alarm is set by puling the upper crown and turning it counter clockwise, which turns the inner portion of the dial that has the triangular marker. Very intuitive. The crowns, which are original to the watch, are thicker than some watches of the era, which makes them very functional. The watch uses a monocoque case design, which means the movement can only be removed from the front by removing the crystal. The case appears to be unpolished and shows light scratches as expected from a pre-owned vintage watch. The one larger scratch appears on the side of the lug near 7 o’ clock. Tritium paint was used for the lume, which still glows under UV light but fades immediately, suggesting that the lume is original to the watch. The silver dial has a sun-burst brushing that is still clear, with some yellowing around the perimeters from aging. All in all, it is a fun, attractive vintage watch that will continue to provide service for years to come.
Only 1 left in stock
| Band Color | Black |
|---|---|
| Band Material | Leather |
| Box and Papers | No Box | No Papers |
| Band Type | Strap |
| Brand | LeCoultre |
| Caliber | K911 |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size | 34.5mm |
| Caseback | Solid |
| Complication | Date, Alarm |
| Dial Color | Silver |
| Movement | Manual |
| Size | 35mm – 39mm |
| Warranty | 6-Month Watchworks Guarantee |
| Item ID | 0004977 |
|---|---|
| Model # | 2677 |
| Model Name | Memovox Memodate |
The LeCoultre family traces its history in Switzerland to 1558, when Pierre LeCoultre immigrated from France, then moved to the Vallee de Joux the following year. After his son built a church in the valley, a town grew and eventually became the home of today’s JLC company. The first LeCoultre watchmaking workshop was founded in 1833, following Antoine LeCoultre’s invention of a machine that increased the production of small watch parts. Antoine’s son gradually brought together the hundreds of small workshops in the area by installing a steam-driven power source in 1866. With that access to power, LeCoultre gathered into one building all the skills necessary to produce a watch, after which the building became known as the “Grande Maison of the Vallee de Joux.” From the Grande Maison came smaller and more complex movements that were also used by other watchmakers, including Patek Philippe.
The LeCoultre company began the transition to the Jaeger-LeCoultre watchmaking company in 1903, when a Parisian watchmaker named Edmond Jaeger issued a challenge to Swiss watchmakers to produce an ultrathin movement that he had invented. LeCoultre successfully meet the challenge with the caliber 145, which allowed Edmond Jaeger to sign a contract with Cartier (the “Jeweler of Kings, King of Jewelers”) to give Cartier exclusive access to Jaeger’s watch movements for the next fifteen years, movements that were produced by LeCoultre. The collaboration proved so successful that in 1937, the two watchmakers formed the Jaeger-LeCoultre company. Since the Grande Maison first began producing watches, JLC has created more than 1200 calibers. They continue to advance the art of watchmaking with complications that power some of the world’s finest watches.
