# SiHH 2018 JLC Polaris Memovox unboxing



## treiz1337 (Aug 13, 2017)

Just in as of 3pm EST. My brand new acquisition.
































There was a ribbon tied in a bow here. I forgot to take a pic before unwrapping. I got a little excited.

















































































Initial thoughts:

The watch is solid and looks great. While this is 42 mm, the lugs slops downward with a good angle, making the watch wear even smaller. I have a 6" wrist. Depending on the how I twist or rest my wrist, the watch can look a little big for me. I expected screw down crowns for better water protection; However, the watch is rated at 200 meters. So I can forgo the screw down crown. Turning/winding the crowns is very enjoyable. The turning and setting of the alarm, time, date, and inner bezel is very smooth. The 2 o'clock crown adjust the date, alarm, and winds the alarm. The 3 o'clock crown is for the inner diving bezel timer. And the 4 o'clock crown is for the time.

Lug to Lug measurements is 48mm

My gripes:

50th anniversary with 1000 limited edition should be presented in a better box and presentation in general. The watch box could be a little more unique to mark the anniversary. I expected some extra accessories. I.E. straps, loupe magnifying glass, carry case, ect. The accessories and presentation is very underwhelming compare to other brand's Limited Editions. Blancpain and Omega usually comes in a unique box. Not only do Blancpain and Omega come with unique box set, they come with awesome accessories like straps and strap changing kit. With all the sneak peak of of the bracelet and leather strap, I expected at least two straps. Or at least give us books on the history of the Polaris... Even the Tribute to Geophysics 1958 and Tribute to Deep Sea Memovox came with a loupe and extra crystal.

instagram: @vietnomnomwinn
(Mostly pics of food and the countries I travel to. Every so often you will see some of my watches in my posts)


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## treiz1337 (Aug 13, 2017)

Another thing that I thought JLC should have done. JLC should have used applied markers for the inner timing bezel ring and alarm.


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## 92gli (Nov 18, 2011)

Looks fantastic! However, I'm annoyed on your behalf that the holes in the strap are so far apart. They can be much closer together when using a deployant because you're not pulling on it or having the tang catch on the strap while putting it on.


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## 92gli (Nov 18, 2011)

LOVE the texture of the strap though.

Lume shot please when you have a chance.


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## Jim44 (Jul 1, 2017)

Thanks for sharing I think it looks great in these pictures. I particularly like the way it looks on that strap.

If they were screw down crowns that might get a little annoying if you use the alarm and bezel fairly often 


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## bluedialer (Sep 16, 2011)

Thanks for the post, nice!
You know, having recently bought the LE Blue True Second, I can attest to receiving the same no frills content. Perhaps because these are E-Boutique exclusive models and people may now HAVE to buy it directly from there, they don't feel any inclination to include extras? 

Anyway ideally watches should be available for in person viewing at some real place, not only available by website. It's a flawed situation, because how many people will just order it to see it then just return it.


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## treiz1337 (Aug 13, 2017)

92gli said:


> LOVE the texture of the strap though.
> 
> Lume shot please when you have a chance.


Sorry for the potato quality pic. I will try to take a better one when I am home.
Another gripe is that the watch was not secured in the inner box or had a protective sleeve/casing.









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## dantan (Dec 16, 2014)

Nice!

Congratulations!

Wear yours in good health!

How did you get one so soon?!


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## Denizen (Jun 30, 2006)

Congrats! I wasn't aware that you can get this right away...expected a wait before they would ship.

Your comments about the bezel not being applied markers...actually, my preference would have been if the dial were done as painted. As it is, it's not very cohesive with the differences between the applied elements and the rest.

If this is only available thru the website, that is also less than optimal. If this marks how future special editions are to be sold, I am not a fan.


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## Lucien369 (Nov 4, 2014)

Personally I hate those big boxes. A small cardboard box including a nice and protective leather watch case will be perfect for me. Why invest so much in a package which will spend its life in the attic or garage together with other unnecessary and unneeded boxes? Hanhart did that at the end of the nineties. http://www.watchconcepts.com/images/Other/Fliegerchronograph_box.jpg


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## driggity (Feb 6, 2017)

Great looking watch. Can you measure what the strap width is at the lugs? It looks like it would be a great complement to my Deep Sea Chrono.


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## Bouske (Aug 15, 2012)

I’d also love to know the widh of the rubber straps. Would look great on my Deep Sea Chrono Cermet, which has a 22mm lug width.


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## treiz1337 (Aug 13, 2017)

The lug width is 21mm. The watch is somewhat thick. It does not bother me since it's is about the thinness of Omega's Dark Side of the Moon.









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## Redleg25 (Jul 12, 2015)

I had no idea these were available yet! Congratulations. Well played, sir. If the only real gripe is the box, then I'd say you're in good shape. I haven't even looked at my JLC box since the day I received the watch. You have yourself a real beauty there.


