Jaeger-LeCoultre 'European Market' Memovox

Regular price
$4,650
Regular price
Sale price
$4,650
REF 3151
Manual-winding
34 MM
– Show less
SKU AS11453
Article Number 40980120
ref 3151
case size 34 MM
movement Manual-winding
approximate age 1950s
dial color Silver
material Stainless Steel
style Dress
category Vintage
bracelet Leather
lug width 18 MM
Includes calfskin strap with stainless steel pin buckle. good condition overall. case shows moderate wear consistent with age. dial and matching handset show heavy patination.
overall condition good condition overall. case shows moderate wear consistent with age. dial and matching handset show heavy patination.
REF 3151
Manual-winding
34 MM
– Show less
SKU AS11453
Article Number 40980120
ref 3151
case size 34 MM
movement Manual-winding
approximate age 1950s
dial color Silver
material Stainless Steel
style Dress
category Vintage
bracelet Leather
lug width 18 MM
Includes calfskin strap with stainless steel pin buckle. good condition overall. case shows moderate wear consistent with age. dial and matching handset show heavy patination.
overall condition good condition overall. case shows moderate wear consistent with age. dial and matching handset show heavy patination.

Why We Love it

**This watch is currently in service. It will ship promptly upon completion to ensure accurate timekeeping and functionality. Please contact our sales team for more details.

The first truly popular mechanical alarm wristwatch was the Vulcain Cricket — a post-war hit launched in 1947 that quickly became famous enough to land on the wrists of U.S. Presidents. Naturally, Jaeger-LeCoultre wasn’t going to sit that one out.

By the late 1940s, the Grande Maison began developing its own answer: the Memovox. And rather than simply copying the Cricket formula, JLC engineered an alarm system with its own distinct personality. The Memovox uses a hammer that strikes against a post welded to the caseback, creating a direct, purposeful ring. (The Cricket, by contrast, relies on a resonant double-caseback construction.) It’s a small technical detail — and exactly the kind of detail that makes the Memovox one of the most iconic models of post-war Swiss watchmaking.

This example dates to 1953, right in the early golden era of Memovox production. Housed in a crisp stainless steel case measuring 34mm wide (excluding the crown) and approximately 42mm lug-to-lug, it wears with ideal midcentury proportions: compact, elegant, and surprisingly modern. A domed plexiglass crystal completes the period-correct charm.

The sivered dial is original, and beautifully balanced around the Memovox’s signature inner alarm disc — a design that feels both refined and deeply functional. Inside beats the hand-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 489, a robust manual-wind movement built around the alarm complication that made the model famous.

Early Memovox watches were initially concentrated in Europe, but American-market models — in steel, two-tone, and 14K gold — were offered as early as 1951. These are signed “LeCoultre” on the dial rather than Jaeger-LeCoultre, and some even feature the coveted inner-case stamp: “Cased and Timed in the United States.”

This is the original reminder system — built before the world outsourced memory to screens.

This spectacular piece comes from the collection of Zaf Basha, a noted authority on Jaeger-LeCoultre who has published two books: Vintage Military Watches: A Guide for the Collector and Jaeger-LeCoultre: The Ultimate Guide for the Collector. Over the years, Basha put together one of the most impressive assemblages of vintage JLC timepieces in the world, and we're thrilled and honor to offer many of them for sale on Analog:Shift. 

Brand Story

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Few watchmaking concerns are as storied as Jaeger-LeCoultre. Though the maison is not technically a member of the “Holy Trinity” of Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin, one could easily make the argument that it should be: After all, it was JLC that supplied movements to Patek from the beginning of the 20th century through the early 30s.

Founded in 1833 by Antoine LeCoutlre in Le Sentier, Switzerland, the firm became the Jaeger-LeCoultre we know today when it merged with Parisian watchmaker Edmond Jaeger’s business in 1937. The two horological concerns collaborated on numerous projects before cementing their partnership, the most important of which was no doubt the Reverso. A sport watch with a reversible case, this ingenious timepiece was designed to offer protection to the watch dial — when engaged in sport or otherwise dangerous activity, the wearer would simply flip the case over, exposing its back to the world, rather than the vulnerable crystal.

But the Reverso is far from the only significant timepiece brought to market by JLC: The firm also produced the world’s thinnest pocket watch in 1907, powered by the Caliber 145. In 1929, the maison released the Caliber 101, still today the smallest mechanical movement. (Queen Elizabeth II wore a Caliber 101-equipped wristwatch to her coronation in 1953.) And perhaps no other watchmaker is world-renowned for their production of a clock in the way that JLC is famous for the Atmos. Invented by Jean-Léon Reutter, it’s powered by miniscule changes in atmospheric pressure — Edmon Jaeger acquired the patent and licensed it beginning in 1936. The Atmos is still produced in numerous forms today, and remains the Swiss government’s foremost diplomatic gift.

From classic, near-centuries old designs like the Reverso and the Atmos to modern über-complications such as the brilliant Master Gyrotourbillon, Jaeger-LeCoultre remains on the cutting edge of horological technology nearly two centuries after its founding.

A:S Guarantee

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Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a two-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

Shipping & Returns

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All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

Make it yours will fit standard 18mm watches

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Jaeger-LeCoultre 'European Market' Memovox

Jaeger-LeCoultre 'European Market' Memovox

Regular price
$4,650
Regular price
Sale price
$4,650
Jaeger-LeCoultre 'European Market' Memovox