Hi guys, just came by this on an auction site. I'm not extremely familiar with JLC's, so I'd like your help. It's a 60's Memovox, no caliber specified, only "mechanical", which would mean 815 or 825 movement? (or is mechanical not the same as automatic?) Crowns are unsigned replacements. There's no movement shot, which I have asked for but not yet received. What bothers me is that I've not been able to find a single example with a similar dial. The color combination is either very rare, or fake. The "Swiss" writing at the bottom also looks different from normal ones. Here are the auction pictures. Below that two pics of a verified original one.
I think you are looking in the wrong place. This is likely a manual wind movement, Cal. 814 or K814. It’s is from the mid to late 1950’s, based on the case serial number. The crowns are mismatched, but the originals may have been unsigned, so one of them may be correct. Dial is similar to the E858 below, but the case is a different reference. Overall, I think it is a nice watch, but a movement shot would be helpful. It is possible the dial is a replacement, but not sure either way. All comes down to price. gatorcpa
Think I found the case reference: Ref. 3151 at lower left. Not sure if your dial style was available on this watch. It’s possible. gatorcpa PS - Found one! Belongs to our own @adam78. Even has the blue minutes track. http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=6779994&rid=12189#msg_6779994
It definitely is a k814; manual winding. k815 is automatic bumper, k825 has a date wheel. They were produced concurrently (one didn't necessarily replace any other) during the 50s and 60s. The "SWISS" is fine, I think. I own a couple of memovoxes myself, and have researched them a bunch. I've never seen one with the blue print along the inner dial; doesn't mean that it can't exist...I might ask Zaf Basha over at classicwatch.com; he is probably as expert (apparently @gatorcpa is, as well!!) as anyone else I know. For a k814 with unsigned crowns...I agree with @gatorcpa that I would not pay very much.
@gatorcpa and @wkimmd Thanks so much for your investigative work and info! Apparently I still have a lot to learn in terms of research. I'll stay on the lookout for an 815 or 825.
Hint: If it doesn’t say “Automatic” on the dial, it is a manual wind. Not sure why you would reject this watch. Unsigned crowns were normal until the adoption of the “JL” logo. Much easier to replace unsigned crowns. Since the logo is not present on the dial, I would presume this watch predates the logo. Looks nice to me. gatorcpa
I'll keep an eye on the auction, but I suspect it will run higher than what I'm willing to pay. It's currently at €550 with a few days to go. If it gets expensive, I'd rather spend some more on an automatic one with the champagne dial (like the bottom two pics in my opening post), because I find that look more attractive.
These are mine. I love the k825s - I think the alarm function is so underrated and so useful. And I agree the champagne dial is awesome!!