I’ve been eyeballing the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227R-001 for a while now, and I finally decided to go for a remake. This beauty is just so classy and elegant, but the real deal is way out of my league, price-wise. I mean, who has $40k just laying around?
So, I started digging around for alternatives. First, I had to look at the availability. I heard that getting a Patek Philippe is a nightmare, I heard if you want a Nautilus, you could be waiting for like eight years! But the Calatrava? Maybe around a year. Still too long.
I checked out some online shops and found some pre-owned ones. The price for the 5226G, not even my model, is around $35k, plus it is more expensive if you buy it from the secondary market. Nope, still too much. I even saw some listings for the 5227R-001 going for around $24k in Hong Kong. I’m not in Hong Kong, and that’s still a lot of money!
I decided to search for a good replica maker. The 5227R-001 has a 39mm rose gold case. It’s pretty simple but so nice. I found a good workshop that could do a pretty decent job replicating it.
We went back and forth a few times about the materials. They did not have the rose gold like the original, so I settled for a gold-plated version. It’s not the same, but it still looks pretty good, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. I requested them to engrave the back with all the right markings. I wanted it to look as close to the original as possible.
The movement was another story. Getting a replica of the original movement is tricky and expensive. So, I just picked a reliable automatic movement that would keep good time. It’s not the same, but it works well, and that’s what matters.
Finally, after some waiting and a bit of back and forth with the maker, I got my hands on my remake of the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227R-001. Honestly, it looks amazing! It’s got a good weight to it, the gold plating shines nicely, and the details are pretty spot on. Sure, it’s not the real thing, but for the price I paid, I’m thrilled.
Here are some of the things that we did during the process:
- Sourcing the materials: We went through several options for the case before settling on a good-quality gold plating.
- Choosing the movement: I picked a reliable automatic movement that’s known for keeping good time.
- Detailing: We made sure all the engravings and markings were accurate.
- Assembly: The maker put it all together, and honestly, they did a great job.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m really happy with how this turned out. I got a watch that looks like a million bucks without actually spending a million bucks. It’s not perfect, but it’s a great alternative for someone who loves the design but can’t afford the real thing. If you’re thinking about doing something similar, just do your research, find a good maker, and be clear about what you want. You might be surprised at what you can get for your money!
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