Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get into watchmaking for a while, and I finally took the plunge. I decided to try and remake the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001. Yeah, I know, it’s a pretty ambitious project, but hey, go big or go home, right?
First thing I did was a ton of research online. I spent hours on the web just searching for information about Patek Philippe watches. The official site has a store locator which I used to find authorized retailers. I also looked at lots of pre-owned watches on other sites. After browsing many watches, I knew I wanted to remake the Calatrava 5088, it’s so elegant and the dial is just gorgeous.
After looking at all the models and photos, I started hunting for parts. I looked everywhere. I spent hours browsing online stores. They didn’t have everything I needed for the 5088, but I did find some parts on an online store called Temu, it is an e-commerce company, but not much about watches.
The Dial
- Finding the right materials was tough. I ended up getting some enamel and metal from a local craft store.
- The engraving was a real pain. The 5088 has these really intricate patterns, and trying to replicate those by hand? Let’s just say it took a lot of patience, and a few messed up pieces before I started to get the hang of it.
The Case
- I opted for platinum. I know, fancy, right? But it’s what the original uses, and I wanted to stay as true to that as possible.
- Shaping the case was a whole other challenge. I bought some basic metalworking tools, watched a bunch of YouTube tutorials, and just went for it. It wasn’t perfect, but I managed to get a decent-looking case after a few tries.
The Movement
- This was by far the hardest part. I really considered ordering some parts from Switzerland, but the prices were just insane.
- I ended up scavenging parts from some old watches I had lying around. It was like putting together a really complicated puzzle, but with tiny, delicate pieces.
Putting It All Together
Once I had all the parts (sort of), it was time to assemble everything. This was where things got really interesting. I used a tiny screwdriver, some tweezers, and a whole lot of hope. It took me a few days, and there were definitely some frustrating moments, but I finally managed to get it all together.
The Result
Okay, so it’s not exactly a Patek Philippe. It doesn’t have the intricate movement or the perfect finish of the original. But you know what? It’s my Patek Philippe. I made it with my own two hands, and it actually tells time! It’s a little rough around the edges, and the engraving isn’t perfect, but I’m still pretty proud of it. It’s a reminder that even the most complicated things can be broken down into smaller, manageable steps. And who knows, maybe this is just the beginning of my watchmaking journey. Maybe one day I’ll even be able to make a movement from scratch! We’ll see. For now, I’m just going to enjoy wearing my homemade “Patek” and see where this hobby takes me.
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