Ask your forefathers about their memories of the Sixties and it's likely you'll receive an edited version of events. Psychedelic gauntlets aren't tales for the dinner table. But your parents (and grandparents) aren't the only ones with a few stories. Benedict Cumberbatch may not have lived through the decade of peace love, but his watch for The Current War premiere certainly has.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox Limited Edition is a direct lift from a Sixties classic. The esteemed Swiss marque is known for lavish pieces well-worn on the red carpets of Cannes, but this watch is more of its time: a future-noir dial that's more Blade Runner than Palme d'Or, all mounted on a functional, dive-friendly rubber strap.
Such details stand out amid the classic fare of today. But in the Sixties, watchmaking was an industry in flux. The space race prompted traditional manufactures to redraw the lines, to try out new things. On Christmas Day 1969 Seiko released the first quartz wristwatch, the Quartz-Astron 35SQ. A few months earlier, Omega had put a watch on the moon, strapped to the wrist of Buzz Aldrin. Everywhere, haute horlogerie took a sci-fi turn, and that futuristic approach even extended to the aesthetics of classic marques like Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox Limited Edition
And now, it's back. The most recent Polaris Memovox is as technically accomplished inside as it is attractive on the out, boasting an impressive Calibre 956 that can trace its roots to the very first Memovox of 1951. As an automatic mechanical movement, its 45-hour power reserve is also beefy enough to support an alarm function: handy, especially when the Polaris Memovox is, at its core, a sports watch.
Not one you'd wear on a workout, mind (this Jaeger-LeCoultre is limited to just 1,000 pieces worldwide, you madman). No. This watch is to serve as a reminder. A reminder that you've got a very big piece of horology on the wrist, sure, but also a reminder of wilder days - days your grandad pretends he can't remember, but which your watch is happy to relive.
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