Okay, guys, today I wanted to try something a bit different, a little out of my comfort zone, you know? I’ve been eyeing this Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001 for a while now. It’s a pretty fancy watch, and let me tell you, the price tag is something else. But I thought, “Why not try to remake it myself?” So, that’s what I did.
First off, I started researching about this watch. I learned that the actual one has a diameter of 39mm and a height of 8.08mm. It’s also water-resistant up to 30 meters. So, I kept these specs in mind. I also found out that “Calatrava” is actually the name of an old castle. Who knew, right?
Then, I went searching for materials. I needed something that looked like rose gold for the case and hour markers. I mean, the real deal is 18k rose gold, but I’m not made of money. I ended up finding some nice-looking alloy that had a similar color. It wasn’t perfect, but it was close enough.
Next, I had to figure out the whole watch mechanism thing. Let me tell you, it’s complicated! I watched a bunch of videos and read a ton of articles. It was like learning a whole new language. It took several tries and I broke a few parts, but I eventually managed to assemble something that resembled a working watch.
For the watch face, I tried to replicate that “Clous de Paris” pattern. I found out it’s some kind of guilloched design. I tried carving it by hand, but man, that was tough. I ended up making a simplified version of it. It’s not as detailed, but it still looks pretty decent, if I do say so myself.
- Material Hunt: I spent days looking for the right materials. I needed something that looked like rose gold but didn’t cost a fortune.
- Mechanism Mess: Figuring out how to put together a watch mechanism was a nightmare. I broke so many tiny parts!
- Face Value: Recreating that fancy “Clous de Paris” pattern was super hard. I had to simplify it a lot.
I also needed a strap. I found a leather one that looked similar to the one on the official watch. I attached it to my homemade watch case, and voila! It actually looked like a watch!
Finally, I put the whole thing together. It wasn’t easy, and it definitely took a lot longer than I expected. I had to buy some special tools. And the wait time? Let’s just say if I was waiting for the real thing, it probably would have taken just as long. I heard the waitlist for a real Calatrava can be up to a year!
The Final Result
After all that hard work, I had my very own “Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001”. Of course, it’s not the real thing, and it’s definitely not as perfect or valuable. But I made it with my own two hands, and that’s something I’m pretty proud of. It actually keeps time pretty well, too! I wore it around the house for a few days and got a few compliments from my family. They couldn’t believe I actually made it myself!
So, was it worth it? Honestly, I had a lot of fun, learned a ton, and now I have a unique watch that I can say I made myself. Plus, I saved a lot of money. Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a fun challenge, but I think one homemade luxury watch is enough for me, for now at least.
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