
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
LeCoultre Wrist Alarm Gold-Filled 'Cal. 814' (Ref. 2052-1) Gifted To US Navy "COMCRUDESPAC" Staff Member, 1950s
- Maker / attribution
- Jaeger-LeCoultre (maker)
- Date
- 1950s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- gold-filled
- Dimensions
- Case 32 mm
- Stock no.
- LCWA20521
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (LCWA20521)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1950s LeCoultre Wrist Alarm Gold-Filled 'Cal. 814' (Ref. 2052-1) Gifted To US Navy "COMCRUDESPAC" Staff Member (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number LCWA20521), this is a wristwatch by Jaeger-LeCoultre, made in Switzerland, dated 1950s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold-filled. Recorded dimensions: Case 32 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Craft & Tailored
This Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox, or LeCoultre and Wrist Alarm for the US Market, is one of the most desirable and recognizable models produced by LeCoultre from the 1950s. The double-crown feature allows for winding and setting the time, as well as setting the alarm. The top crown sets the alarm complication of the timepiece. The ref. 2052-1 features an excellent 10K yellow gold-filled case, measuring a well-proportioned 32mm case with long lugs. The case sits nicely on the wrist and has a classic and timeless appearance while remaining relevant by today's wristwatch sizing standards. The alarm is crisp and noticeable, which is a key feature of the Cal. 814 manual wind movement. This piece would make a great addition to an existing collection and be a great and classic timepiece as a stand-alone piece! SPECS Stock # LCWA20521 Brand LeCoultre Style Wrist Alarm Model 2052-1 Serial 877XXXX Size Men's Material 10K Gold-Filled Dial Silver 'Aged' Millimeters 32 Strap 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The 10K yellow gold-filled case remains in wonderful condition, showing only light evidence of being previously polished and honest signs of gentle wear. The unsigned twin crowns are believed to be very early replacements. The case back is adorned with a hand engraving that reads " Staff, COMCRUDESPAC, Aug 53 - June 55, to N1, Compliments of your team." The watch comes supplied on a 2pc handmade leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The original silver dial has achieved an excellent vintage aesthetic through age, showing some spots of discoloration and gentle marks, with all of the printing and dial details fully present and intact. The radium lume plots all remain intact when inspected under UV light and have taken on a lovely beige patina. The inner rotating Memovox dial is in a similar condition to the rest of the dial, and the blue print adds a welcomed touch of color. The original radium-tipped hands have aged a shade darker than the hands and exhibit no notable degradation when inspected under UV light. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time, but the service history is unknown. A movement service can be purchased upon request.
Historical context
Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.
The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking
Atlas type guide
Military, pilot and travel watches
The wristwatch owes much of its adoption by men to warfare and aviation. Wristlets — small pocket watches soldered with lugs and worn on a strap — were used in colonial campaigns and became standard equipment in the First World War, with protective grilles over the crystal ('shrapnel guards'). Louis Cartier's Santos (1904), designed for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, is often cited as an early purpose-made pilot's watch.
In the Second World War governments specified watches in detail: the German B-Uhr observation watches, the American A-11, and the British 'W.W.W.' (the 'Dirty Dozen' set of 1945). After the war, jet travel brought GMT and world-time watches, which show two or more time zones at once — Louis Cottier's world-time mechanism and the Rolex GMT-Master (1955) are examples.
What to look for
- Military markings on the case back: broad arrow, issue numbers, 'W.W.W.', 'A.T.P.'
- High-legibility black dials with luminous Arabic numerals; oversized crowns for gloved hands.
- 24-hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezels or city rings on GMT/world-time watches.
- Wire lugs on early wristlets converted from pocket watches.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug wristlets: c. 1900–1925.
- Military specifications of the Second World War: 1939–1945.
- GMT and world-time wristwatches: mainly after 1950.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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