Okay, so, I saw this Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001, and I was like, “Man, I gotta try to remake that.” It just looked so classy, you know? Shiny, with that fancy “Clous de Paris” pattern on the bezel. Way out of my price range, though. I heard it costs more than a house!
Getting Started
First, I looked up a bunch of pictures online. I wanted to get a good feel for the details. This watch, it’s not just any watch. It’s got this elegant vibe, that rose gold case, the clean dial. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I was up for the challenge.
Finding the Parts
Next, I started searching for parts. Now, I’m not made of money, so I wasn’t looking for real gold or anything. I found some decent-looking rose gold-plated cases online. I ordered a couple of different ones, just to see which one looked the closest to the real deal. I had to do some digging to find a dial that had that same simple, classic look. It took some time. You can see the parts in a picture below, I took it yesterday when all parts have arrived.
The Movement
This watch has a hand-wound movement. That means no batteries, you gotta wind it up yourself. I found a cheap hand-wound movement online. It’s not as smooth as the real Patek Philippe movement, but it works. I figured it would be good enough for my remake.
Putting It Together
- First, I carefully removed the back of the case I chose.
- Then, I gently placed the movement inside. It was a bit tricky, but I managed to get it in there without breaking anything.
- Next, I carefully attached the dial to the movement.
- After that, I put the hands on. This was probably the hardest part. Those hands are tiny!
- Finally, I closed up the case and attached a leather strap. I found a strap that looked pretty similar to the one on the real watch.
The Result
And there it was, my very own Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001 remake! It doesn’t look exactly like the real thing, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s got that classic look, and it actually keeps time pretty well. I wear it sometimes. I showed it to a couple of friends. Some thought it was real at first glance! We had a good laugh about it. Of course, I’m not trying to pass it off as a real one. It’s just a fun project I did. I learned a lot about watches in the process, too.
I heard that the real Calatrava costs around $33,110, and even the pre-owned ones go for like $26,278! That’s wild! I spent way less than that on my remake. Maybe someday I’ll be able to afford the real deal, but for now, I’m happy with my little project.
Would I recommend doing this? I don’t know. If you’re into watches and you like tinkering with things, then maybe. It was a fun challenge for me. But it does take some time and patience. Just don’t expect to make a perfect replica. And remember, it’s definitely not the same as owning a real Patek Philippe!
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