Alright, folks, gather ’round. I’ve got a story for ya, about how I tried to remake that fancy Patek Philippe watch, the Calatrava 5088/100P-001. You know, the one that’s all platinum and engraved and costs more than a car? Yeah, that one.
So, first off, I started digging around for information. This watch, it’s a big deal. Limited edition, they say. Only ten made or something crazy like that. I scoured the internet, readin’ up on it. Found out it’s got this black alligator strap. Real alligator! Imagine that. And the price? Don’t even get me started. Let’s just say it’s a lot.
I decided I wanted to try and remake it. Not the real deal, of course, but a decent replica. I’m no watchmaker, but I’m pretty handy. How hard could it be, right? Famous last words, I know.
First thing I did was try to get the materials. The platinum was out of the question. Way too expensive. I settled for stainless steel instead. Still looks good, and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper. For the strap, I found some black leather. Not alligator, but it’ll do. I couldn’t find a way to print the right words to the watch, so I gave up on the words.
The Hard Part
Next, the engraving. Man, that was tough. The real watch has all this fancy hand-engraved stuff on the case and dial. I watched some videos online, got myself some tools, and gave it a shot. It was way harder than it looked. My hands were cramped, my eyes were tired, and the results were, well, let’s just say they weren’t exactly Patek Philippe quality.
- Tried different engraving techniques.
- Ruined a few practice pieces.
- Started to get the hang of it, kinda.
The dial was another challenge. The original is black enamel, which is some kind of baked-on glass stuff. I tried using black paint, but it just didn’t look right. I experimented with different finishes, but nothing really worked. I just painted it black in the end.
Putting It All Together
After weeks of work, I finally had all the pieces ready. I started to assemble the watch. It was fiddly work, but I managed to get it all together. It wasn’t perfect, but it looked kinda like the real thing, at least from a distance. You can’t tell that it’s fake unless you look very closely, haha.
So, there you have it. My attempt to remake the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001. It was a fun project, even though it was a lot harder than I expected. I learned a lot, and I got a pretty cool watch out of it, even if it’s not the real deal. Would I do it again? Probably not. But hey, it was an experience, right?
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