Lot 136

Jaeger-LeCoultre "Memovox Snowdrop", Case No. 1301113, Ref. E877, Cal. 916, 42 mm, circa 1975

An automatic vintage wristwatch with date and alarm
Case: steel, one piece case. Dial: silvered. Movm.: rotorwind movement "Speedbeat", Glucydur balance.
Introduced in 1969, Calibre 916 replaced Calibres 815 and 825 in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox range. This calibre went out of production in 1978 but was eventually replaced by Calibre 919, introduced in 1994. A total of 7,731 watches were produced with Calibre 916.
There were two notable features of Calibre 916:
It was the first Jaeger-LeCoultre alarm calibre to use a high-speed 28,800 A/h balance, giving improved precision and it was the first ever automatic alarm watch with a free-rotating rotor, as opposed to the bumper movements produced previously.
As in other Jaeger-LeCoultre alarm calibres, the alarm hammer struck a protuberance on the back plate, making a distinctive buzzing sound. Even if the alarm was not wound, the hammer rattled freely against the protuberance. In Calibre 916, this protuberance fits through an extra-wide hole in the center of the rotor.
Source: www.watch-wiki.net/index.php?title=Automatic, as of 08/29/2017

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