Man, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse for ages. You know, that classy watch that just screams elegance? I finally decided to take the plunge and start looking into it. The one I really had my eye on was the 5738R model. It’s just so sleek and timeless.
First thing I did was hit up the internet to do some digging. I mean, who buys a watch without doing some research first, right? I found out that these bad boys usually go for around $32,000! Yeah, you heard that right. But, I also saw some prices ranging from $9,000 to a whopping $61,000. It really depends on the condition, where you’re buying it, and all that jazz. I wasn’t going to drop over 30k on a watch, as I’d seen some for under 10k, I thought I’d try to remake it myself.
Since I wanted to save some serious cash, I started thinking about maybe trying to remake the 5738R. Sounds crazy, I know, but I figured it was worth a shot. I spent hours online looking for parts that looked like the real deal. The case, the dial, the hands, the movement, you name it. It was like a treasure hunt, except I wasn’t looking for gold, but rose gold…or at least something that looked like it.
- Sourcing the Case: Finding a case that matched the Golden Ellipse’s unique shape was a challenge. I finally found one that was pretty darn close. It wasn’t perfect, but it had the right vibe.
- Dial and Hands: This was actually easier than I expected. There are a lot of replica watch parts out there. I found a sunburst blue dial and some simple, elegant hands that were very similar to the original 5738R.
- Movement: I knew I wasn’t going to get a genuine Patek Philippe movement, so I settled for a decent automatic movement that would do the job.
After getting all the parts, which took a while by the way, it was time to put this thing together. Let me tell you, it was nerve-wracking! I watched a bunch of videos online and read some guides. Slowly but surely, I assembled the watch. It wasn’t easy, and I definitely made a few mistakes along the way, but I learned a lot.
The Final Result
Honestly, I was pretty impressed with how it turned out. It’s not an exact replica, of course, but it definitely captures the essence of the Golden Ellipse 5738R. It has that same elegant look, and it feels great on the wrist. Plus, I saved a ton of money! It wasn’t quite the 8-9k I’d seen some of them going for, but all in, it came to around 12k which was still a significant saving. All in all, I’m pretty stoked with my little project. It’s a reminder that sometimes, you can get what you want without breaking the bank, you just need a little bit of elbow grease and a lot of patience.
Click to consult