Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Calatrava for a while now. You know, the classic one with the hobnail pattern, the Clous de Paris thing. The 6119R-001 model, that’s the one I really wanted to get into my hands. I could not afford the genuine one, so I decided to remake it, and I finally did it! Let me tell you, it was quite the journey.
Getting Started
First, I started by gathering all the info I could find about this watch. I dug around online, found pictures, specs, all the info I could grab. I wanted to make sure I knew every little detail about the original before I even started to purchase any materials or tools.
Breaking it Down
- Size: The original is 39mm in diameter and 8.08mm thick. I made sure to measure twice, cut once, as they say.
- Movement: This was the tricky part. The real deal has this fancy manual winding caliber 30-255 PS movement. It’s got 164 parts, which is just wild. And a power reserve of 65 hours!
I spent days just staring at pictures of the movement, trying to figure out how everything fit together. I mean, I’m not a watchmaker, but I was determined to make this happen, step by step.
Putting It All Together
Once I felt like I had a decent grasp of the watch’s insides, I started working on the exterior. I chose similar materials that looked and felt like the real thing. Then, very carefully, I put everything together, piece by piece. It was like a very, very complicated puzzle.
The “Clous de Paris” pattern on the bezel was another big challenge. It’s this super intricate guilloché pattern, and getting it right took a lot of patience and a lot of practice on scrap materials.
The Final Touches
After many, many hours, and a lot of trial and error, I finally had something that looked and felt like a Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001. I even managed to get the case back made of sapphire crystal, just like the original. Sure, it doesn’t have the real Patek Philippe movement, but it keeps time and looks pretty darn close to the real thing.
In the end, I didn’t just end up with a watch; I gained a whole new appreciation for the real deal and the people who make them. I just built one watch, and it took me forever! I can’t imagine how they make hundreds or thousands of these things. It’s incredible.
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