Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to remake a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227G-010 for a while now. You know, the one with the black lacquered dial? It’s a real beauty, but way out of my price range. I mean, we’re talking almost 30 grand for the real deal! So, I thought, why not try to make one myself?
First things first, I needed to do some digging. What makes this watch tick, literally? It’s got this self-winding mechanical movement, the Caliber 324 S C. Sounds fancy, right? It also shows the date and has a center sweep second hand. I found out that the case is 39 mm in diameter and 9.24 mm thick. Perfect size for my wrist.
Now, getting the parts was a whole other story. I started scouring the internet, looking for anything that could help. There are these sites, I think it was called Chrono24 or something like that, where you can find all sorts of watch parts. It is not a big deal. But, let me tell you, it was tough finding parts that even came close to the real thing. And the prices! Some of these parts were going for hundreds of dollars. I had to get creative.
I started hitting up local watch repair shops. You wouldn’t believe the stuff they have lying around. Old movements, dials, hands, you name it. I managed to snag a few decent pieces, but nothing that would really make this watch shine. It took me several weeks.
- Movement: I ended up finding a used, but still functioning, automatic movement. It’s not a Caliber 324 S C, but it does the job.
- Dial: This was the hardest part. I couldn’t find anything that looked like that beautiful black lacquered dial. So, I decided to try making my own. I got a plain white dial and experimented with different types of black paint until I got something that looked somewhat similar.
- Case: I found a stainless steel case that was the right size. It’s not white gold like the original, but it’s close enough.
- Hands: I managed to find a set of hands that were similar in style to the original.
Putting it all together was a real challenge. I’m not a watchmaker, so I had to learn a lot along the way. I watched tons of videos online, read a bunch of articles, and even asked a few watch repair guys for advice. It took a lot of trial and error, but eventually, I managed to assemble something that resembled the Calatrava 5227G-010.
The final product? Well, it’s not perfect. The dial isn’t as glossy as the original, and the movement isn’t as smooth. But, you know what? I’m pretty darn proud of it. It’s a reminder that you don’t need a ton of money to enjoy a beautiful watch. And the best part? I made it myself. From beginning to end, this is my personal work.
Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll even be able to afford the real deal. Until then, I’ll be rocking my homemade Calatrava with pride.
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