Okay, let’s get started. Today, I’m gonna remake a Patek Philippe Calatrava, the 5227J-001 model, to be precise. It’s a pretty neat watch, you know? I saw it on their official website, and I thought, “Why not try to make one myself?”
First, I spent some time looking at pictures of the watch online. I looked around on different websites to get a good idea of what it looks like from all angles. I wanted to get all the details right, like the size of the case, which is 39 mm, and the color of the dial, which is kind of a champagne color. Also, noticed that the case is made of yellow gold. Fancy, huh?
Then, I started thinking about how I could actually make this thing. I needed to find some materials that look like the real deal. I spent hours looking at the price of the original watch on a website. For the case, I decided to use some yellow-gold-colored metal I found in a local shop. It’s not real gold, of course, but it looks pretty close. For the dial, I found some material that has a similar champagne color as the original. I’m not a watchmaker, so this is going to be interesting.
Getting Down to Business
I started by shaping the metal into a 39 mm circle for the case. It was not very easy, I have to say. I used some tools I have at home, mostly stuff for fixing things around the house. I also had to make a little cover for the back of the case, like the original has. It’s supposed to be like an “officer’s watch,” whatever that means.
Next up was the dial. I carefully cut the champagne-colored material to fit inside the case. I also added little markers for the hours, just like the real Patek Philippe. I even managed to add a little window for the date. I saw that some people talking about this watch online say it has a date and sweep seconds. I guess those are important features.
The Strap
The original watch has a brown alligator strap, which I obviously couldn’t replicate. So, I found a regular brown leather strap that looks kind of similar. I attached it to the case, and voila, the watch was starting to take shape! It seems that the strap is an important part of the watch. I saw on some websites that it’s a big deal for watch people.
The Final Touches
I spent a few more hours making sure everything was in place. I polished the case to make it look shiny, and I double-checked that the dial was perfectly centered. It wasn’t perfect, but I was pretty happy with how it turned out. It looked somewhat like the pictures of the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227J-001 I saw online.
All in all, it was a fun project. It’s not easy to remake a luxury watch like this, but I learned a lot along the way. Maybe I’ll try to remake another watch in the future. Who knows? It’s cool to see how these things are made, even if it’s just a simple remake like this one. I guess that’s why there’s a waitlist for these watches, like someone mentioned online. It’s not as bad as the waitlist for the “Nautilus” though, whatever that is.
- Spent a lot of time looking at pictures online.
- Found materials that look similar to the original.
- Shaped the metal into a case.
- Cut and added the dial with markers and a date window.
- Attached a leather strap.
- Polished the case and made sure everything was in place.
It was a fun and challenging project, and I’m pretty happy with the result! I tried my best to make it like the real thing, but of course, it’s not the same as a real Patek Philippe. Still, it was a great experience, and I think it looks pretty good for a homemade watch.
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