Alright, guys, so today I’m diving into something a bit different – trying to remake the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001. Yeah, the classic one. I’ve always been a huge fan of how clean and sharp this watch looks, so I thought, why not try to make one myself? Let’s get into it.
First off, I started by looking up everything I could find about this watch. I saw that the real deal goes for around $29,000 to $30,000, which is, well, out of my budget. But it gave me a good idea of what I was aiming for. There’s also a version, the 6119R, that’s worth almost the same. Good to know, I guess.
Gathering Supplies
So, I needed to gather some supplies. I found a place selling a knock-off version of the 6119G-001 for just 33 bucks. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. I figured I could use it as a base and work from there. I also grabbed some basic watchmaking tools – nothing too fancy, just enough to get the job done.
Taking It Apart
Next up, I took apart the $33 watch. It was kind of interesting to see how it was put together. I mean, it’s no Patek Philippe, but it had all the basic parts. I carefully removed the hands, the dial, and the movement. This was my first time doing this, so I took it slow. Didn’t want to break anything right off the bat.
Studying the Real Deal
With the cheap watch disassembled, I spent a lot of time looking at pictures and specs of the real 6119G-001. I learned that the real one has this manual winding, ultra-thin mechanical Caliber 30-255 PS inside. It’s housed in a white gold case, and the dial has this cool charcoal gray color with a guilloched hobnail pattern, also known as Clous de Paris. Fancy, right? The original was designed by a guy named David Penney, way back in 1932. Pretty cool history there.
Making Adjustments
Now, trying to replicate all that detail was tough. I tried to find some materials that looked similar to the white gold and that charcoal gray dial. I even tried to mimic that Clous de Paris pattern on a piece of metal. It didn’t come out perfect, but it had a similar vibe. I also got a movement that was kinda similar to the Caliber 30-255 PS – at least in size. I found out it’s about 31mm in diameter and 2.55 mm thick. Close enough, I guess.
Putting It Back Together
Putting everything back together was the hardest part. I had to be super careful with the hands and the dial. I used the parts from the cheap watch where I could, and the new parts where it made sense. It was like a puzzle, but a really, really delicate one. I tried to get the movement to fit right and to make sure the hands moved smoothly.
The Final Product
After a lot of trial and error, I finally had something that looked like a watch again. It wasn’t exactly like the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001, but it was close enough for me. It had a similar classic style, and I was pretty proud of how it turned out. It’s definitely not worth $29,000, but it’s worth a lot to me, just because I made it.
So, that’s my story of trying to remake a Patek Philippe. It was a fun project, and I learned a lot. Maybe one day I’ll get my hands on a real one, but for now, I’m happy with my little creation. Hope you guys enjoyed this little adventure of mine. Let me know what you think!
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