Posted by So, the Wooden Beam season 2020 is about to start – thought I will be warming up with a couple of watches from two of my favourite manufactures – the Girard-Perregaux 9076B Deep Diver and the LeCoultre 3072 Memovox HPG.
What I find interesting in comparing these T.W.O is that even if they have many similarities, they are far from same!
On the Wooden Beam: the Girard-Perregaux 9076B Deep Diver to the left and the LeCoultre 3072 Memovox HPG to the right:
On paper these are quite similar –
Common points: Coloured dial, applied index, luminous on both dial and hands. Tonneau shaped stainless steel case with screw-down case back. Automatic movement, hours, minutes, central sweeping seconds hand and date.
Original configuration with stainless steel bracelet.
In reality they are still similar in looks but not in details –
What differs is that one is a divers watch and one is a wrist alarm watch. One is round, black and red, one is oval and in shades of blue.
This blue dial reminds me a bit of last year’s Limited Edition Polaris Blue.
The GP Calibre 42.3 have a frequency of 21 600 vph / 3 Hz while the JLC Calibre 916 is a “Speedbeat”, frequency of 28 800 vph / 4 Hz and the additional alarm complication.
The 9076B is waterproof down to 30 ATM / 300 meters, while based on similar type of Memovox, I would estimate the 3072 to only be water resistant or maximum, waterproof to 3 ATM / 30 meters.
Even the bracelet design are very similar – very different from main stream, but similar to each other.
Here is a scan from the 1971 Girard-Perregaux U.S. catalogue featuring the 9076B with this bracelet:
And here is a scan of a LeCoultre ad from 1970, also featuring the 3072 with the similar bracelet(*):
(*) For you who are really into details, like me – hard to see in the 1970 LeCoultre ad, but at the bottom of the ad the text refers to the three watches as #921, #902 and #940.
Clearly the U.S. market had a different reference system than in Europe. #921 = E 862 , #902 = 3072 and #940 = E 874.
Of the three, the 3072 is the only one which did not exist with a Jaeger-LeCoultre dial, both E 862 and E 874 exists with both LeCoultre and Jaeger-LeCoultre dial.
The design is unmistakable from the Funky 70’s era – mid 1960’s to mid 1970’s.
Another common point – both are extremely comfortable on the wrist!
As most Funky 70’s watches are quite wide, they “sit” on the wrist compare to more classic round watches which may slide around your wrist.
Last common point which still is an enigma to me, is the exact year of release – the Girard-Perregaux 9076B I have been able to trace as far back as 1969…
The LeCoultre 3072 have the Calibre 916 inside which indicated possibility of same year, 1969. But earliest document I have is the one above from 1970…
In the document it says “The new Memovox HPG”, but would be good to know for sure.
To read more about this Girard-Perregaux 9076B Deep Diver here: 9076B.
And more about the LeCoultre 3072 Memovox HGP here: 3072.
Yes, this summer on the Wooden Beam, we will compare several different watches with some common points – stay tuned!
The Blomman Watch Report 