Okay, so I’ve been wanting a fancy watch for a while now, and this Patek Philippe Calatrava 5226G-001, it’s been on my radar. It’s a classy piece, but man, that price tag! So, I thought, why not try to remake it? Let’s see if I can get that high-end look without burning a hole in my wallet.
First, I started digging around for info. Turns out, the original is made of white gold and has this automatic movement, caliber 26-330 S C, whatever that means. It’s about 40mm wide and 8.53mm thick, and it can handle a bit of water, up to 30 meters. I also found out that these watches are pretty hard to come by in stores. The real deal has “750” stamped on the back for 18k gold, and “950” for platinum models.
Now, on to the remake. I needed to find some decent materials. I decided to go with stainless steel for the case, you know, to keep it affordable. I searched online for a case that’s about the same size as the original, around 40mm. Then, I started looking for a movement. I wasn’t too picky about it being automatic, so I settled for a quartz movement I found online. Cheaper and easier to work with, I guess.
- Sourced a stainless steel case, 40mm in diameter.
- Found a reliable quartz movement.
- Bought a nice leather strap, similar to the original.
Next, I got to work on the dial. I wanted to make it look as close to the original as possible. I printed out a high-res image of the 5226G-001’s dial and used it as a template. I carefully cut and shaped a piece of thin metal to match the design. I painted it with the right colors and added the little details like the hour markers and the hands. It wasn’t perfect, but it looked pretty darn good.
Assembling the watch was the trickiest part. I had to be super careful not to damage any of the parts. I placed the movement inside the case, attached the dial, and fixed the hands in place. It took some time and a lot of patience, but I managed to put it all together.
Finally, I attached the leather strap, and there it was, my homemade Patek Philippe Calatrava 5226G-001. It’s not the real deal, but it’s got that same classy vibe. I wore it out a few times, and people actually complimented me on it. They couldn’t even tell it was a remake!
The Final Result
In the end, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I got the look I wanted without spending a fortune. It’s a fun project, and it’s a nice conversation starter. Sure, it’s not a genuine Patek, but it’s a piece I made myself, and that’s pretty cool in its own way.
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