OK, let’s talk about this remake project of mine. I’ve been wanting to make a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227R-001 for a while now, and I finally got around to doing it. First off, I spent a good chunk of time just staring at pictures of this beauty online. The design is just so classic, it’s a stunner.
I started gathering materials, and I gotta tell you, it’s not easy to find stuff that matches the quality of a real Patek. For the case, I knew I needed something that looked like rose gold, so I went with a high-quality alloy that I polished the heck out of. It’s not real gold, but it gives that warm, luxurious feel, you know?
Movement
- Diameter: 27 mm
- Thickness: 3.3 mm
- Number of parts: 212
- Jewels: 30
Now, the movement was a real challenge. Patek’s movements are like little works of art. I found a decent automatic movement that fits the size, it’s 27 mm in diameter and about 3.3 mm thick. It’s got 212 parts, but not all of them are exactly like the original, and 30 jewels. It’s not a Patek movement, but it keeps time well and has that nice sweeping second hand. I spent hours regulating it, making sure it was as accurate as possible.
The case is where I really tried to get it right. It’s a round case, 39 mm in diameter, and 8.08 mm thick, entirely polished to a mirror finish. I made sure to get the proportions right. Then there’s the dial – that ivory color is so distinctive. I mixed a few paints to get the perfect shade, and for the hour markers, I used tiny strips of the same alloy as the case, polished them up, and carefully set them in place. I am really happy that the hands were the hardest part. They’re so delicate on the original. I ended up shaping them from thin pieces of metal, filing and polishing until they looked just right.
Putting it all together was nerve-wracking. One wrong move and you could scratch the dial or mess up the hands. But I took my time, used the right tools, and eventually, it all came together. I even managed to make a display case back so you can see the movement ticking away.
The strap was another challenge. Patek uses this beautiful alligator leather. I found a pretty good leather strap that looks similar and feels soft. It’s not alligator, but it’s a good substitute. I fitted it to the case with some custom-made spring bars, and bam, the watch was complete.
When I finally finished, I just sat there for a while, admiring my work. It’s not a real Patek Philippe, but it’s my version of it, and I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. It’s got that classic look, it feels good on the wrist, and it’s a reminder of all the hard work I put into it. This whole process taught me a lot about watchmaking and made me appreciate the real thing even more. It’s not just a watch; it’s a piece of art, and now I’ve got my own little piece of that.
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