Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm European Model

Vulcain might have been the first manufacturer to produce a wrist alarm: the Cricket, in 1947. But Jaeger-LeCoultre took the concept and perfected it with the Memovox, released in 1950. Like the Cricket, the Memovox utilizes a unique twin-crown system (the top crown to wind and set the alarm, the bottom winding and setting the time). But JLC developed a different alarm mechanism: a hammer that strikes against a post welded to the case back whereas Cricket models used a resonant two-piece caseback design. In so doing, JLC set itself apart, and created one of the most iconic models of post-war watchmaking.  Such an icon of horology lends itself very well to adaptation for many different purposes. In the late 1950s, brands such as Rolex and Blancpain released some of the first dedicated dive watches: the Submariner and the Fifty Fathoms, respectively. JLC followed suit with the Deep Sea Alarm. Released in 1959, the Deep Sea Alarm made waves in that it was the first automatic wrist alarm i