Today I tried to remake a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227R-001 watch. This one is kind of famous, I guess. I mean, it’s a Patek Philippe, right? And it’s the Calatrava model, so it’s a big deal. I saw some prices for this watch online, and man, it’s expensive as hell. So, I thought, why not try to make one myself?
I started by looking at the specs. I found that the original one has a diameter of 27 mm and it’s 3.3 mm thick. It’s got 212 parts and 30 jewels. The movement itself, well, that one’s 2.55 mm thick and has 164 parts. That’s a lot of tiny stuff to deal with, so I knew this wasn’t going to be easy.
First off, I needed to get the case. The real one is 18k rose gold and 39 mm in diameter. I couldn’t afford real gold, obviously, so I went with a rose gold-plated case instead. It looks pretty similar, I think. I spent hours trying to find the right size and shape. I mean, it’s not easy to find something that matches a Patek Philippe, you know?
Then came the hard part – the movement. I tried to disassemble some old watches I had lying around. Man, it was a mess! Tiny screws, springs flying everywhere. I even lost a few parts. Don’t judge me, alright? It’s harder than it looks! I tried to put the pieces back together, following some diagrams I found online. After a few tries, I managed to get something that kind of resembled a watch movement. It wasn’t pretty, but hey, it ticked!
The Dial and Hands
Next up was the dial. I found a plain white dial that was close enough to the original. I printed out the Patek Philippe logo and some hour markers. Gluing them on was tricky. My hands were shaking, and I almost messed up the whole thing. But in the end, it looked decent. For the hands, I used some thin metal pieces I found in my toolbox. I shaped them as best as I could and painted them black. They’re not perfect, but they do the job.
The Crystal and Strap
I got a cheap sapphire crystal online. It’s not as fancy as the real one, but it’s clear and it does its job. Fitting it onto the case was another challenge. I used some glue and a lot of patience. For the strap, I just used a regular leather strap I had. Nothing special, but it works.
Putting It All Together
Putting everything together was the most nerve-wracking part. I had to be super careful not to damage anything. I used a tiny screwdriver and a pair of tweezers. It took me hours, but finally, I had something that looked like a watch. It wasn’t a Patek Philippe, of course, but it was my own creation.
- Case: Rose gold-plated, 39 mm
- Movement: A mess, but it ticks
- Dial: White, with printed logo and markers
- Hands: Shaped metal pieces, painted black
- Crystal: Cheap sapphire
- Strap: Regular leather
So, there you have it. My attempt at remaking a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227R-001. It’s not perfect, it’s not even close to the real thing, but I made it myself. And that’s something, right? I learned a lot during this process. I learned that watchmaking is incredibly difficult, I learned that I’m not very good at it, and I learned that I should probably stick to my day job. But hey, it was a fun experiment, and I now have a one-of-a-kind watch that I can proudly say I made myself. Even though it probably won’t last very long.
Would I recommend doing this? Probably not. Unless you have a lot of time, patience, and a steady hand. And maybe a lot of spare watch parts lying around. But if you do decide to try it, good luck! You’re gonna need it.
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