Of makers and milestones
For a watchmaking brand like Jaeger-LeCoultre, so steeped in history, and the bedrock for many other watchmakers who relied on its movements, it seems altogether natural that its archives make for fascinating study. A fact which emerged recently is that although the Memovox Polaris debuted back in 1968, Jaeger-LeCoultre never made more than 2,500 Polaris in the entire 50-year span up till 2018.
However, the idea of the Polaris, and of how it addressed the need of its current zeitgeist, was convincing enough to result in this year’s reintroduction of the sleeper hit from 1968. This time around, the watchmaker unveils a much more extensive and complete collection. The idea behind this year’s approach is largely based on the idea of relevance. The timepiece was conceived in terms of its application in addressing men of today; those who require a piece reflecting the versatility of various wear – be it a suit, jeans or tuxedo. Or perhaps, to transition from active afternoons to languorous evenings. In a phrase: sporty elegance.
Hence, the Polaris spirit finds itself occupying a bridge of vintage and contemporary. This spirit is physically manifested on the dial with three concentric circles, displaying graining on the outer circle meeting a sunray finish centre. These design elements hark back to the Memovox Polaris as does the historical black dial which is returns for the 2018 iteration, as well as an introductory version in ocean blue. Another recurring design cue is of its Super LumiNova in a vintage vanilla on a couple of models, an homage to a similar-coloured Tritium found on the precursor.
This year’s collection is built on a 41mm steel Polaris Automatic (RM30,000 with matching bracelet) with two crowns for time adjustment and an inner rotating bezel. A choice of steel or gold are the options for the slightly larger Polaris Chronograph in its 42mm case (RM38,900 for steel with calf leather and RM94,500 for the gold). The Polaris Date in its 42mm steel case (RM30,400 with rubber strap) incorporates another vintage feature – a raise crystal to evoke the glass box of the earlier Polaris and timepieces of its era. Global nomads will find the artful Polaris Chronograph World Time to be most useful, with an additional crown for rotating the city discs within a 44mm titanium case (RM56,600 with alligator leather).
Finally, the most coveted piece in this collection release is surely the 1,000-piece limited Polaris Memovox (RM49,500) with its three-crown design in 42mm steel. This tribute to the timepiece which started it all possesses the same alarm function of the 1968 model. Residing within the new Memovox’s case is the calibre 956, equipped with a striking mechanism – a worthy descendant to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s highly regarded alarm watch movements.
