Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Calatrava for a while now. You know, the classic dress watch, super elegant. But, let’s be real, those things are expensive! So, I thought, “Why not try to remake one myself?” I found this online store that had parts and decided to give it a shot. It was a bit of a challenge, but it was also a lot of fun. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, even if it’s not the real deal.
First things first, I went to this online store, you know, the one that has everything. I needed to find all the parts for the Calatrava 6119G-001, and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. There were so many little pieces! But I managed to get a case, a dial, some hands, and a movement. The movement was the trickiest part, I wanted to get the look as close to the real thing as I could.
Getting Started
I started with the case. I had a simple, polished case that looked pretty similar to the original. It was made of stainless steel, and it had that nice, hefty feel to it. Once I felt confident, I moved onto placing the movement.
Now, the movement. This was a whole other thing. I got a basic automatic movement from the site. It was not a Patek movement, obviously, but it did the job. Fitting it into the case was a bit fiddly, but I eventually got it in there snugly. I made sure to tighten all the screws properly – didn’t want that thing rattling around!
The Tricky Part
- The Dial: The dial I got was white, with those classic Roman numeral markers. I carefully attached it to the movement, making sure it was centered.
- The Hands: The hands were a bit of a pain. They were so tiny! I used tweezers to place them on the movement, and I had to be super careful not to bend them. I did mess up once, and bent the second hand slightly, but I managed to straighten it out.
I used this little tool to press the hands onto the movement’s stem. You have to be really gentle, or you’ll break them. After a few tries, I finally got them all on, and they were moving smoothly.
Finally, I attached the case back, and there it was! My own version of a Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001. I chose to go with the white gold version since I liked it better.
Finishing Touches
I got a nice leather strap, black, just like the original. It was a bit stiff at first, but I wore it around the house for a few days, and it started to soften up.
It’s not perfect, of course. It doesn’t have that same refined feel as a real Patek, and the movement is definitely not the same quality. But it looks pretty good, and it tells the time! Plus, it was a fun project. I have worn it out a couple of times, no one has noticed that it’s not a real one. The key is to not act weird about it, I think.
So, there you have it. My attempt at remaking a Patek Philippe Calatrava. It was a fun learning experience, and it made me appreciate the craftsmanship of those luxury watches even more. Maybe one day I’ll be able to afford the real thing, but for now, I’m happy with my little homemade version. I hope to work on this project again soon, and maybe I will start to sell them.
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