So, I got this wild hair a while back to try and remake a Patek Philippe watch. Yeah, I know, sounds crazy, right? But I saw this Calatrava 6119G-001 online, and man, it was somethin’ else. That white gold case, the whole shebang. It just looked so slick, I couldn’t get it out of my head.
Now, these things are crazy expensive, like, way out of my league. But I thought, “Hey, why not try to make one myself?” It seemed like a fun project, and I figured I’d learn a thing or two along the way. Plus, who needs to spend a fortune when you can get your hands dirty, eh?
First thing I did was, I started looking up everything I could about this watch. Turns out, it’s a remake of an older model, but with some new bells and whistles. It’s got 212 parts, can you believe that? 212! And it’s only 39mm wide and 3.3mm thick. Tiny, but packed with stuff.
I spent days, maybe even weeks, just researching. Found out that the real deal usually has a waitlist of like 9 months to a year. Crazy, right? And get this, even used, they go for more than 20 grand! I found some info saying they retail for over $30,000. Makes sense, I suppose, it’s a Patek Philippe. They’re supposed to hold their value, or even go up in price over time.
Anyway, after all that digging, I started to gather the stuff I needed to actually start my project. It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. Finding the right parts, tools and materials. This took longer than I thought it would, to be honest. And yeah, I definitely messed up a few times along the way. There were some long nights, a lot of frustration, and a few choice words thrown around. I even lost some of the tiny parts a couple of times, had to order them again.
But, I kept at it. Slowly but surely, things started to come together. It was like putting together a really complicated puzzle, but way more satisfying when a piece finally fit.
My remake? Well, it’s definitely not perfect. It’s not gonna fool any experts, that’s for sure. But you know what? I’m proud of it. It’s a little rough around the edges, maybe, but it’s mine. And it’s a reminder that you can do some pretty cool stuff if you just put your mind to it, and don’t mind a little bit of a challenge.
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Started with Research
Spent a ton of time learning about the watch, its history, and all its specs.
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Gathered Materials
This was tough, finding the right parts took a lot of work and patience, had to reorder some lost parts.
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The Build
Lots of trial and error, some frustrating moments, but slowly started to see it come together.
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The Result
Not perfect, but a finished product I’m proud to call my own. I mean, it won’t fool anyone, but still, I made it!
So, there you have it. My little adventure in watchmaking. It was a wild ride, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need a nap. All this tinkering has worn me out!
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