Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with this watch thing. You know, those fancy Patek Philippe watches? Yeah, those. They’re like, the top dogs in the watch world. I’ve been trying to, uh, “re-make” one. It’s like covering a classic song, but with a watch. The one I’m messing with is the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5226G-001.
First, I studied the real deal. I mean, really looked at it. This Calatrava 5226G-001, it’s the new kid on the block in the Calatrava family. They’ve been making these round-cased watches since, like, 1932 or something. So, I started with that round shape. That was the easy part.
Then, I tried to get that hobnail pattern right. You know, that bumpy texture on the case? It’s called Clous de Paris. I spent hours trying to get that to look decent. I used some tools I had lying around, attempted to replicate the pattern, and well, it’s not perfect, but it’s something.
- Figured out the hands – they’re kind of special on this watch.
- Tried to copy the face – it’s got this textured look that’s hard to nail.
- Painted some glow-in-the-dark stuff on it. Like the real one has.
Next, I tinkered with the insides. I mean, not the actual, super-complicated movement. I’m not a watchmaker. But I tried to make something that looked like it could be the caliber 26-330 S C. You know, the automatic one that keeps the watch going for like 45 hours? I just assembled some random bits and pieces to make it look somewhat legit from the outside.
I measured everything out. The real one is 40 mm across and 8.53 mm thick. I got mine pretty close, I think. It’s not like I’m going to wear it to a fancy dinner or anything. This is more of a, “Hey, look what I made” kind of thing, not a “Hey, I’m a millionaire” kind of thing.
In the end, I managed to put together something that kinda, sorta resembles a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5226G-001. It was a fun little project. Probably not worth the time and effort if you actually want a real, high-end watch. But if you’re just looking for a challenge, it’s a good way to waste a few weekends. Oh, and yeah it’s not like the 5524G in white gold introduced in 2015, or the rose gold model in 2018. That is so complicated, have a second time zone and a date display. I don’t know how to do that.
So yeah, that’s my story of trying to remake a fancy watch. It was tough, but I learned a lot. Would I do it again? Probably not. But hey, at least I can say I tried.
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