Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at replicating a classic watch for a while now, and I finally took the plunge. The target? The Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire. Yeah, it’s a mouthful, but trust me, the watch is gorgeous. I mean, it is called “Classic Style” after all. I’ve always been a fan of Jaeger-LeCoultre, you know. I even found out they were founded way back in 1833! That is older than most countries!
First things first, I needed to do some serious research. I spent days, maybe even weeks, just browsing through pictures, articles, and anything I could find about this watch. I found that the watch uses two independent mechanisms that work together, one for time and one for the fancy stuff. Pretty cool huh. Also, JLC makes a lot of similar watches, just with different materials and gems. And since they probably make less of these, they are way more expensive. I found listings online for like, $26,666! No way I am paying that much, so I might as well try to make one, right?
Then came the tough part: figuring out how to actually make it. I found a couple of websites that sell watch parts and some of them even do speedy deliveries, but even then I couldn’t find everything I needed. Those high-end watch parts are expensive!
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I started by sketching out the design, breaking down each component, and making a list of all the materials I’d need. I mean, it has to look the part, right? It has to be pretty, and it has to tell time. That’s the point of a watch.
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Next, I hit up all the online stores I could find, ordering parts and tools. I probably spent way too much money, but hey, it’s an investment, right? The hardest thing was finding the right movement. I finally decided to go for it when I found a website that offers free returns, so if I messed up, I can just send the stuff back. I hope it doesn’t come to that though.
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Once everything arrived, I cleared out my workspace and got to work. This was the fun part! Or at least that’s what I thought at the beginning. It was harder than I expected. I had to cut, file, and polish each piece to make sure they fit together perfectly. If you have steady hands, this is easy for you, but for me…it is hard. I did a lot of rework.
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Assembling the watch was like putting together a really complicated puzzle. But more expensive. A lot more expensive. I had to be super careful not to damage any of the tiny parts. My hands were shaking the whole time, man. I messed up a lot, but I didn’t give up.
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After what seemed like forever, I finally finished! And you know what? It actually worked! I couldn’t believe it. I made a working replica of the Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire. The feeling was incredible. Like, I can do anything now.
It is not perfect, of course. There are a few imperfections here and there, but overall, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s a beautiful watch, and I’m proud to say that I made it myself. Although it doesn’t look exactly the same as the original one, I think it still captures its essence. Most people probably can’t even tell that it is a replica. At least I hope so.
This whole experience taught me a lot about watchmaking and about myself. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely rewarding. Would I do it again? Maybe. It’s a lot of work, and it’s not cheap, but there’s something special about creating something with your own hands. I might try to replicate another model in the future. Perhaps a simpler one. I need a break first though. My hands hurt.
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