Alright, so I’ve been eyeing this Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001 for a while now. It’s a real beauty, and I finally decided to pull the trigger and try to remake one myself. It’s a remake of an old classic, and I was pretty excited to get started.
First things first, I did a ton of research. I mean, I was all over the internet, checking out forums, and looking at every picture I could find of this watch. I wanted to make sure I got all the details right. You know, the whole deal with these luxury watches is the craftsmanship, so I knew I had to be meticulous.
Then came the fun part – I started gathering materials. I managed to find some decent white gold, similar to what the original uses. It wasn’t easy, and it definitely wasn’t cheap, but hey, you gotta spend money to make money, right? Or in this case, spend money to make a really cool watch.
The Real Work Begins
Next, I got down to the nitty-gritty of actually making the watch. I started with the case. This Patek Philippe has a 39mm case, which is pretty standard for a classic dress watch. I spent hours shaping the white gold, trying to get that perfect round shape. It’s only 8.08mm thick, so I had to be super precise.
- Shaping the Case: This was a real test of patience. I used some small tools to carefully shape the white gold into that signature Calatrava case.
- Creating the Bezel: The 6119G-001 has this beautiful “Clous de Paris” pattern on the bezel. I tried to recreate that guilloched hobnail pattern, which was way harder than it looks. It’s all about getting those tiny details right.
After that, I tackled the movement. Now, I’m no watchmaker, but I found a manually wound movement that was pretty close to the 30-255 PS that Patek Philippe uses. It even has a decent power reserve, around 65 hours. I carefully assembled it, piece by piece. It felt like I was putting together a tiny, intricate puzzle.
Putting It All Together
Once I had the case and the movement ready, I started working on the dial. I found a nice, clean white dial that matched the original pretty well. I added the hour markers and the small seconds subdial, trying to keep everything as symmetrical and elegant as possible.
Finally, I put everything together. I carefully placed the movement inside the case, attached the dial, and added the hands. Then I added a nice leather strap, and voila! I had my very own homemade Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001.
It was a long process, and definitely not easy, but it was worth it. I learned a lot about watchmaking, and I ended up with a pretty cool watch that looks a lot like the real deal. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine, and I’m pretty proud of it.
If you’re thinking about trying something like this, my advice is to do your research, be patient, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s all part of the learning process. And who knows, you might end up with something really special.
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