Okay, so I’ve been eyeing this Richard Mille RM 011 Le Mans Classic watch for a while now. It’s a beauty, but the price tag? Forget about it! So, I decided, why not try to make one myself? Yeah, I know, sounds crazy, but I was determined.
First thing I did was hit up the internet. I spent hours browsing, looking for any info I could find. I mostly searched eBay. I even found some good deals on 2ba screws. I also found some BA threaded taps and dies made of carbon steel. I was trying to find anything that could help. You know, forums, videos, anything related to this watch or just watchmaking in general. I figured I needed to learn as much as possible before I could even start.
Then, I started gathering materials. This was tricky. I couldn’t just walk into a store and buy parts for a Richard Mille. I had to get creative. I looked for similar-looking screws on eBay. I got some 2BA brass round head machine screws, they came in different sizes which was just what I needed. I made sure to check the sellers’ ratings before I made any purchase. I measured the lengths under the head nuts washers. It was a lot of trial and error, let me tell you.
Finding the Right Parts
- Sourcing Screws: I found that the screws were the easiest to find. I mean, they are not the actual ones used in the watch, but they looked pretty close. I ordered a bunch of them from a place online.
- Other Components: This was the real challenge. I had to improvise a lot. I used parts from old watches, bits of metal I found around the house, you name it. It was like putting together a really complicated puzzle. I found a great place to buy and sell rare Richard Mille watches online, named A Collected Man, but that was a little bit over my budget.
The assembly was the hardest part. I don’t have fancy watchmaking tools, so I had to make do with what I had. I used tweezers, small screwdrivers, and a lot of patience. I studied the pictures of the RM 011 Le Mans Classic, trying to figure out how everything fit together. The phrase “a racing machine on the wrist” kept ringing in my head. But hey, I was making my own racing machine!
After many failed attempts, I finally managed to put something together. It didn’t look exactly like the real RM 011, but it resembled it. I was just proud that I managed to create something that looked like a watch from scratch. And I saved myself a ton of money.
This whole project taught me a lot. I learned about watch mechanics, sourcing parts, and most importantly, I learned that with enough determination, you can achieve almost anything. Even if it’s making your own version of a super expensive watch! I hope you can have fun through my little story. Maybe I will try to do another one next time.
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