Alright, so, I’ve been tinkering with this project, and I thought I’d share what I did. I decided to try and remake a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227R-001. Yeah, the fancy watch. Here’s how it went down.
First off, I started looking around to see what this watch is all about. It’s a 39mm watch, which is not too big, not too small. And it’s 9.24 mm thick. I found out that it’s got a brown alligator strap, which sounds exotic. The real ones are crazy expensive, like 32,000 bucks used, and even more for a new one. That’s way out of my league, so I figured, why not try to make a version of it myself?
I started gathering materials. For the case, I used some rose gold-colored metal. I made sure it was about 39 mm in diameter. Then I started working on the internal parts. I found out the real deal has something like 164 parts, with a thickness of 2.55 mm. I didn’t have that many parts, but I did my best to mimic the essentials.
- Measured and cut the case material to 39 mm.
- Shaped the case to a thickness of around 9 mm, just like the original.
- Started assembling the internal mechanism, piece by piece.
Next, I focused on the movement. This watch uses a self-winding caliber 324 movement. I didn’t have a real one of those, so I used a similar automatic movement I had lying around. I took it apart and put it back together, trying to make it fit the case I made. It was a bit of a struggle, but I managed.
The dial was another challenge. It’s supposed to be ivory, a nice, creamy color. I used a piece of plastic and painted it to match the look. It took a few tries to get the color right, but it turned out pretty good.
Then came the strap. No real alligator here, just some brown leather I had. I cut it to size and attached it to the case. It’s not the same, but it gives the watch a similar vibe.
Final Touches
After assembling everything, I checked it out. It looked pretty close to the pictures I found online. Of course, it’s not a real Patek Philippe, but it’s got the look. I wore it around for a bit, and it felt good. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but hey, I made it myself.
So, that’s my little project. It was fun, and I learned a lot. It’s not perfect, but it’s a decent remake of a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227R-001. If you’re into watches and want a fun project, give it a try. You might surprise yourself with what you can do.
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