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## camb66 (Jan 25, 2010)

Jealous on so many levels! enjoy


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## dongster81 (Aug 12, 2016)

I also have 6 inch wrist like you.. Do the lugs overhang your wrist?


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## treiz1337 (Aug 13, 2017)

dongster81 said:


> I also have 6 inch wrist like you.. Do the lugs overhang your wrist?


No. The lugs stop right before my wrist edge. The lugs also curves downwards, hugging my wrist.

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## treiz1337 (Aug 13, 2017)

treiz1337 said:


> Sorry for the potato quality pic. I will try to take a better one when I am home.
> Another gripe is that the watch was not secured in the inner box or had a protective sleeve/casing.
> 
> 
> ...


Here are better pics of the lume.









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## Ramos84 (Feb 1, 2016)

Congrats on the purchase!! Looking good. 
Kudos to JLC for delivering a new release that quick. We're still getting some of last year's baselworld models here in Montreal 

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## dongster81 (Aug 12, 2016)

Thank you!! 1 more question. On the rubber strap, do you need to go on the last hole to fit you? And does it fit securely? I am glad to meet a small wrist buddy!


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## jkim92 (Sep 15, 2015)

That was quick. Great watch


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## treiz1337 (Aug 13, 2017)

dongster81 said:


> Thank you!! 1 more question. On the rubber strap, do you need to go on the last hole to fit you? And does it fit securely? I am glad to meet a small wrist buddy!


I wear the it the second from last hole on the watch. The last hole fits snug and very secure. I feel the second from last hole is better for wrist expansion during the day. When buckled on the second to last hole, the watch doesn't move much and is fairly comfortable.


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## clonetrooper (May 6, 2009)

Very nice watch...congrats! But I agree that the box and the entire presentation is somewhat poor and the rubber strap is nothing special. A nice leather strap would have been a great addition. 
How loud is the alarm? Does it wake you up or is it just a little ring??


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## Gunnar_917 (Feb 24, 2015)

I like the strap

how did you get it so soon


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## Gunnar_917 (Feb 24, 2015)

clonetrooper said:


> Very nice watch...congrats! But I agree that the box and the entire presentation is somewhat poor and the rubber strap is nothing special. A nice leather strap would have been a great addition.
> How loud is the alarm? Does it wake you up or is it just a little ring??


If you're a light sleeper the alarm works, if you're a heavy sleep you can sleep through it. I have a Memovox and the alarm is a gimmick, but a cool one none the less


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## El-Duderino (Feb 21, 2016)

Congrats!


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## Mystiqz (Oct 21, 2008)

Thanks for sharing!! Imma try to pick one up ASAP =P


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## brucethemanlee (Apr 8, 2016)

you got number 1 of 1000? wow! impressive!


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## bluedialer (Sep 16, 2011)

brucethemanlee said:


> you got number 1 of 1000? wow! impressive!


No that's how all if them are, just to state that it's one of a thousand in existence; no individual LE numbers. I guess 1 being written as "one" is supposed to be the tipoff.

This piece sure looks thick though, like Planet Ocean chronograph thick. How thick exactly?... Looks close to 16mm to me.


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## brucethemanlee (Apr 8, 2016)

bluedialer said:


> No that's how all if them are, just to state that it's one of a thousand in existence; no individual LE numbers. I guess 1 being written as "one" is supposed to be the tipoff.
> 
> This piece sure looks thick though, like Planet Ocean chronograph thick. How thick exactly?... Looks close to 16mm to me.


Ah got it thnx

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## treiz1337 (Aug 13, 2017)

bluedialer said:


> No that's how all if them are, just to state that it's one of a thousand in existence; no individual LE numbers. I guess 1 being written as "one" is supposed to be the tipoff.
> 
> This piece sure looks thick though, like Planet Ocean chronograph thick. How thick exactly?... Looks close to 16mm to me.


I don't have the right calibers to measure. But using a ruler, the thickness is 14mm.

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## brucethemanlee (Apr 8, 2016)

treiz1337 said:


> I don't have the right calibers to measure. But using a ruler, the thickness is 14mm.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


According to hodinkee it is 15.9mm thick

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/jaeger-lecoultre-polaris-memovox-limited-edition-introducing

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## treiz1337 (Aug 13, 2017)

You are right. The website even states that the thickness is 15.9. Measuring using the naked eye is quite tough.


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## bluedialer (Sep 16, 2011)

Wow was I close just eyeballing it without even the piece in hand.  Sometimes I get lucky. Was way off comparing to Planet Ocean Chrono though, which is 19mm (ridiculous). 16mm is still wearable, and for the alarm complication. Thicker than I'd personally want to do though. Regardless, awesome watch, hope you're enjoying!


