Why This Watch Matters Here we have the seldom seen Jaeger-LeCoultre "Snowdrop" Memovox with a black dial. This round alarm watch is surprisingly satisfying on the wrist. The Full Story Other than the iconic Reverso, the Memovox is one of Jaeger-LeCoultre's most well known watches. JLC debuted the first Memovox in the early 1950s and the firm has made many upgrades to the model with a large number of variations over the decades. The first Memovox watches used an automatic "bumper" style caliber, but JLC eventually upgraded the movement to a more conventional automatic movement with a standard oscillating weight. The Snowdrop features the latter movement style inside a top-loading one-piece case, meaning one must remove the bezel, crowns, and dial to access the movement. The Memovox collection has seen many different case silhouettes over the years, but one of the most memorable designs is the circular Snowdrop seen here. The Snowdrop features a large round case with hidden lugs, a two-piece black dial with a rotating central portion that sets the alarm function, and dual crowns. The upper crown is used to adjust and wind the alarm, while the bottom crown is for setting the time and date as well as manually winding the caliber. Despite the large 42.5mm case, the Snowdrop hugs the wrist quite nicely because of the absence of lugs. JLC made approximately 2,000 total Snowdrops, so finding a nice example with a black dial is getting more and more difficult. The dial has an outer ring in dark grey on its periphery, which complements the rest of the dial tone quite nicely. The Fine Print Maker: Jaeger-LeCoultre Model: 'Snowdrop' Memovox Reference: E877Year: Circa early 1970s Case No: 1299914Material: Stainless steel Dimensions: 42.5mm diameter; 14mm thicknessCrystal: Mineral glass Lume: Yes, tritium Caliber: Automatic 916 Bracelet/Strap: HODINKEE Light Beige Lug Width: 20mm Box/Papers: No What we Love and What You Should Know This Snowdrop is in nice condition. The case is strong with scratches. The finishing is mostly intact on the top side of the case. The engraving on the caseback is nearly entirely visible and intact. A few letters show some signs of wear. The caseback has signs of light pitting near the upper crown and toward the center on the side of the crowns. The dial and hands are in good condition with light patina. The white alarm ring in the center of the dial shows some wear. The lume plots at five and eight o’clock are mostly gone. The lume on the dial and hands is close to matching in color. The one, two, four, seven, nine, and ten o’clock lume plots have a bit of brown-red colored patina on each. The alarm function is working properly. The crystal has scratches and a small nick on the edge of the crystal between eight and nine o’clock.
