Okay, so I got this idea to try and remake the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001. I’m not a watchmaker or anything, just a guy who likes tinkering and thought, “Why not give it a shot?”
First, I spent a good chunk of time just staring at pictures of the watch online. I mean, really staring. I wanted to get every little detail in my head. The way the light hits the rose gold case, the texture of the dial, those tiny, elegant hands – I was soaking it all in.
Next up, I started gathering materials. Now, I’m not made of money, so I wasn’t exactly running out to buy a solid gold case. I had to get creative. I found some similar-looking materials online – a cheap gold-colored case, some watch hands that kind of looked like the original, and a basic watch movement. It was like putting together a puzzle, but with really small pieces.
Getting Down to Business
Then came the actual “making” part. This is where things got, shall we say, interesting. I set up a little workspace in my garage, armed with some basic tools – a tiny screwdriver, tweezers, a magnifying glass, the whole nine yards. It was definitely a trial-and-error process. I tried to assemble the watch, dis-assemble, and then reassemble multiple times to make it right.
- First attempt: Total fail. I couldn’t even get the back off the cheap watch case I bought.
- Second attempt: Got the case open, but then I couldn’t figure out how to attach the new watch face.
- Third attempt: Almost there! But I accidentally bent one of the watch hands. Ugh.
It took a few days of fiddling around, and let me tell you, my respect for watchmakers went through the roof. Those guys are wizards. But finally, after a lot of patience, and maybe a little bit of luck, I had something that resembled the Calatrava 6119R-001.
It’s not perfect, not by a long shot. It doesn’t have the same weight, the movement is nowhere near as sophisticated, and if you looked closely, you’d see all the imperfections. But you know what? I made it. And I learned a ton along the way. Plus I now have this interesting story to tell.
Would I do it again? Maybe. It was frustrating at times, but also kind of fun. If you’re thinking about trying something like this, my advice is to go for it. Just be prepared for a challenge, and don’t expect to create a masterpiece on your first try. Oh, and maybe invest in some good tweezers.