Hey everyone, so today I wanna talk about my latest project – I’ve been trying to recreate the Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar. Man, this watch is something else.
First off, I started by looking at the case. This thing is slick, it’s about 40mm across and just 10.95mm thick. I measured it out and tried to get my replica to match up. It wasn’t easy, I can tell you that. Getting the dimensions just right took a few tries. I was trying different materials to get the right thickness and the same feel on the wrist.
Then there’s the whole history behind Jaeger-LeCoultre. I mean, these guys have been around since 1833, and they’re known for making watches that are both super technical and look amazing. This brand is like, the top of the line, so figuring out how to copy this was a whole task on its own.
The main thing about this watch is the perpetual calendar. It shows the date, day, month, and year, and it does it all automatically. I spent ages trying to understand how it works. I watched a bunch of videos and read a ton of articles. Recreating this was the hardest part, no joke. Getting all those tiny parts to move together was brutal, but I finally did it.
I also checked out the original movement, the Jaeger LeCoultre Calibre JLC 868/1. This thing has 46 jewels and 336 parts, and it beats at 28800 vibrations per hour. I tried to copy it as best as I could, but man, it’s complicated. I used some simpler parts, but I think I got pretty close to the original.
Some details:
- Movement: Tried to imitate the JLC 868/1, 46 jewels, 336 parts, 28800 vph.
- Case: 40mm across, 10.95mm thick.
- Functions: Perpetual calendar showing date, day, month, year.
The dial on the original watch has these thin applied indices. I tried to make mine look the same. I had to redo them a few times to get them thin enough. It was a pain, but the final look is pretty good, I think.
I also found out about the Jaeger-LeCoultre Care Program. It’s kinda cool, you can extend your warranty up to 8 years. I thought about how I could offer something similar for my replica, but it’s not really the same when it’s not an official thing. Just something to consider, I guess.
All in all, this project was a huge challenge. I messed up a lot, had to start over a bunch of times, but I learned so much. It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty happy with how my Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar replica turned out. It looks good, it works, and it feels great on the wrist. What do you guys think?
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