Today, I set out to do something I’ve been thinking about for a while: making a budget-friendly version of the Jaeger-LeCoultre JLC Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Cylindrique. Yeah, the fancy one with the cool, spinning tourbillon. It’s a classic, and I dig the look, but the real deal? Way out of my price range. We’re talking over $40,000! No way I’m dropping that on a watch.
First thing’s first: research. I spent the morning just digging into everything about this watch. The original Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Cylindrique. It’s got some history, that’s for sure. I learned all about how Jaeger and LeCoultre got together way back when and how they came up with this crazy complicated timepiece. Turns out, it’s not just about telling time, it’s like a tiny, intricate machine on your wrist.
The real one has this “flying tourbillon” thing with a cylindrical balance-spring. I watched a bunch of videos, and honestly, it’s mesmerizing. It’s like a little dancer in there. And the case? Usually, it’s like 42-45mm wide and made of rose gold or something equally expensive. Pretty darn thick, too, around 15.8mm. Mine won’t be quite that fancy, obviously.
I knew I couldn’t replicate the movement exactly. That’s where all the watchmaking magic happens, and that’s what makes it so expensive. So, I decided to focus on the looks. The classic style, the silver dial that’s pretty common, that general vibe. That’s what I was going for. I needed a watch with that kind of face and general shape. It also had to be big enough to at least nod towards the original’s size. Let’s be real, a tiny watch wouldn’t cut it.
I went to my box of parts. You wouldn’t believe the stuff I’ve got in there. It’s like a graveyard of old watches, straps, and tools. I started to search for a watch that I could use as a base, and then I had to find a way to make that tourbillon look. I’m pretty sure I have a few movements with exposed balance wheels lying around somewhere. I figured I could maybe modify one of those to mimic the tourbillon’s movement. At least, that was the plan.
It took me a while, but finally, I found something that could work. It was an old automatic watch I picked up a while back. It had a decent size, a silver dial, and most importantly, an exposed balance wheel. It wasn’t a tourbillon, but it had potential. I spent the rest of the afternoon carefully taking it apart, cleaning the parts, and getting a closer look at that balance wheel. I realized I could make it work for my purposes, and after doing a couple of modifications, it started to look like that flying tourbillon. The balance-spring wasn’t cylindrical, of course, but it gave a similar visual effect. I put it all back together, polished the case a bit, and swapped out the old strap for a nice, brown leather one.
It’s not perfect, obviously, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s got that classic, elegant style that I love about the Master Grande Tradition, and the modified balance wheel does a decent job of imitating the tourbillon’s movement. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but hey, it’s my own little version of a watch I’d otherwise never be able to afford. Plus, I had a blast doing it.
This project taught me a lot, especially how much work goes into making a watch, even a simple one. And those crazy complicated ones like the real Master Grande Tradition? Forget about it, my hat’s off to those watchmakers, it’s an art form. I think I’ll stick to making my own, budget-friendly versions for now.
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