Alright, folks, gather ’round. Today, I’m gonna walk you through my little project of remaking that fancy Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227R-001. Now, I ain’t no fancy watchmaker, but I’ve always been pretty handy, and I figured, why not give it a shot?
First thing I did was stare at a whole bunch of pictures of this watch. You wouldn’t believe how many close-ups of this thing are floating around online. I printed out a few, blew ’em up real big, and stuck ’em up on my wall. Looked like a shrine to a wristwatch, I tell ya.
Getting the Right Look
This watch, it’s got this ivory-colored face that looks kinda old-timey. And the case? Rose gold, 18K, no less. Now, I didn’t have any spare 18K rose gold lying around, so I had to find something that looked close enough. I hunted around online and in some local stores, found a decent enough material with that shiny gold look that wouldn’t break the bank, and had a nice strap I thought would fit the bill.
I started by sketching out the watch face. I measured and measured, trying to get those little details just right. Then I got this idea to use some of this special paper I found, kind of like parchment, to make the watch face. It had that same sort of color. I carefully drew out all the numbers and those tiny lines, using the pictures as my guide. Then the hands, the tricky part. Those hands were three-dimensional. I used a thin piece of metal sheet, and very, very, very carefully, I cut them out and shaped them into what I thought looked right.
Putting It All Together
The case was a whole other story. I found this old watch at a flea market that was about the right size, 39 mm I think it was, and I gutted it. Then, using some modeling clay and a lot of patience, I started shaping it to look like the Calatrava case. The back of the case is flat, no way to see through. Once I had the shape right, I cast it in that gold-looking material I found. I used some small tools I had lying around to engrave the bezel, making it look like the real thing. The Clous de Paris, they call it. It was tough, but kind of fun, too.
Now, for the guts of the watch, I used a cheap quartz movement. I know, I know, it’s not a fancy mechanical movement, but hey, it keeps time, and that’s what matters, right? I carefully put the face I made onto the movement, then the hands. Finally, I put the whole thing into the case I made. Sealed it up, attached the strap, and there it was. My very own, homemade Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227R-001.
- Diameter: Got it around 39 mm, just like the real one.
- Color: That ivory color, nailed it, I think.
- Hands: Made ’em 3D, just like the original.
- Case: Rose gold look-alike, pretty darn close.
It ain’t perfect, not by a long shot. But it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. And you know what? It was a heck of a lot of fun to make. I learned a lot, and now I’ve got this cool watch that looks like a million bucks, even if it didn’t cost nearly that much. Plus, I can wear it every day and not worry too much. So, if you’re thinking about trying something like this, I say go for it. Just be prepared to get your hands dirty, and have a whole lot of patience.
Click to consult