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Lecoultre Memovox

artisgil
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This is a pretty interesting watch I picked up and my favorite antique store. Apparently they don't put the name Jaeger as well, because the movement was imported from Switzerland during times of high tariff, and the case was made in the united states and the whole watch was assembled in the United States in order to save money.. Oh boy this sounds familiar! I tried to take off the case and was able to, but there's some type of cover over the movement.So i'm going to take it to my watchmaker. The watch works perfectly and the alarm works well and it really is a beautiful vintage and not too expensive watch.And as far as I can tell, it looks pretty original.But as always, I am never sure about dials and crowns, I guess, that comes with experience. Cheers 🍻

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Dan S
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Stylish watch. At first glance, I'm inclined to say that the dial is ok. The inner dial may have been cleaned at some point.
 
artisgil
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Dan S Dan S
Stylish watch. At first glance, I'm inclined to say that the dial is ok. The inner dial may have been cleaned at some point.
Thank you Dan!
 
jshopper1
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Nice watch!

Some LeCoultres that we see today have signed crowns, some not. How about yours? Do yours match?

There is no consensus as to why this is. Some say that the unsigned crowns are replacements. I wonder if S&W (the US case manufacturer) just installed what they had in stock at the time. We may never know.
 
artisgil
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jshopper1 jshopper1
Nice watch!

Some LeCoultres that we see today have signed crowns, some not. How about yours? Do yours match?

There is no consensus as to why this is. Some say that the unsigned crowns are replacements. I wonder if S&W (the US case manufacturer) just installed what they had in stock at the time. We may never know.
Hi One crown is signed i'm not sure why the other one is not.Maybe it's aftermarket replacement?
 
artisgil
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Just to let everybody know, I think I got burned on this watch the dial looks original.However, it has a bumper movement and apparently the dial should say automatic if it's associated with a bumper movement, so I believe this watch was probably cobbled together. And although many of the pieces may be original it's probably not the original movement, which should be a manual. I had watch appraised by a watchmaker (1100) So I didn't lose any money because I only paid six hundred and it's probably worth at least that but a bit disappointed, but a good learning lesson. Still, I enjoy wearing and the alarm works so helps me get up and go to work! Cheers
 
gatorcpa
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artisgil artisgil
However, it has a bumper movement and apparently the dial should say automatic if it's associated with a bumper movement,
I don’t understand what you mean here. Is the watch you posted not your example?

The watch you posted looks exactly as it should. A dust cover that doubles as a resonator for the alarm covering a manual wind movement. It can’t be a bumper automatic as it would be way too thick to fit in that case.

$600 is a pretty good price for any Jaeger-LeCoultre watch in working condition.

Even better for a Memovox.
gatorcpa
 
artisgil
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
I don’t understand what you mean here. Is the watch you posted not your example?

The watch you posted looks exactly as it should. A dust cover that doubles as a resonator for the alarm covering a manual wind movement. It can’t be a bumper automatic as it would be way too thick to fit in that case.

$600 is a pretty good price for any Jaeger-LeCoultre watch in working condition.

Even better for a Memovox.
gatorcpa
I'll take a look.I have to have my watchmaker take off that dust cover. When I shake the watch, it feels like a bumper. That's why I'm saying that, but maybe I'm completely wrong. As soon as I get pictures, I'll post them. Thank you as always.

I'll look for a video to see how to take off that dust cover. And if I'm able to or post a picture, if not, I'll have my watchmaker. Take care. Thank you.
 
gatorcpa
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artisgil artisgil
When I shake the watch, it feels like a bumper.
What you are feeling, particularly if the alarm barrel is unwound, is slack in the alarm hammer. There is a metal post attached to the dust cover on this model which produces the alarm when struck by the hammer.

If the hammer is loose, sometimes it will touch the post if the watch is shaken. This is normal and expected.
gatorcpa
 
artisgil
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Ohh, thank you makes me feel better.Although in any event, I love the watch, it runs great and keeps awesome time.Take care and thanks as always
 
Dan S
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Did you try winding the alarm? That should stop the bumping.
 
artisgil
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Dan S Dan S
Did you try winding the alarm? That should stop the bumping.
No, I didn't dan.Thanks for the advice I'll give it a go
 
artisgil
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
What you are feeling, particularly if the alarm barrel is unwound, is slack in the alarm hammer. There is a metal post attached to the dust cover on this model which produces the alarm when struck by the hammer.

If the hammer is loose, sometimes it will touch the post if the watch is shaken. This is normal and expected.
gatorcpa
Thank you
 
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