Okay, so I’ve been eyeing this Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Date watch for a while now. It’s a real beauty, but the price tag? Ouch. So, I started thinking, why not try to make my own? I mean, how hard could it be, right?
First off, I did some digging around. Found out that the real deal, the Master Ultra Thin Date, is 39mm in diameter and just 7.8mm thick. That’s slim, and it fits perfectly on my wrist. I was looking at some pictures and even found a model number, Q1238480, for a version with a blue-grey dial. Man, that dial is something else. And get this, the real ones are water-resistant up to 50 meters! Not that I’m planning to go diving with my homemade watch, but it’s good to know.
So, I started gathering materials. I found this old watch movement in a drawer, figured it could be a good starting point. Then, I went online and found some cheap watch cases that looked similar to the Jaeger-LeCoultre. I ordered a few, just in case I messed up. They arrived in a few days, and I got to work.
The hardest part was definitely the dial. I tried printing out a picture of the real one, but it looked, well, like a printed picture. Not exactly the look I was going for. So, I ended up using some thin metal sheets and some paint. It took a few tries, but I finally got something that resembled that blue-grey color. It’s not perfect, but hey, it’s close enough for a homemade job.
Putting it all together was a bit tricky. I had to be careful not to damage the movement or the hands. I used some tiny screwdrivers and tweezers, and after a few hours of fiddling around, I had something that looked like a watch. It wasn’t exactly a Jaeger-LeCoultre, but it was mine.
I even managed to get the date function working! It’s not as smooth as the real one, but it changes when it’s supposed to. I’m pretty proud of that, to be honest.
The Final Result
- Case: It’s not as fancy as the real one, but it’s close enough.
- Dial: I’m pretty happy with how the color turned out, considering it’s just paint and metal.
- Movement: It’s ticking! And keeping time!
- Date Function: It works!
All in all, I’m pretty happy with how my imitation Jaeger-LeCoultre turned out. It’s not perfect, but it’s a fun project, and I learned a lot along the way. Plus, I saved a ton of money! Some folks say these Jaeger-LeCoultre watches, they’re like money in the bank. You buy one, and it keeps its worth. I don’t know much about that, but it sounds good. If you really want a JLC, maybe this homemade version will tide you over until you can get the real thing. Located in the Vall�e de Joux, Switzerland, Jaeger-LeCoultre is one of the only Manufactures which creates, develops. But for now, I’m happy with my little creation. And who knows, maybe I’ll even try to make another one someday.
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