Okay, so, let’s talk about this Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Rendez-Vous Moon Classic Style watch I’ve been working on. I started this whole thing because I’ve always been a huge fan of the classic look, you know, the clean lines and that symmetrical dial that Jaeger-LeCoultre is known for. It is just so elegant.
I spent a lot of time researching this, reading up on everything I could find. Did you know it has two dials? I found out from articles that some are cased in 18k pink gold, and the blue sunray-finished dial is pretty striking. It also mentioned that the case is 39mm by 8.95mm thick, but now it has revised proportions, which I think makes it even more appealing. I tried to find one in my area that would let me try on so I could see how it looked on me.
The first thing I did was to get my hands on all the necessary materials. I got some high-quality leather for the strap and some decent metal for the case. I wanted it to feel substantial, but not too heavy.
Next, I started working on the case. It took me a few tries to get the shape right. I was aiming for that classic round shape with those nice, clean lines. The original one is 39mm in diameter and about 8.95mm thick, and I tried my best to match those dimensions.
The dial was probably the trickiest part. I found some good-quality, sunray-finished blue material, but getting it to look just right was tough. I carefully cut out two circles for the two dials and worked on the hour markers and hands. I wanted that classic aesthetic, so I used simple, elegant markers and hands.
Putting it all together was a real challenge. I spent hours making sure everything fit perfectly. I used a manual-winding movement similar to the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822 which I found out is limited to only 10 pieces each. And let me tell you, getting that to work smoothly was no easy feat. It’s supposed to have a 42-hour power reserve, but honestly, I was just happy to get it ticking!
I finally finished it, and I have to say, I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. It’s not perfect, but it captures that classic Jaeger-LeCoultre style I was going for. It feels great on my wrist, and I love the way the blue dial catches the light.
This whole project taught me a lot. It’s one thing to admire these luxury watches, but it’s a whole other thing to try to make one yourself. I have a whole new appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into these timepieces.
Here are some things I learned along the way:
- Patience is key: You can’t rush this kind of work. Every little detail matters.
- Research is essential: The more you know about the original, the better your imitation will be.
- Materials matter: Using good-quality materials makes a huge difference in the final product.
- It’s all about the details: The little things, like the finish on the dial or the shape of the hands, can make or break the whole look.
So, yeah, that’s my story about imitating the Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Rendez-Vous Moon Classic Style. It was a fun and challenging project, and I’m really happy with the result. If you’re thinking about trying something like this, I say go for it! Just be prepared to put in a lot of time and effort.