Alright, so I’ve been messing around with watches for a while now, and I’ve always had a thing for those fancy Patek Philippe ones. You know, the ones that cost more than my car? Yeah, those. Specifically, I got it in my head to try and remake the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001. Sounds crazy, right? Well, it kinda was.
First off, I started digging around for info on this watch. I mean, I knew it was a big deal, but I wanted to know every little detail. Found out the original goes for, like, thirty grand, give or take. And on the used market? Still in the twenties. Crazy, huh? I read somewhere that if this is your only fancy watch in your whole life, the cost per wear makes sense. But, still, I can’t afford it.
Then came the waitlist. Apparently, even if you got the cash, you gotta wait. I heard it’s about 9 months to a year. For a watch! So, obviously, buying the real deal was out of the question. That’s when I thought, “Why not try to make one myself?”
I started by gathering all the materials I could. I mean, I wasn’t using gold or anything, but I wanted it to look decent. Found some decent parts online, watched a bunch of videos, and just started tinkering. It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. Lots of tiny screws and parts that I could barely see. My eyes hurt at some point.
I spent days, nights, even weekends, hunched over my workbench, trying to get this thing right. There were times I wanted to throw it all in the trash. Seriously, it was frustrating. But I kept at it, little by little. And you know what? I started to see progress.
After what felt like forever, I finally had something that resembled a watch. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. But it was mine. I put it on my wrist, and it actually worked! I couldn’t believe it. I made a (kinda) working watch! I started to make a list about what I had learned.
- Patience is key. Seriously, this took way longer than I thought.
- It’s all about the details. Those tiny parts make a big difference.
- It’s not gonna be perfect. And that’s okay. It’s about the process, not just the result.
So, was it worth it? I mean, I didn’t end up with a real Patek Philippe, but I did learn a lot. And I got a pretty cool story out of it. Plus, I saved myself about thirty thousand bucks! I feel really good, I made it!
Would I recommend it? If you’re a glutton for punishment and you love a good challenge, then sure, go for it. But if you want a real, working, fancy watch, maybe just start saving up. Or win the lottery. Or something.
Anyway, that’s my story. Hope you found it at least a little entertaining. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need a break from tiny screws for a while.
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