Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to remake a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001 for a while now. You know, the one on the official flagship store? Yeah, that one. It’s a real beauty, with all that hand-engraved and enameled dial stuff. Super fancy. I just love fancy stuff, you know?
First things first, I needed to find out everything about this watch. So, I searched around on the internet. I found some info on different websites. This watch is 38mm, made of platinum, and has a black alligator strap. It’s got an automatic movement, which is pretty cool. Some websites said it’s water-resistant up to 30 meters, but I wasn’t planning on swimming with it anyway. The price is somewhere around 99, maybe? But honestly, that didn’t really matter to me because I wanted to make my own.
Gathering Information
I spent hours looking at pictures and reading descriptions. The dial is the most interesting part, with all that engraving. It looked really complicated, but I was determined to figure it out. There is a self-winding movement inside, which means it winds itself as you wear it. Apparently, it has a power reserve of about 48 hours. This means I can make it work for 48 hours, and I don’t know if I should be happy about it or sad, because I don’t think I can handle it. Whatever, I can do it.
The Start
I got myself some basic watchmaking tools. I’m not a professional watchmaker, obviously, but I’ve dabbled in some simple watch repairs before. I found a similar-sized watch case and a plain black dial to start with. The strap was easy, I just got a black alligator-style leather one online. It won’t be the same as the original, but it’s good enough for my project.
- Watch Case: Found a 38mm platinum-like case.
- Dial: Started with a plain black dial.
- Strap: Bought a black alligator-style leather strap.
- Movement: This was the tricky part. I couldn’t get the exact same movement, so I found a decent automatic one that fit the case.
The Engraving Part
This was the hardest part. I tried to engrave the dial myself, but man, it was tough. I practiced on some scrap metal first, but it still looked pretty rough. I watched some videos online about engraving, but it’s definitely not as easy as it looks. After a few failed attempts, I realized I needed a different approach. I don’t have much money, but I know it would be much better if I had help from a professional. After all, it would be the most difficult part and I wanted it to be as close to the original as possible.
The Movement
I managed to get a small automatic movement that fit the case. It wasn’t the same caliber as the original Patek Philippe, but it worked. Putting it all together was tricky, but I finally got it ticking. It felt amazing to see the hands moving, even though it wasn’t perfect.
The Final Touches
I added some enamel paint to the dial to mimic the original look. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it gave it a nice, glossy finish. I attached the strap, and boom, it was done! It didn’t look exactly like the real Calatrava 5088/100P-001, but it was close enough for me. And you know what? I made it myself! How cool is that?
It took a lot of time and effort, but I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. It’s not perfect, but it’s my own little version of a super fancy watch. Maybe one day I’ll get the real thing, but for now, I’m happy with my handmade masterpiece. I might even try to make other watches in the future. Who knows, maybe I’ll become a watchmaker someday. Just kidding! But hey, a guy can dream, right?
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