I’ve always been a watch guy, and Patek Philippe, well, that’s the dream, right? But the price tag? Oof. So, I thought, why not try to remake one myself? I picked the Calatrava 6119G-001. It’s a classic, clean design, and I figured it would be a good challenge. This is what I did and how I did it.
First, I studied the heck out of the original. I looked at tons of pictures, watched videos, anything I could find. I really wanted to understand every little detail, you know? The way the hands move, the font on the dial, everything. I even tried to find some blueprints, but no luck there.
Then came the fun part – getting the parts. Now, obviously, I couldn’t get the actual Patek parts. So, I had to improvise. I spent days, maybe weeks, searching online for parts that looked similar. I ordered a bunch of different watch movements, dials, cases, and hands from various places. Some were pretty cheap, some a bit more expensive. It was a real mix-and-match situation.
Putting It All Together
- I started with the movement. I picked one that seemed to have a similar size and function to the original Calatrava’s. It wasn’t perfect, but it was close enough for my project.
- Next, I worked on the dial. I found a plain white one that was the right size and modified it. This was tricky. I printed out the Patek Philippe logo and the hour markers to the right size and applied them to the dial. It took a few tries to get it right, but I was pretty happy with the result. I know it is not perfect but it looks great!
- The case was another challenge. I ended up using a generic stainless steel case and polishing it to give it that nice, shiny look. It’s not exactly the same shape as the 6119G, but it’s close enough.
- Choosing the hands was surprisingly difficult. There are so many different styles! I finally found some that looked similar to the original and fitted them to the movement.
Finally, after a lot of trial and error, I put it all together. I assembled the movement, dial, hands, and case, and there it was – my very own “Patek Philippe” Calatrava.
Of course, it’s not a real Patek. It doesn’t have the same craftsmanship, the same materials, or the same history. But it looks pretty darn good, and I made it myself! It was a really fun and rewarding project. I learned a ton about watches, and I got to flex my creative muscles. Now, every time I look at it, I remember all the work I put into it. And that, my friends, is priceless. I am very proud of my work!
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