Alright, let’s talk about this Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface watch I’ve been messing around with. It’s not the real deal, just a little project I took on to see if I could make something close to it.
I started by looking at a ton of pictures of the real watch online. The Reverso Tribute Monoface is a classic, pretty simple design, but it’s got this cool art deco vibe. The first thing I noticed is how clean and simple the dial is, just the hour and minute hands, no second hand or date or anything like that, and it’s not a duoface, just one face to look at. And the case, that’s the real star of the show. It flips over! I had to figure out how I could imitate that.
Finding the Parts:
- Case: I found a cheap watch case online that had a similar rectangular shape. It didn’t flip over like the real Reverso, but I figured I could work with it. This was a tough one. I spent days searching, and finally, I found one that’s kinda, sort of similar, I spent lots of time to polish it to make it better, you know.
- Dial: This was a little easier. I found a plain white dial that I could modify. The real watch has these little markers for the hours, so I used some tiny pieces of metal to make those. I even try to copy the logo, using a really fine pen. I messed up a few times, but I think I got it pretty close in the end, though I still need more practice.
- Hands: I found some watch hands that were the right shape and size. Nothing fancy, but they looked the part.
- Movement: Here’s where I had to get creative. I didn’t have a fancy Jaeger-LeCoultre movement, nor did I get a hand-wound Calibre 822, so I just used a basic quartz movement. It’s not the same, but it keeps time, and that’s what matters.
Next came the tricky part – putting it all together. I’m not a watchmaker, so this was a real learning experience. I used some basic tools I had lying around, like tweezers and a tiny screwdriver. I started by attaching the dial to the movement, which was pretty straightforward. Then came the hands. I had to be super careful not to bend them. It took a few tries, but I finally got them on.
The last step was putting the whole thing in the case. This was probably the hardest part. I had to make sure everything lined up perfectly. It took some fiddling, but I managed to get it all in there.
The Result
So, how did it turn out? Well, it’s not a Jaeger-LeCoultre, that’s for sure. But I’m pretty happy with it. It looks kinda like the real thing, at least from a distance. And it was a fun project. I learned a lot about watches and how they’re put together. I definitely have a new appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into making a real luxury watch, not just some cheap quartz one.
Would I wear it? Probably not. It’s more of a conversation piece. But it’s a reminder that you don’t need a ton of money or fancy tools to make something cool. Just a little bit of creativity and a lot of patience. It’s not perfect, and it doesn’t flip like the real Reverso, but it’s mine, and I’m proud of it. And hey, it tells the time, so that’s a plus. Maybe someday I’ll take on a more complicated watch project. But for now, I’m happy with my little imitation Reverso. It’s a good reminder that sometimes, the journey is more important than the destination. I think I will try to find a flip case next time, that would be much cooler!
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