Alright, so, I’ve always been a bit of a watch nut, you know? And Patek Philippe, man, that’s like the holy grail for watch guys. The Calatrava, in particular, has always been a dream watch for me. I mean, the history, the way they’re made, it’s just insane.
But let’s be real, these things cost more than a car! I’m talking tens of thousands of dollars. So, what’s a guy to do? Well, I decided I’d try to remake one myself. I went with the Calatrava 6119R-001 because it’s kind of based on an old, classic model, the Reference 96. I thought that was pretty cool.
First thing I did was to spend hours just staring at pictures, videos, anything I could find about this watch. I wanted to get every little detail down. The real one has, like, 164 tiny parts inside. Can you believe that? It’s crazy. I went down this rabbit hole and really looked into it.
Then came the hard part – actually building the thing. Now, I’m no master watchmaker, not even close. But I’ve tinkered with watches before, and I figured I’d give it a shot. I bought a bunch of tools and parts online. It was tough, I’m not gonna lie. There were times I wanted to throw the whole thing against the wall. Lots of little screws, tiny springs flying everywhere…it was a mess.
I had to make some compromises, of course. My version isn’t an exact replica. I used some different materials, and I’m sure my movement isn’t as smooth or as fancy as the real deal. And, I gotta say, finding some of these parts was like a treasure hunt. I couldn’t find everything I needed.
- First, I worked on the case. Trying to get that same shape, that same finish…it took forever.
- Then I moved on to the dial. That’s the face of the watch, for those who don’t know. That was another whole adventure.
- The hands were super tricky. I had to find some that were close enough in style.
- Putting the movement together was the hardest part. It’s like a tiny little engine in there. I don’t think I will ever do that again.
But you know what? After weeks of work, I finally did it. I finished my own, homemade, kind-of-sort-of Calatrava. And honestly, I was pretty darn proud of myself. It was a lot of fun, even though it was super challenging. I definitely learned a ton. A real Patek Philippe is a thing of beauty, it’s high-end, a status symbol. If you have the money, go for it. You can find official stores on their website, I guess. And there are places where you can buy used ones too, like Rolex and other fancy brands.
Did I succeed?
My Calatrava is not perfect, I mean come on, but it’s something I’m really happy with. It’s not just a watch, it’s a story, you know? It’s proof that you can do anything you set your mind to, even if it seems totally crazy at first. If you can’t afford the real one, I guess you can wait a while, but that could be 9 months or a year, according to some people. I don’t think it is worth it. I say, make your own.
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