Alright, let me tell you about this little project I got into, trying to remake a Patek Philippe Calatrava, the 6119G-001 model. I’ve always been a fan of these watches, you know, they’re like the top of the line when it comes to luxury.
So, first things first, I started digging around for any bit of information I could find on this watch. Found some cool stuff on a Norwegian website. It’s all in Norwegian, which I don’t speak a lick of, but they had some great pictures and details. It turns out they’re the only ones in Norway who deal with Patek Philippe, or so they say. Makes sense, these watches are pretty exclusive. They’ve got three shops, two in Oslo and one in Bergen. If I ever find myself in Norway, I might just pop in to take a look.
Once I felt like I had a good grasp of what the original watch was all about, I got down to business. I got my tools ready.
I started with the case. Getting the shape and the finish just right was tough. It’s not just about making it look like the original; it’s got to feel right, too. The original is made of white gold, which, you know, I don’t just have lying around. So, I had to figure out a workaround. I ended up using a different kind of metal and tried to get as close to that white gold look as I could.
- Next up was the dial. This was a real pain. The original has this beautiful, textured pattern. Trying to replicate that was a nightmare. I tried a bunch of different techniques, and let me tell you, it was a lot of trial and error. Lots of mess-ups along the way.
- The hands were another challenge. They’re so delicate and thin on the original. I went through a few sets before I got something that I was happy with. Making sure they were the right length and shape took some time.
- The movement, oh boy. The original has this amazing mechanical movement that’s a work of art. I knew from the start I wasn’t going to be able to replicate that. I mean, I’m just one guy. So, I opted for a quartz movement, which is way simpler but still keeps time well. It’s not the same, but it does the job.
- Putting it all together was like solving a really complicated puzzle. Everything has to fit just right. One wrong move, and you’re starting over. It was frustrating at times, but I kept at it.
After many tries, I finally had something that resembled the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001. It’s not perfect, not by a long shot. But it’s my take on it, you know? It was a fun ride, though. Taught me a lot about watchmaking and made me appreciate these luxury watches even more. It’s amazing the kind of work that goes into making these things.
The End Result
In the end, I’m pretty proud of what I managed to put together. It’s a reminder that you can try anything if you put your mind to it, even if it seems crazy at first. I will do it next time and have some new skills to do it. It might not be a real Patek Philippe, but it’s mine, and I made it from scratch. And that’s pretty darn cool in my book. It is not bad, right?
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