Alright, let’s talk about this watch project I just finished. I wanted to remake a Patek Philippe, specifically the Calatrava 6119G-001. It’s a really classy-looking watch, and I thought it would be a cool challenge to try and recreate it. It was a fun project! And it’s not too hard to make it if you are a watch lover too! Let me show you how I did it.
First things first, I gotta find all the parts. That took a lot of work, it’s not too easy to find it, I tell you. The case, the dial, the hands, the movement… it was like a treasure hunt. I spent days online, checking out different watch forums and parts suppliers. Some parts were easy to find, others, not so much. I even had to order some pieces from overseas, which meant waiting for them to arrive. Patience, my friends, patience. Also, you need to know some basic knowledge about the watch, I mean, the Calatrava 6119G-001, you need to know the structure and how to combine the different parts.
Once I had everything, it was time to start building. Now, I’m not a professional watchmaker or anything, but I’ve tinkered with watches before, so I knew the basics. Still, this was a whole other level. I started with the movement. Getting all those tiny gears and springs to work together is tricky, let me tell you. One wrong move and you gotta start all over again.
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Clean the Movement: First I took the movement apart, it’s necessary to do so. Then soaked all the parts in a special cleaning solution to get rid of any dirt or old oil. Then rinse it and dry it off carefully.
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Put It Back Together: Next, carefully put the movement back together, piece by tiny piece. This is where you need good tweezers and a steady hand. I use a magnifying glass to see everything clearly.
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Oil It Up: Tiny drops of special watch oil go on specific parts to keep everything running smoothly. Too much oil is just as bad as not enough.
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Check the Timing: Once it’s back together, used a timing machine to see how accurate the watch is. Adjusted some little screws until it’s running just right.
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Case It Up: The movement goes inside the new watch case. Make sure it fits snugly and that the crown (the winding knob) lines up properly.
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Add the Dial and Hands: Carefully attached the dial to the movement. It’s important to get it perfectly centered. Then pressed on the hands – hour, minute, and second. This part is super delicate, especially that you need to make sure that the hand is the right one that fits your dial and the movement, or it will not work! And one wrong move can bend them.
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Attach the Strap: Last, put on the new leather strap. Done!
Steps
I spent a good few weeks on this, working on it a little bit each day. There were definitely moments of frustration, especially when I dropped a tiny screw for like, the tenth time. And I think I spent lots of money on this project. But finally, seeing the finished watch on my wrist made it all worthwhile. It’s not perfect, of course. There are some little things that I’d do differently next time. But overall, I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. It looks surprisingly close to the real deal, at least to my untrained eye. It’s a reminder that with enough time, patience, and effort, you can create some pretty amazing things. And it’s fun!
So yeah, that’s the story of my Patek Philippe remake project. It was a fun challenge, and I learned a ton along the way. If you’re into watches and you’re looking for a new project, give it a try! Just be prepared to invest a lot of time and effort, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s how you learn, right?
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