Alright, folks, gather ’round, let me tell you about this little project I got myself into. It’s all about trying to imitate a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, specifically the Tribute Monoface model. You know, that classic watch with the flipping face? Yeah, that one. I’ve always thought those were super cool.
So, I started digging around online, just to see what people were saying about real versus fake Reversos. I found some forum threads and got a bit lost, to be honest. Seems like there are a lot of fakes out there, and some folks had some pretty bad experiences. There was this one guy, Yannipanos, who I guess had a fake, and I was wondering what he ended up doing about it. Also, I stumbled upon some posts about people trying to find good replicas, especially the ones with the solid metal back. I even got the names of MGF, they apparently made good replica of this Reverso. Anyway, that’s where I started.
The Research Phase
I spent a good chunk of time just looking at pictures of the real deal. Zooming in, checking out the details, you know, the whole nine yards. I wanted to really understand what made this watch tick, literally and figuratively. There were also a lot of discussions about the price of the real thing, which is way out of my budget! Some folks were talking about alternatives, like Bulova and Seiko, but I wanted to stick with the Reverso vibe.
Then I started thinking about how I could actually make this thing. Since buying a real one wasn’t happening, I figured I’d try to build something that looked like it, but it is totally different stuff. Just to see if I could. It’s more of a personal challenge, you know?
Getting My Hands Dirty
- Sourcing Materials: This was tricky. I needed a watch case that was kind of rectangular and had that flipping mechanism. Found something online that was close enough, but it definitely wasn’t Jaeger-LeCoultre quality. Also the original one costs $8,900, and mine costs $15.
- Taking it Apart: Once I got the donor watch, I carefully took it apart. I’m not gonna lie; I was a little nervous. I didn’t want to break anything important. But I managed to get it all disassembled without any major casualties.
- Modifying the Case: This was the hard part. I had to file down some edges, polish some surfaces, and basically try to make the cheap case look a little more like the Reverso. It’s not perfect, but I think I got it pretty close.
- The Dial: I found a simple, clean watch face that had a similar style to the Reverso Tribute. It wasn’t an exact match, but it had the right vibe. I carefully removed the old dial and hands and replaced them with the new ones.
- Putting it Back Together: This was probably the most satisfying part. Seeing all the pieces come back together and actually form a watch was pretty cool. And the flipping mechanism still worked!
The Final Result
Okay, so it’s not a real Jaeger-LeCoultre, and it’s probably not fooling anyone who knows watches. But I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s got that classic Reverso look, and it was a fun project to work on. Plus, I learned a lot about watches in the process, and had a great time sharing it with you all!
One thing I realized is that the back of the Reverso is a big deal. People like to personalize it with their initials or whatever. Mine’s just blank, but maybe I’ll get something engraved on it someday. I also watched the comments section on the internet, someone said: “I love your watch man – I’ve got the Reverso Tribute to 1931, and it seems like I notice a new cool thing about the watcg every time I look at it.” I absolutely understand that feeling!
Someone also said: “The only way to know with absolute certainty if your watch is a fake is to bring it to a trusted jeweler who specializes in watches and ask them to authenticate your Jaeger-LeCoultre watch. For a nominal fee, they will appraise and valuate your watch so you can rest assured the Jaeger-LeCoultre watch is genuine.” Well, mine is absolutely a fake, but I am just enjoying it!
This whole thing was just a bit of fun, a little experiment. It just proves that with a little bit of effort, you can make something pretty cool, even if it’s not the real deal. Hope you guys enjoyed this little adventure of mine!
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