Today I started to remake a Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001, the original order. This is a pretty famous watch, and I’ve always wanted to try my hand at replicating it. I found some information online, like the price is around $28,177 and it’s got this cool guilloched hobnail pattern, also known as Clous de Paris. It sounds fancy.
First off, I needed to get a good look at the watch. I spent a good chunk of time staring at pictures and videos online. I noticed the diameter is 39mm and the height is 8.08mm. I grabbed my tools and start to do.
The Dial:
- I tried to replicate the hobnail pattern. This was tough. I used a small tool to carefully create the pattern on a piece of metal. It took a while, and I messed up a few times, but eventually, I got something that looked somewhat similar.
The Case:
- I started working on the case. I used a small file to get the shape and size just right. I didn’t have the fancy material. I got it close to 39mm in diameter and around 8.08mm in height. It was a slow process. I had to make sure I didn’t remove too much material.
Putting It Together:
- Once I had the dial and case ready, I started to assemble the watch. This was the most nerve-wracking part. I was afraid of scratching or damaging the parts I had worked so hard on. I carefully placed the dial inside the case and secured it.
Final Touches:
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The last step was to add the other little details, like the hands and the markers. These were small and fiddly, but I managed to get them in place.
It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s definitely not as good as the real Patek Philippe, but it was a fun project. I learned a lot about watchmaking and gained a new appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into these luxury watches. It’s not something you can just do in an afternoon. It takes time, patience, and a steady hand. I’m not sure if I’ll try to remake another watch anytime soon, but this was a good experience.
Learnings:
This project taught me that watchmaking is really difficult. Each tiny step has to be perfect. I spent hours on this, and it’s still far from the original. But I’m okay with that. It was about the process and learning something new. Plus, it’s kind of cool to have a watch that I made myself, even if it’s a little rough around the edges.
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