Today, I tried my hand at imitating a classic – the Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar. Let me tell you, it was quite the journey!
I started by gathering all sorts of info about this watch. It’s a real beauty, known for being super slim and having a perpetual calendar, which is a pretty fancy feature. The ones I saw online were mostly stainless steel, 39mm in diameter, and some had this cool moon phase display. It all looked so elegant and sleek, and the moon display was on a sub-dial with the seconds hand, which I thought was a unique touch.
First off, I needed to find a base watch that was sort of similar. I dug through my collection and found one with a simple, clean dial, which seemed like a good starting point. Then, I thought about the dial details. The Jaeger-LeCoultre has these sharp, pointed hour markers, so I tried to mimic that with some tiny metal pieces I had. It was fiddly work, I won’t lie!
- Finding a similar-looking base watch from my collection.
- Gathering small metal pieces to mimic the hour markers.
- Figuring out how to add the sub-dials for the calendar and moon phase.
Next up was the calendar and moon phase. Now, I didn’t have the actual mechanisms, so I had to get creative. I found some old watch parts with similar sub-dial layouts and used those. I printed out a tiny picture of a moon and stuck it on the sub-dial – not quite the same, but it gave the right vibe. The original watch often comes with a classy leather strap, but I opted for a stainless steel band to match the look I was going for.
The Result
Well, after a lot of tinkering and a bit of glue, I had something that looked somewhat like the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar. It wasn’t perfect, of course, but it was a fun project. Plus, it gave me a new appreciation for how much work goes into making these luxury watches. There’s a reason why they’re so pricey – the craftsmanship is just insane! I learned that the Jaeger-LeCoultre line expanded into different styles and materials over the years, but the classic look is what really caught my eye.
It’s not something I’d wear every day, but it’s a cool piece to have. And hey, maybe one day I’ll get my hands on the real deal! This whole experience just shows that you can have a lot of fun with watches without breaking the bank. You just need a bit of creativity and patience. From what I gathered, Jaeger-LeCoultre watches have a lot of variations, with different materials, gems, and dials. The brand is known for its complicated movements and high-quality finishing, which is probably why their prices are on the higher side. But, for someone like me who enjoys the style, this little project was a great way to appreciate the design without the hefty price tag.
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