Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a really nice watch for a while now, something classy and timeless, you know? I did a bunch of looking around, and the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001 really caught my eye. But man, those things are pricey! So I thought, why not try to make my own version?
First thing I did was find a store that sells good watch parts. There is one shop I know has a website, and it says “Kjp eksklusive klokker hos Urmaker Bjerke. Stort utvalg modeller til bde menn og kvinner. Se utvalget i nettbutikken eller i en av vre tre butikker i Oslo og Bergen.” It should be a good start.
I spent hours looking at pictures of the 6119R-001 online, trying to figure out all the little details. I needed to get the right kind of hands, the right color for the face, and that cool hobnail pattern on the bezel. It was a lot to take in, but I was determined.
Then came the fun part – picking out the parts! I found a place that sells all sorts of watchmaking stuff, and I went a little crazy. I got a rose gold case that looked pretty close to the original, a nice leather strap, and a movement that seemed like it would do the trick.
Assembly Time
Putting it all together was definitely the hardest part. I don’t have any fancy tools, so I had to make do with what I had around the house. It was a lot of trial and error, let me tell you. I nearly gave up a few times, especially when I was trying to get those tiny hands on the movement. My hands were definitely shaking!
Here’s a little breakdown of the steps, if you’re curious:
- Got the case: First I found a rose gold-plated case that looked similar to the real deal.
- Fiddled with the movement: I chose an automatic movement I’d bought online. Fitting it into the case took some patience.
- Dialed it in: The dial was tricky. I got a white one and tried to match the font of the numbers as closely as I could, but it is not easy.
- Handled the hands: Attaching those tiny watch hands was a real pain! I used tweezers and a magnifying glass.
- Strapped it on: Finally, I attached a brown leather strap that looked pretty good with the rose gold.
After a lot of sweat and maybe a few tears, I finally had something that resembled the 6119R-001. It’s not perfect, of course, but I’m pretty proud of it! It’s not a Patek Philippe, but it’s my own little creation, and it tells the time just fine.
This whole project was a fun challenge, and it taught me a lot about watches and how they work. Would I do it again? Maybe! But next time, I might need to invest in some better tools. And who knows, maybe I’ll even try to make a different model. We’ll see!
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