A Star is Reborn: Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Polaris Collection
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Polaris collection revives the spirit of the iconic Memovox Polaris into a new collection of vintage-inspired sports watches.
Highly regarded for their elegant timepieces and masterful complications, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been at the forefront of watchmaking excellence for 185 years. The Swiss manufacturer has designed more than 1200 calibers but one thing has been missing from Jaeger-LeCoultre’s lineup—a definitive family of sports watches. Inspired by the iconic Memovox Polaris, Jaeger-LeCoultre has developed a new collection to make an elegant statement in the sports watch market. More than simply a tribute watch, this new collection encompasses five entirely new models infused with the spirit of the original timepiece.
The Polaris collection draws its inspiration from the Memovox Polaris of 1968, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s ingenious combination of a vibrating alarm function with a fully capable diving watch. In terms of design, the original Memovox Polaris broke the mold for dive watch aesthetics. Most other dive watches in this era were bulky instruments with external rotating bezels and large cases, while the Memovox Polaris had an elegant form with sleek lugs and a rotating inner bezel. Many of the design elements that made it a stand-out watch 50 years ago have been applied to this new generation of sports watches.
A HISTORIC HOMAGE
A single glance at the new models reveals that they are clear descendants of the 1968 Memovox Polaris, refined with the perfect mix of vintage styling and contemporary refinements. Immediately apparent are the large crowns and clean dial composition. Adorned with trapezoidal indices and arabic numerals, the Polaris’ distinctive dial architecture combines a mixture of finishing treatments on three concentric circles to add visual depth to the dial. The unique triple-tone dial is a striking combination of sunray-finish at the center dial, grained-finish by the indices and a satin-finish on the rotating inner bezel.
The cases for the Polaris collection are brand new, with proportions designed for an elegant sports watch. They feature an eye-catching combination of brushed and hand-polished surfaces, with sharp, plunging lugs and thin, rounded bezels. The case is seamlessly integrated with a newly designed three-link metal bracelet featuring polished and brushed finished surfaces. The straps are interchangeable for alligator leather or calfskin that is offered with an aged leather patina in both light and dark brown.
SOPHISTICATED & SPORTY
Each of the five new introductions follow the same basic form, but are endowed with different technical functions that add to the functionality of the individual models. The simplest model in the collection is the Polaris Automatic, a 41mm time-only automatic watch. At 42mm, the Polaris Date is slightly larger and includes an integrated date window in the three o’clock position. Issued in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces, the new Polaris Memovox is a modern interpretation of the iconic timepiece from 1968. This model retains the iconic three-crown design and incorporates the special vibrating alarm function made famous by the 1968 Memovox Polaris. The Polaris Chronograph adopts its design cues from the collection but branches off from the dive watch DNA by integrating an entirely different function—a dual-register chronograph. At 44mm, the Polaris Chronograph WT is the largest and most complicated timepiece in the collection, incorporating chronograph, GMT and world time functions.
These new models channel the brand’s heritage of watchmaking expertise and attention to detail to create a foundational sports watch collection, one that redefines sporty elegance. Designed for a wide variety of lifestyles, these vintage-inspired sports watches are elegant enough to wear to the office yet robust enough for a day in the ocean.
