Okay, so, I saw this Patek Philippe Nautilus 5724, right? And I thought, “I gotta have it, but, you know, not the real deal ’cause who’s got that kind of cash?” So, I started looking into how to, like, remake one. I heard about these Bamford remakes of the 5711, especially this blacked-out one with a black dial and black PVC coating. It looked pretty slick in the pictures, and I was curious if it was worth diving into.
I spent hours, and I mean hours, searching online, reading forums, and watching videos. Some people were saying that the best way to go was to combine parts from different replicas, like a PF/PPF hybrid, to get the best bang for your buck. I guess that’s kind of like building a Frankenstein’s monster, but in a good way? I also found out that this company called 3KF might eventually make the best PP 5711 replica, but that was still up in the air and I didn’t want to wait forever.
I decided to start with the PF/PPF hybrid route. First, I had to find a good base model. I hit up a few replica dealers I found online and ordered a PF version of the Nautilus. It took a few weeks, but when it arrived, I was pretty impressed with the quality. It was solid, had a good weight to it, and the details were pretty spot on.
Next, I needed the PPF parts. I found a separate dealer that had the dial and hands from the PPF version, and I ordered those, too. I had a friend who’s into watches help me out with the transplant. We carefully took apart the PF watch and swapped out the dial and hands for the PPF ones. It was like open-heart surgery but on a tiny, expensive toy.
After that, I wanted to do something special with it, so I decided to go for that blacked-out look like the Bamford version. I researched a bit and found a place that could do PVC coating. I sent it off and waited for a little. When it came back, I was blown away. The coating was smooth, even, and made the watch look super stealthy.
Here are the main steps I did:
- Researched for hours, like days.
- Ordered a PF Nautilus replica.
- Waited for it. The waiting is always the hardest part.
- Got it, and it was pretty nice.
- Ordered PPF dial and hands.
- Swapped the parts with help from a friend.
- Found a place to do PVC coating.
- Sent it out for coating.
- Got it back, and boom, it was amazing.
The Final Product
So, after all that, I ended up with a pretty sweet-looking Patek Philippe Nautilus that didn’t cost me an arm and a leg. It’s not perfect, and some hardcore watch people might spot some differences, but for me, it’s a great piece. I wear it all the time, and it gets a lot of attention. People are always asking me about it, and I love telling them the whole story of how I put it together.
It was a fun project, and I learned a lot about watches along the way. Plus, now I have a cool, unique timepiece that I’m proud to wear. If you’re thinking about doing something similar, I say go for it! Just be prepared to put in some time and effort, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. You might be surprised at what you can create.
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