Okay, so I’ve been messing around with watches again, and this time I decided to try my hand at remaking a Patek Philippe. Yeah, I know, it’s a pretty ambitious project, but I was feeling confident. I picked the Calatrava 6119G-001, you know, the one with the white gold case? It’s a real looker, that’s for sure.
First things first, I gotta gather all my materials. This wasn’t easy, let me tell you. Finding the right kind of white gold was a real pain. I started to call around to some of my metalworker buddies, just to see if anyone had some scraps lying around. No luck. Everyone’s hoarding that stuff like it’s, well, gold. So, I started to search it online, went through a bunch of listings, and finally found a supplier. But get this, the minimum order was way more than I needed. Ended up having to buy enough white gold to make like a dozen watches.
Got the materials, now what?
Next up, I had to get the movement sorted. Now, I’m not exactly a master watchmaker, so I figured I’d just grab a manual winding movement that was roughly the same size. Found one online, nothing too fancy, just something to get the hands moving. After I got the white gold and the movement, I needed to get some leather for the strap. Went to a local store and picked out a nice black piece, thick enough to feel sturdy but not too bulky.
Getting Down to Business
With all the parts in hand, it was time to start the actual remake. I started with the case. I used some of my tools, and I slowly started shaping the white gold. This took forever, you guys. I spent hours just trying to get the basic shape right. After what felt like a month, I finally had a case that looked somewhat like the original.
- Shaping the case: Took forever, but I managed to get it close to the original.
- Setting the movement: This was a bit tricky, but I got it in there eventually.
- Making the strap: Cut the leather, stitched it up, and attached the buckle. Not too bad, actually.
The Final Touches
Once the case was done, I had to set the movement inside. This was a bit tricky. I had to make sure it was centered just right, or the whole thing would look off. But, I managed to get it in there and secured it. Next, I worked on the dial and hands. I decided to keep it simple, just like the original. I used some paint and a tiny brush to make the markings, and then I attached the hands to the movement. For the strap, I cut the leather to size, stitched it up, and attached the buckle. It was actually the easiest part of the whole process.
The End Result
After all that work, I finally had a finished watch. Did it look exactly like a real Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001? Nah, not really. But, it was a pretty decent replica, if I do say so myself. It kept time, it looked good on my wrist, and I made it with my own two hands. That’s gotta count for something, right?
Would I do it again? Probably not. It was a lot of work, and honestly, it’s just easier to save up and buy the real thing. But hey, it was a fun experiment, and I learned a lot along the way. Maybe next time I’ll try remaking a Rolex. Just kidding… unless?
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