Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with watches lately, and let me tell you, it’s a rabbit hole. I stumbled upon this beauty – the Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Duomètre Sphérotourbillon. Man, that thing is a work of art! But, you know, the price tag? Forget about it! So, I thought, “Why not try to replicate some part of it just for fun?”
First off, I started digging into pictures and some videos of the watch. I needed to know how it works at least in basic logic. I watched many videos of how this thing ticks and how the tourbillon spins around all fancy-like. I spent a whole afternoon just staring at close-ups, trying to figure out the different parts.
Then came the fun part – trying to find similar-looking parts or stuff I could modify. I rummaged through my old watch collection. Found an old, broken automatic, salvaged a few gears and the mainspring. They weren’t exactly the same, but hey, close enough for a first try, right?
Next up, the “dial”. I wanted that open-worked look, so I grabbed a piece of thin metal sheet I had lying around from an old DIY project. I sketched out a rough design based on what I saw, then I get my Dremel and start cutting away. Let me just say, this part was messy. Metal dust everywhere! Safety glasses are a must, people!
Assembly time! This was like putting together a really complicated puzzle, but with the tiniest screws you can imagine. I used tweezers, a magnifying glass, and a whole lot of patience. I tried to arrange the gears and the spring in a way that resembled the tourbillon cage. It didn’t actually rotate or anything, just looked the part.
- First, I secured the base plate.
- Then, I added the gears I salvaged, one by one.
- The mainspring went in last, tucked under a makeshift bridge I crafted from the metal sheet.
After hours of fiddling, I finally managed to put it all together. Did it work like the real JLC? Nope, not at all! But it was a cool little project that actually looked similar to the original. I displayed the piece on my desk, and it’s a great conversation starter. My friends who are not into watches thought it was a fantastic steampunk work, but my watch-nerd friends could not stop laughing.
This whole thing taught me a lot about watch mechanics, even though I just scratched the surface. It also gave me a newfound appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into these high-end timepieces. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to afford the real deal, but for now, I’m happy with my little franken-watch.
Oh, and a word of advice – if you’re going to try something like this, be prepared for a lot of trial and error. And definitely invest in a good set of watchmaking tools. Your fingers will thank you!
What’s Next?
I’m thinking of maybe trying to add some LED lights to it, just for the heck of it. Or maybe try to build a more accurate-looking tourbillon cage. Who knows? The possibilities are endless when you’re just tinkering around!
Hope you all enjoy the pictures, I try to take it with my old camera.
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