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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →The Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Polaris was an automatic alarm watch designed with divers in mind. Its alarm offered an audible time signal, while a rotating inner timing bezel, three crowns and a sound-transmitting case back set it apart from a conventional Memovox. Jaeger-LeCoultre dates the Polaris to the mid-to-late 1960s, although its own pages disagree on the launch year and publish different water-resistance figures.
What was the Memovox Polaris?
The Polaris combined Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Memovox alarm complication with features intended for underwater timing. The brand says the alarm was meant to remind a diver when it was time to return to the surface. That is the watch’s historical purpose as described by Jaeger-LeCoultre; an alarm watch is not a substitute for dive planning, a dive computer or appropriate safety equipment.
The Polaris belonged to a broader effort to make a practical alarm watch suited to a sporting context. Jaeger-LeCoultre describes early scuba diving as creating demand for precision timing devices, and presents its self-winding alarm calibre as an answer to that need. The design’s identity came from the combination of alarm, timing bezel and case construction, rather than from the alarm alone.
When did it launch?
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s official history does not give one consistent launch year. Its Collectibles timeline labels a Memovox Polaris entry “1965,” while the brand’s dedicated Polaris history says the watch launched in 1968. The pages do not explain the discrepancy, so it is safest to place the Polaris in the mid-to-late 1960s rather than state either year as definitive.
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How was the historical watch built?
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s dedicated history gives the watch a 42 mm diameter, a substantial size for its era. Its indexes and Arabic numerals used luminescent tritium, and three off-centre crowns controlled separate functions. A rotating inner bezel provided a way to track elapsed time without relying on a conventional external dive bezel.
The alarm’s sound had to be audible through the watch case. Jaeger-LeCoultre describes a three-layer case back pierced by 16 holes to improve sound transmission, alongside a patented Compressor case system: a spring-loaded compression mechanism acting on a flat rubber gasket. This construction aimed to accommodate the alarm while maintaining water protection.
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Water-resistance figures differ by official page
The dedicated Polaris history states 30 bar. The official Collectibles listing for reference QVE85901 gives water resistance to a depth of 200 metres. Jaeger-LeCoultre does not reconcile the two figures on those pages. They should therefore be attributed to their respective sources, not treated as interchangeable or silently combined into a single specification.
How did the Calibre 825 alarm work?
Jaeger-LeCoultre identifies automatic Calibre 825 as the historical Polaris movement. The brand lists 241 components and a 60-hour power reserve. In addition to the timekeeping train, the calibre had a separate barrel for the alarm and an indication showing the selected alarm time.
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The listed indications were hours, minutes, seconds, date and alarm time. In practical terms, the wearer could set the alarm to sound at a chosen time; the case-back design was intended to help carry that sound. The available brand descriptions establish the mechanism’s purpose and construction, but do not provide an independent test of how audible it was underwater.
How does the Polaris compare with modern models?
The contemporary Polaris family carries forward design cues and sporting associations, but not every Polaris is an alarm watch. The key distinction is functional: a Polaris Date has no listed alarm, while a Polaris Mariner Memovox retains the complication.
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| Model or reference | Alarm | Movement and functions | Size and water resistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historical Memovox Polaris | Yes | Automatic Calibre 825; time, date and alarm-time indications, with seconds | 42 mm; dedicated history says 30 bar, while the QVE85901 Collectibles page says 200 metres |
| Polaris Date Q9068650 | No | Calibre 899AB; time, date, seconds and rotating rehaut. Jaeger-LeCoultre lists 70 hours of power reserve, 28,800 vibrations per hour and 32 jewels on its product page | 42 mm and 200 m on the current US product page |
| Polaris Mariner Memovox Q903818J | Yes | Automatic alarm watch; the listing identifies the Memovox complication | 42 mm and 30 bar on the current product listing |
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s current Polaris Date pages present the rotating inner bezel and broader design language as part of the collection’s sporting lineage, but the Date’s Calibre 899 is distinct from the historical alarm Calibre 825. Current product specifications can change; the figures above describe the listed models and pages, not every Polaris Date or Mariner variant.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to check when considering a vintage example
A vintage Polaris is more than a reference number: condition, originality and service history matter. The cited Jaeger-LeCoultre pages establish the model’s broad specifications but do not provide market-price guidance or an assessment of any particular watch. For a specific example, verify its reference and provenance, and have its condition and service documentation assessed by a qualified specialist. Do not assume that a replacement component or strap is compatible based on the model family alone.
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Why the Polaris remains distinctive
The Polaris joined a useful complication to a recognizably purpose-built design: an alarm for time signalling, a rotating inner bezel, three crowns, a large case for its period and a case back engineered to transmit sound. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s modern Polaris Date models borrow parts of that visual vocabulary, while current Mariner Memovox watches show that the alarm remains part of the family’s present-day range.
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