On the Road to SIHH 2018 – What You’ll See on MONOCHROME (And there’s a lot…)
The SIHH 2018, the first watch fair of the year, kicks off on Monday, 15 January. And we will be there with the “big guns”… For five days, 18 of the most prestigious and established brands, as well as 17 independent watchmakers, will unveil their new collections and we, at MONOCHROME, are committed to bring you all the important novelties and make sure that you don’t miss anything from the show. Here’s what you can expect to see.
Today we’re looking back at the iconic Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Polaris, an extremely rare and somewhat mysterious dive watch — which lately has been garnering a lot of attention. The Memovox Polaris was an extremely functional offering, delivered by Jaeger-LeCoultre during a time when the world was fascinated by deep sea exploration. The 1950s and ’60s are referred to as the ‘golden age’ of dive watchmaking, and the Polaris was certainly a highlight of that period, which is why we’re taking a look at it today. Most of you should be familiar with the famous Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox, given recent reissue pieces and famous ‘barn finds’ in the last few years. But if you’re new to the JLC Memovox Polaris (ref E859), we can understand why. Only 1714 were made — making it far less common than the Memomox timepieces from the same period. The first Memovox Polaris prototype was developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre in the early 1960s, before being released in minimal volumes in the late ’60s. Basically, it was a beefed-up Memovox — designed with deep-diving and wetsuits in mind (not cocktails and tailored suits). So, how was the Memovox Polaris different to a ‘regular Memovox’? Well, firstly, the Polaris was a dive…
