Okay, so I wanted to remake a Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001, the original order version. This is what I did.
First, I got my hands on some decent materials. I didn’t want to go all out and spend a fortune, but I still wanted something that looked and felt pretty good. I found some decent stainless steel for the case. I know the original is rose gold, but stainless steel is what I could afford and work with.
Then I started working on the case. I used some basic tools, nothing too fancy, just regular stuff you’d find in a workshop. I shaped the steel, polished it, and tried to get that nice, smooth finish you see on the real deal. It was tough, I’m not gonna lie. My hands got pretty sore, and I messed up a few times. But after a lot of trial and error, I managed to get a case that looked somewhat like the original. I was quite proud of it, to be honest.
- Spent hours getting the shape right.
- Polished until my arms ached.
- Ruined a couple of pieces, but learned from my mistakes.
Next up, the dial. This was tricky. I found some thin metal sheets and cut them into a circle. I used some paint and very, very fine brushes to recreate the dial markings. I had to be super careful here. One wrong move and the whole thing would look wonky. Took me ages, but I got there in the end. The hands were also a pain. I used some thin wire and shaped them as best as I could. They’re not perfect, but they kinda look like the real thing if you don’t look too closely.
The movement was the hardest part. I decided to use a cheap quartz movement because I don’t have the skills or the money for a mechanical one. I bought a basic movement online and took it apart. I removed the original hands and dial and replaced them with my handmade ones. I put the whole thing in the case, and surprisingly, it worked!
Results
It’s not a perfect replica, far from it. But it looks pretty decent, and it tells the time. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but I like it. It’s something I made with my own hands. I wore it around a few times, and people actually complimented me on it, thinking it’s some fancy watch. Little do they know, it’s just a cheap quartz movement in a homemade case.
Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a fun project, but it was a lot of work. And I probably spent more time on it than I should have. But hey, at least I’ve got a unique watch now, and a good story to tell. And isn’t that what life’s all about? Doing stuff, learning things, and having a bit of fun along the way.
Click to consult