Okay, here is my blog post about imitating the Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Duomètre Sphérotourbillon:
Man, let me tell you about this wild ride I just went on. So, I’ve always been a bit of a watch nerd, right? And there’s this one watch, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Sphérotourbillon, that’s just… insane. It’s like a tiny, intricate city on your wrist. I saw it online once, and it stuck with me. But who can afford that? Not me.
Then I thought, “What if I could… kinda… make one myself?” Not the real deal, obviously. More like a tribute, an homage. Something that captures the spirit of that crazy double-axis tourbillon. It sounded nuts, but I had to try.
First, I gathered all my parts, I spent weeks just staring at pictures of the real thing, trying to figure out how the heck it even worked. It felt like reading hieroglyphics. And of course, I needed parts. Lots of parts. Tiny gears, screws, springs… my workspace started looking like a miniature junkyard.
I started with the basic idea: I used an old watch movement as a base, that part was easy. I disassembled an old automatic watch that I found at home. But then came the hard part – the “sphérotourbillon.” That’s the thing that spins around on two axes. I figured I could maybe rig something up with bits of wire and some tiny ball bearings. It’s tough to imagine.
Building the Cage
The first thing I did was to make the tourbillon cage. The tourbillon itself is like a little cage that holds some of the most important parts of the watch. I ended up using some thin metal strips, bending them carefully to create a rough cage shape. Then, I worked on attaching the movement inside the cage and ensuring it rotated smoothly. Let me tell you, getting that thing to spin right took forever. I’d get it close, then it would jam or wobble. Lots of swearing involved.
- Crafting the Cage: Bent thin metal strips into a cage-like structure.
- Securing the Movement: Mounted the tiny watch movement inside the cage, ensuring it could rotate freely.
- Endless Adjustments: Tweaked and adjusted the cage and movement for smooth rotation, facing numerous jams and wobbles along the way.
Double-Axis Madness
Next, the double-axis. I tried to create a second axis of rotation by adding another set of tiny gears and bearings. This was the real challenge. I attached another set of tiny gears and bearings to allow the cage to spin on a second axis. I wanted to make it like the original. It was like trying to assemble a puzzle while it was moving. I think I spent a whole weekend on this part alone. This was the real pain in the neck. Getting everything lined up so it would spin on both axes without falling apart… let’s just say I learned a lot about patience.
- Creating the Second Axis: Added another set of miniature gears and bearings to the cage.
- Precision Alignment: Painstakingly aligned the components to ensure smooth, simultaneous rotation on both axes without disassembling.
- Patience Tested: Spent an entire weekend on this step alone, highlighting the virtue of patience in achieving dual-axis rotation.
Finally, after many trials and many errors, I had something that resembled a double-axis tourbillon. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. But when I wound it up and saw that little cage spinning around, it felt amazing. Like I’d actually pulled it off. I put everything together, the dial, the hands, the case. It’s rough, it’s crude, but it’s mine. And it kinda, sorta, reminds me of that dream watch that started it all.
This whole thing was way harder than I thought it would be. But I learned a ton, and I’ve got a new appreciation for those watchmakers who do this for real. It’s insane. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go rest my eyes. And maybe start thinking about my next project…
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