Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get into watch collecting, and I’ve had my eye on this one particular piece for a while now—the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar. It’s a real beauty, but let’s be honest, the price tag is way out of my league. So, I decided to try my hand at making a, shall we say, “homage” to this classic timepiece.
First things first, I needed to find a watch that had a similar vibe. After scouring the internet for what felt like forever, I stumbled upon a stainless steel watch with a black dial that kinda, sorta reminded me of the JLC Ref: 1308470. It wasn’t an exact match, but it had that sleek, minimalist look I was going for.
Next up was the dial. The JLC has this gorgeous sunray-brushed finish that I knew I couldn’t replicate perfectly, but I found a dial with a similar texture and polished rhodium-plated appliques. It definitely gave the watch a more refined feel. I spent hours comparing it to pictures of the real JLC, trying to get it as close as possible. It wasn’t easy, but I think I did a decent job.
Then came the fun part—the hands. I swapped out the original hands for some thinner, more elegant ones that were more in line with the JLC’s design. This was a bit tricky, I had to be super careful not to damage the movement, but it was totally worth it. The new hands made a huge difference in the overall look of the watch.
Now, the strap. The JLC usually comes with a classy leather strap, but I opted for a stainless steel bracelet instead. It just felt more practical and durable, plus I liked the way it looked with the rest of the watch. I had to adjust the links a bit to get the right fit, but it was a pretty straightforward process.
- Sourcing the base watch: Found a stainless steel watch with a black dial.
- Dial swap: Replaced the original dial with one that had a sunray-brushed texture.
- Hand replacement: Swapped out the original hands for thinner, more elegant ones.
- Strap change: Replaced the original strap with a stainless steel bracelet.
- Final touches: Spent hours tweaking and adjusting to get everything just right.
The End Result
After all that work, I have to say, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. Of course, it’s not a real JLC, and I’m not trying to pass it off as one. But it’s a nice-looking watch that captures the spirit of the original, and it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg. It’s been a fun project, and I’ve learned a lot about watches in the process. Now I’ve got a unique timepiece that I can wear with pride, knowing I put it together myself.
It is a tough job, you know. I did a lot of research and spent much time on it. I tried to make my watch look like JLC, especially the black dial one, Ref: 1308470. Some people like the silver one, Ref: 130842J, but I like the black one more. I think it looks cooler. Hope you guys like my work.
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