Watch Paparazzi

Television presenter James May spotted wearing Jaeger LeCoultre

Spotted during a Top Gear studio session, James May — 'Captain Slow' to millions of viewers — wore what any serious collector would immediately clock as a vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox in pink gold, dating to approximately 1960. Far from a flashy choice, it is the kind of watch that reveals genuine horological conviction: a reference chosen for its mechanical significance rather than its resale value or social currency.

The Memovox name derives from 'memo' and 'vox' — memory and voice — and the watch earned its place in history when Jaeger-LeCoultre debuted the calibre K825 in 1950, the first automatic movement to incorporate a wrist alarm. By the late 1950s and into the early 1960s, the Memovox had evolved into a refined dress watch, available in yellow, pink, and white gold cases. The example May wears shows all the hallmarks of this era: a slightly domed crystal, a silvered dial with a distinctive inner alarm track marked by a dotted ring, baton hour markers with gilt finish, and a date aperture at 3 o'clock — consistent with the later-generation Memovox references that adopted the calendar complication. The two crowns at 2 and 4 o'clock respectively wind/set the time and set the alarm hand, a layout unique to the Memovox family.

For collectors, pink gold Memovox examples from this period represent a compelling intersection of rarity and mechanical importance. Pink gold cases from the late 1950s–early 1960s were produced in far smaller numbers than yellow gold, and finding one with an untouched, naturally patinated dial — as May's appears to be — commands a significant premium on the vintage market. The movement, calibre 825 or its successor 815, is robust and serviceable, with alarm activation via a hammer striking the case back.

May's taste in watches has always tracked toward the historically significant over the commercially obvious, aligning with his broader intellectual persona. A man who spent years dissecting engineering on television, his Memovox signals a collector who understands why a watch matters — not merely what it costs.

On the current vintage market, pink gold Memovox pieces from this era in honest, unpolished condition trade between $8,000 and $18,000 depending on dial quality, case sharpness, and provenance. A pristine example with original bracelet or documented history can push beyond that ceiling comfortably.