Luxury watch manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre has reworked on its diver’s watch – the Memovox Deep Sea – and come up with a new model which is bound to astound all. After presenting in 2008 two faithful interpretations of historical diver’s watches, the Memovox Tribute to Polaris 1965 and the Memovox Tribute to Polaris 1968, the watch brand is returning to the very roots of the diver’s watch by introducing a re-edition of the 1959 Memovox Deep Sea, named Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea.
The distinctive characteristic of the original model lays in the fact that it was interpreted in two versions: one for European sports enthusiasts and the other for American divers. In homage to its rich past and to the delight of fine watchmaking connoisseurs, Jaeger-LeCoultre is unveiling a faithful limited-series re-edition of the two 1959 Memovox Deep Sea models.
The Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea faithfully replicates the original model, except in one respect: the stainless steel case has been slightly enlarged from 39.8 to 40.5 mm. The case-back carries the motif appearing on the 1959 watch, featuring a frogman surrounded by bubbles. The watch also comes in two versions, each bearing the appearance of one of the historical variations.
While the European model features a matt black dial with luminescent hour-markers, its American counterpart is distinguished by a two-tone black/grey execution surrounded by an external ring comprising a scale with five-minute graduations and simply signed “LeCoultre”. The two versions offer the same range of functions: hours, minutes, central seconds and an alarm. A crown at 2 o’clock serves to wind and set the alarm, while another at 4 o’clock is used to wind the movement and set the time.
The Memovox tribute to Deep Sea is issued in two limited series: 959 reproducing the “Jaeger-LeCoultre Classique 1959” intended for the European market; and 359 inspired by the “LeCoultre Spécial Amérique 1959”. The last two digits of each edition echo the birth year of this legendary watch. Driven by a determination to pay homage to one of the treasures of the company heritage, the watchmakers have chosen to protect the dial of the watch with a Plexiglas watch glass absolutely identical to that which equipped the historical models – exactly the kind of detail that connoisseurs will appreciate at its true worth.
