Think about your morning routine. You’re jarred awake by a tinny ringtone, or maybe a soothing ambient noise emitting from an app on your phone. Another tone goes off to let you know of your upcoming meeting; still another to remind you to take your pill.

In many ways, our days are dominated by our phones. The daily rhythm of life is bound not just by the rising and setting of the sun, but by these tiny machines we carry in our pockets. Sometimes, it takes all our mental fortitude not to throw them into traffic and say, “Enough of this.”

While we understand the irony of reading this on your computer or mobile device, and while we’re certainly not telling you to throw it out the nearest window, we can definitely relate: phone alarms are annoying… but not necessary.

Alarm clocks are an old invention, as old as the ancient Greeks. But we all remember the funky round alarm clocks at our grandmother’s house, with bells on the top. The routine of winding and setting it, and jumping awake to the sound of bells, was a novel and new experience.

Though nothing can bring back those pleasant experiences of childhood, alarm watches like the Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox do come close.

There’s something so nostalgic about strapping on a vintage watch. It transports you to another era. And alarm watches like the Memovox are downright fun—but also functional.

Imagine: all of those pesky ringtones and annoying alarms could be replaced by the glorious buzzing of a mechanical watch.

While most Memovoxes that come to market are fitted with automatic movements (and the requisite thicker cases), this example is a particularly early one, powered by a Caliber P489/1. This caliber is not only manually wound, but was in fact the very first Memovox movement made by Jaeger-LeCoultre, dating the watch to the early-mid 1950's.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre signature on the dial, rather than LeCoultre, signifies that it was produced for the European market.

With a thin steel case and fancy lugs, this Memovox is charming and wears well on the wrist. The alarm is easy to set, using the crown at 2 o’clock. Listen to it go off just one time and you’ll never want to hear marimbas again.