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## wilson007 (Feb 4, 2014)

I'm so close to pulling the trigger on this, but I've never bought retail, and it's hard for me to change that mindset. Hopefully, 1000 is enough to keep some in circulation for preowned sometime down the line.


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## NMGE17 (Feb 9, 2006)

Congratulations! This is the first time in a long time I have seen a watch release and been so smitten right away.

Nigel


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## islands62 (Aug 3, 2013)

fast! i love the lume and new strap. I have a 65 tribute and am kind of debating on this piece.


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## treiz1337 (Aug 13, 2017)

wilson007 said:


> I'm so close to pulling the trigger on this, but I've never bought retail, and it's hard for me to change that mindset. Hopefully, 1000 is enough to keep some in circulation for preowned sometime down the line.


That's tough to say if the value will drop for Preowned. Based on JLC's past Limited tribute models (Geophysic, Deep Sea, Polaris), they are hard to come by and are going for a little above retail.

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## Porsche993 (Jan 6, 2017)

treiz1337 said:


> That's tough to say if the value will drop for Preowned. Based on JLC's past Limited tribute models (Geophysic, Deep Sea, Polaris), they are hard to come by and are going for a little above retail.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


Hard to say. 1000 examples is quite a lot. If 100 then I think you'd be right.


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## treiz1337 (Aug 13, 2017)

Porsche993 said:


> Hard to say. 1000 examples is quite a lot. If 100 then I think you'd be right.


1000 is not a lot of pieces though. Many of their tribute limited edition models in the past were close to 1000 pieces (tribute to Geophysic, Deep Sea Memovox, and Polaris). And all of them are going for over retail and pretty rare.

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## Porsche993 (Jan 6, 2017)

There were 800 of the 1958 Geophysic tributes in SS retailing for $9800. The actual recent sales price for the watch is $1-1.5K less than the retail price so not true they are selling for more. The 2008 Polaris Tribute was 768 pieces and was sold for ~$12K. I think its selling for around that price now.


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## Denizen (Jun 30, 2006)

There is no way to tell if the Polaris LE will go up, stay level, or go down in value.

I actually think it will go down in value after the initial interest is over. The other Polaris editions will have something to do with thisl. 

Very few special editions from JLC have climbed in value. A thousand pieces isn't nearly as limited as the OP thinks. We will have to see.


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## bmdaia (Aug 14, 2015)

No screw down crown??


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## rolexbaby (Jun 26, 2017)

Denizen said:


> There is no way to tell if the Polaris LE will go up, stay level, or go down in value.
> 
> I actually think it will go down in value after the initial interest is over. The other Polaris editions will have something to do with thisl.
> 
> Very few special editions from JLC have climbed in value. A thousand pieces isn't nearly as limited as the OP thinks. We will have to see.


i truly hope and pray pray pray that it will happen  i am so much in love with this model. i also find it hard to choose between memovox or polaris date as the latter is a lot cheaper but is 90% the same minus the alarm.


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## Denizen (Jun 30, 2006)

rolexbaby said:


> i truly hope and pray pray pray that it will happen  i am so much in love with this model. i also find it hard to choose between memovox or polaris date as the latter is a lot cheaper but is 90% the same minus the alarm.


Since the Memovox edition is only sold thru JLC, any price soften (if it happens)...will happen much later with this model compared to the date or chrono versions.


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## NM-1 (Apr 1, 2016)

There is a simplicity to this watch that I find incredibly appealing. Nice pick up!


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## KindaDevil (Oct 10, 2011)

bmdaia said:


> No screw down crown??
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I have never seen any JLC with screw down crown, I believe they just like to use their own methods, it was either the compressor crown or even the modern divers ISO certified have no screw down crown and are supposed to work perfectly under water.


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## nn350 (Jul 9, 2018)

Have you found that the memovox or bezel alignment change throughout the day while wearing due to the crowns rubbing against your arms and not being screw down?


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## skinnyjay (Oct 21, 2010)

Slick watch. Good info.


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## Mbarmash (Sep 10, 2019)

Does anyone how has this watch changed the strap? I assume it would look good in a nice tan but was hoping to see pictures. Also since it’s a high watch and the rubber strap fits perfectly, I am curious if a leather strap would change the feel. Right now it fits awesome. 

On the screw down crown question, they warranty for 8 years. I have worn a lot in the water no issue. The real issue is that that interior rotating bezzel does not lock via a screw down or even pull out crown. It spins on its own. Drives me nuts. Do I need to time non dive related activities with a bezzel. No. But for 12k I damn well think I should be able to. Further it’s always off center which drives me crazy. This one thing is such a huge miss this watch may not be the keeper I thought it would be. Yes I’m picky but the point of watches is to admire the beauty and the meticulous attention to detail. How this passed user testing is beyond me.


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