Fall proved to be a fruitful season for Jaeger-LeCoultre treasures hunters as three extremely rare watches hit the auction block. Each one of the three watches embodies the spirit of innovation and aesthetics dear to the brand with a special twist, which makes them a treasure for collectors. Thanks to their unique features and provenance, they all contribute to enrich the brand’s heritage archives. Last but not least, all three pieces beat their highest estimate.
- LUCKY 13 Reference 3027 sold for USD 62’500 at Phillips
- MEMOVOX Reference 3161 sold for EUR 61’100 at Monaco Legend
- MEMODATE POLARIS Reference E859 sold for CHF 40’000 at Phillips
Reminiscing the roaring 60’s, while men conquer space and seas, gentlemen wish to work, travel and dive in style. Amidst the technological revolution, Jaeger-LeCoultre releases three unique watches, a Memovox reference 3161 made in platinum, a Memodate Polaris reference E859 and the Lucky 13 featuring the number 13 at every hour marker.
Memovox stands for the “voice of memory” and was known as the most reliable alarm watch at the time it was released. The model sold at Monaco Legend, the Memovox 3161, is considered as one of the most collectible piece ever produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre as well as extremely rare as it is made in platinum and features the iconic alarm complication. Moreover, the piece is accompanied by the extract of the archives from Jaeger-LeCoultre confirming its production in 1962.
Surfing on the trend of “complications with a practical purpose” typical of the 60’s, Jaeger-LeCoultre makes a diver’s version of the Memovox known as the Polaris is the United States and the Skin Diver Memovox in Europe. The reference E859 offers both a visual timer in the inner bezel and an auditory alarm which vibrates against the skin for ultimate safety. Whereas most Memovox dials do not bear any inscriptions apart from the brand name, the Polaris sold at Phillips is stamped Memodate, a particularity hardly ever seen.
From the deep sea to space, it was only a short step taken by Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1962 with the Lucky 13. On Friday April 13th, thirteen Senators gathered at the Anti-Superstition Society presented the Lucky 13 to Colonel John H. Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit Earth. Featuring the number 13 at every hour marker on the dial, the watch commemorates his spacecraft capsule number 13 and is an ode to the rejection of the number 13 as unlucky. Produced and assembled in the United States, the Lucky 13 is a further testimony of the tight links between Jaeger-LeCoultre and the American market.
Jaeger-LeCoultre is very proud to actively participate in discovering and tracing its legendary watches provenance. The three pieces sold at auction this fall epitomize the brand’s avant-garde and refined style. They are part of the rich and complex history of our brand which is yet to be fully unveiled and definitely to be continued.
