Faithfully Inheriting the Maison's Aesthetics: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner

JAEGER-LECOULTRE

Two High-Performance Dive Watches Join the Polaris Collection

Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces two new models to its collection, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner, paying homage to the brand's distinguished diving watch heritage and over a century of expertise in minute repeaters.

Text by OZAKI Sayaka | Edit by TSUCHIDA Takashi

A Diver's Watch Merging Contemporary Aesthetics with High Performance

Launched in the 1950s, Jaeger-LeCoultre's "Memovox" became a benchmark for alarm calibers in wristwatches, thanks to the manufacture's exceptional chiming mechanism expertise. This innovation found its way not only into timepieces designed for urban lifestyles but also into watches for underwater sports.

At the time, scuba diving was a perilous and demanding military activity, and with watches being the only available tool during dives, the demand for professional-grade diving watches was escalating. In 1959, Jaeger-LeCoultre met this demand with its unique solution: the Memovox automatic movement, which signaled the time to return to the surface with an alarm.

This was followed in 1968 by the "Memovox Polaris," which featured a rotating inner bezel, an alarm, and a three-layer case back designed to enhance sound transmission.

Faithfully Inheriting the Maison's Aesthetics: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner | JAEGER-LECOULTRE

The present models carry forward this legacy of diving watches. They are presented in two variations: the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Memovox and the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Date, which perfectly blend the ISO 6425 compliant diving specifications with the sporty design of the contemporary Polaris collection.

The 42mm stainless steel case embodies the Polaris collection's key design codes, featuring clean lines, a sapphire crystal, and a dynamic interplay of brushed and polished finishes. While upholding its mission as a high-performance diving watch, it offers water resistance to 30 bar. The crown for operating the inner bezel is screw-down to prevent accidental activation. An orange security band alerts divers if the crown is not fully secured.

The dial faithfully follows the aesthetic of the contemporary Polaris collection, composed of three concentric circles in a deep gradient blue, accented by bold trapezoidal indices and three Arabic numerals. Each disc features a distinct texture: the center disc is sunray-finished, complemented by a subtle grain finish on the middle ring and an opaline finish on the outer ring, which serves as the unidirectional rotating bezel.

The hands, indices, and numerals are coated with Super-LumiNova®, ensuring excellent legibility in low-light conditions, a crucial requirement for diving watches. The hour and minute hands are distinguished by different colors for maximum diver safety. The seconds hand, with its orange tip, enhances visibility during the day and features a luminous coating in the center to prevent confusion with the other hands.

The automatic Caliber 956 movement powering this watch is a direct descendant of Jaeger-LeCoultre's first automatic alarm watch caliber, completely redesigned by the manufacture's engineers for this latest generation of alarm watches. While previous Memovox models had gongs attached to a closed case back, this new model features a sapphire crystal see-through case back, allowing the movement of the hammers to be admired. The chiming mechanism has been entirely re-engineered, with the gongs now mounted on the case side for this model. An open-worked tungsten rotor reveals the striking mechanism and the delicate Côtes de Genève decoration on the movement plates. The distinctive "school bell" alarm sound, a hallmark of Jaeger-LeCoultre alarm watches, is preserved.

Furthermore, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Memovox retains the three-crown structure characteristic of early Memovox diving watches. The upper crown controls the alarm and rotates the central disc on the dial to set the triangular pointer to the desired alarm time. The middle crown operates the inner bezel for diving, while the lower crown is used for setting the time.

In contrast, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Date is a classic diving watch without an alarm function. It features an elapsed time indicator (seconds hand) and a unidirectional rotating inner bezel, along with an instantaneous date display. Following the typical two-crown configuration of super-compressor-type diving watches, the upper crown operates the inner bezel, while the lower crown sets the time and date. This model is equipped with the automatic Caliber 899 movement, which, thanks to technical improvements by the engineers, offers an extended power reserve of 70 hours.

Combining robust functionality with distinctive beauty, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner is a tribute to the Maison's first diving watches and its historical timepieces.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Memovox

Ref. | Q9038180
Movement | Automatic (Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 956)
Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, alarm, unidirectional rotating inner bezel
Power Reserve | 45 hours
Case Material | SS
Case Size | 42 × 15.63 mm
Bracelet Material | SS
Water Resistance | 30 bar
Price | ¥1,864,000 (excluding tax)