In 2018, Jaeger-LeCoultre extensively relaunched its Polaris collection to mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic Memovox Polaris from 1968. Of course the watches got a major technical upgrades, although much of the overall design has been retained. In particular the numerals at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock, the trapezoidal hour markers and the small triangle for the alarm function are inherited design highlights of the original, which are dearly loved by fans and collectors of the brand.
Jaeger LeCoultre just added two new watches to the its Polaris collection. They now bear the addition “Mariner” and, more importantly, close a significant gap.
JLC has vastly expanded its Polaris collection over the past two years. You can find pretty much everything in there from three-handers, over Memovox models (with an alarm function), all the way to pink gold chronographs and world time watches. What has always been missing, however, was a genuine dive watch. The original from 1969 was designed as such after all.
This changed with the new Polaris Mariner Date, a straightforward dive watch that focuses on readability and ease of use. The stark contrast between the uncluttered, deep blue dial and the bright Super-LumiNova® luminous material ensures the best possible legibility, which is guaranteed to a depth of 300m. Thanks to the ISO 6425 standard, testing aspects such as pressure resistance and bracelet tensile force (amongst other things), even the most ambitious divers can explore the ocean depths carefree with the Mariner Date.
Another new feature is an orange-colored ring in the 2 o’clock crown, which only appears if the crown is not properly screwed down. The reason is quite simple: The ring basically acts as a reminder to the wearer to check the crown, as the decompression stops required for the dive are set by the internal rotating bezel. For this purpose, it has to be unscrewed every once in a while, posing a potential risk.
The second novelty, the Polaris Mariner Memovox, is essentially like the Date version just with the addition of an alarm function – hence the name “Memovox”. By means of a small triangle in the center of the dial, which picks up the same orange accents of the protective mechanism ring at 2 o’clock, divers can set an alarm function. It is a handy feature, as the audible signal reminds divers to surface again. (Bear in mind, however, that the additional complication increases the overall height by approximately 2mm to 15.63mm.) Like the Mariner Date, the Mariner Memovox is an ISO-6425 certified diver and waterproof to 300m.
More information can be found here.
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Very thoughtfully executed with the orange lume dots, thumbs up!
I suppose this step was a no-brainer, although a welcome one.
Then again I’m wondering who splashes over 10k for a JLC diver.