Today, I wanna talk about something I recently got into – trying to copy a Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Duomètre Sphérotourbillon watch. It’s been a wild ride, let me tell you.
So, I started by looking at the real deal. I mean, those Jaeger-LeCoultre watches are something else. I read somewhere that this brand was started way back in 1833 by some guy named Antoine LeCoultre. Fancy, huh? And they’re known for being super high-end and Swiss-made, which automatically makes them sound cooler. I even saw a mention of a model from 1968 called the “Memovox Polaris,” which is apparently a diving watch. Who knew?
Anyway, I found this watch that looked like an old Jaeger-LeCoultre at a local auction. I found that is an auction house now presenting what seems to be a vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch. I was pretty excited. But that’s when I decided, “Why not try to make one myself?” I mean, how hard could it be? Famous last words, right?
I started gathering info. I looked at the markings on the real watches. The one I was trying to copy had “Jaeger-LeCoultre, Automatic, Swiss Made” on the dial. And on the back, it had an 8-digit number starting with “808”. I felt like a real detective, noting all these details. The new one that is called “The New Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve” is also cool. I also find there is a program called “Care program” from “Jaeger‑LeCoultre”, that is designed for their customers. I think I really need to find the value of this watch I am working on. So I searched online and find a website called “WorthPoint”, which might be helpful.
Then came the hard part – actually trying to put the thing together. Let me tell you, it was way harder than I thought. I spent hours trying to find parts that looked similar, trying to figure out how the whole mechanism worked. It was a mess. I had parts everywhere, tiny screws rolling off the table, and I’m pretty sure I swallowed a couple by accident. Not my finest moment.
After days of struggling, I finally managed to put something together that kinda, sorta resembled the original. It wasn’t perfect, not even close. But hey, it was an attempt. I wore it around for a day, feeling pretty proud of myself, even though it was about as accurate as a sundial during a rainstorm. I did get some weird looks, though. Someone even asked if it was supposed to tell the time or predict the weather.
In the end, I learned a lot. I learned that making watches is not as easy as it looks. I learned that I probably shouldn’t try to take apart any more expensive watches. And I learned that sometimes, it’s just better to admire the real thing from afar. It was a fun experiment, but I think I’ll stick to buying watches from now on. Or maybe just use my phone to tell the time. Yeah, that sounds like a much better plan.
Anyway, that’s my story of trying and probably failing, to copy a fancy Jaeger-LeCoultre watch. Hope you got a kick out of it. It’s definitely an experience I won’t forget, even if my homemade watch probably will be forgotten in a drawer somewhere.
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