Okay, so I’ve been eyeing this Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire, especially the one that’s only in the special stores. I gotta say, it’s a beauty. But, you know, the price tag on these things is crazy. So, I thought, why not try to find a good imitation? This whole journey started a few weeks ago when I was browsing online, just window shopping, really.
First off, I hit up Chrono24. Lots of authentic used ones there. I saw prices around $22K and up. Free shipping, which is nice, but still way out of my budget. Then I thought about eBay. I’ve scored some good deals there before. Found some Duometre watches there too, some even hit $29K, also with free shipping. But even the used ones were too pricey. And honestly, I didn’t want to buy a watch this big online without seeing it in person.
Digging Deeper into Imitations
So, I started looking into imitations. Found a post by this user, pmtu, talking about a stainless steel duoface imitation. Thought it was from ZF, but turned out it’s from some small, no-name factory. Interesting, right? It got me thinking, maybe there are some decent imitations out there.
I also stumbled upon an article about the JLC Master Ultra Thin Date imitation. It was all about what to look for before buying. Learned a lot from that, like checking the movement, the finishing, and little details that the imitators might miss.
Understanding the Real Deal
Then I read about the real Duomtre Quantime Lunaire. They’re only making 200 of them in white gold. It’s part of their Dual-Wing thing, which is pretty cool. It’s got two separate mechanisms but one regulating thing, which supposedly makes it super precise. I mean, Jaeger-LeCoultre, or JLC, is known for being all fancy and innovative, so it makes sense.
The Imitation Hunt Continues
Armed with all this info, I started my hunt for a good imitation. I hit up some forums, read through a bunch of posts, and even contacted a few sellers. It’s a bit of a wild west out there, to be honest. Some of the imitations looked pretty good in pictures, but I know better than to trust just photos.
- First try: Contacted a seller who had a pretty convincing imitation.
- Second round: Found another one with better details, or so I thought.
- Third attempt: This one was almost perfect, but the price was a bit too high for an imitation.
I went back and forth, comparing, asking questions, and trying to see if these sellers were legit. It’s tough because you can’t really tell until you have the watch in your hands. And even then, you need a good eye to spot the differences.
The Decision
After all this, I’m still on the fence. Part of me really wants that JLC Duomètre, but I’m not sure if I should drop that much cash on a watch. And the imitation route is tempting, but it’s also risky. I might end up with something that looks good but falls apart in a few months.
So, that’s where I’m at. Still haven’t made a decision. It’s a tough call. Maybe I’ll just keep saving up. Or maybe I’ll find that perfect imitation that’s just too good to pass up. Who knows? Anyway, that’s my story for now. I’ll keep you guys updated if anything changes. Stay tuned!
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