Okay, so, I recently got into this whole watch-collecting thing, and let me tell you, it’s a wild ride. I’ve always liked nice things, you know, but I never really thought of myself as a “watch guy.” But then I saw this Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980, and I was like, “Whoa, that’s a beauty.”
So, the journey began. I started doing some digging, you know, just browsing forums, reading articles, the usual stuff. I found out that this specific model, the 5980, especially the two-tone 1AR-001, is quite popular. And man, the blue dial on that thing is just mesmerizing.
First, I called up a few authorized dealers, just to get a feel for the price. One guy tells me it’s around 192,000 USD new, which was way out of my budget. Another dealer says around 179,000 USD. I found some other info online saying it trades for like 176,000 USD, while another site quoted 106,000 USD for a used one. Talk about a price range! These prices are crazy, I thought.
Then I thought, maybe I should try to make one myself. I mean, how hard could it be, right? I’m a pretty handy guy. I’ve built furniture, fixed up my car, so a watch should be a piece of cake.
I started by gathering materials. I figured I needed some basic tools, like a tiny screwdriver, some pliers, and a magnifying glass – because let’s be real, those watch parts are minuscule. For the materials, I found some scrap metal, bits of old jewelry, and even some parts from a broken clock I had lying around.
The first step was the case. I spent hours trying to shape the metal into that iconic Nautilus shape. Let me tell you, it’s way harder than it looks. My first few attempts looked more like mangled blobs than a luxury watch. But I kept at it, and eventually, I had something that sort of resembled the 5980’s case.
Next up, the dial. That beautiful blue dial. I tried mixing different paints, using different materials, you name it. I even tried using some crushed-up gemstones, thinking it would give it that fancy shimmer. It didn’t. It just looked like a mess. But hey, I got something kinda blue and circular, so I glued it in.
Now, the movement. This was the real challenge. I knew I couldn’t make a working chronograph movement from scratch. So, I decided to get a cheap quartz movement from a local store and try to fit it into my homemade case. It was a tight squeeze, but after some modifications, I got it in there.
The bracelet was the last piece of the puzzle. I tried using different types of metal links, but nothing looked quite right. Finally, I settled on a simple leather strap I had from an old watch. It wasn’t perfect, but it did the job.
After countless hours of work, I finally had it, my homemade Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980. Did it look like the real thing? Not even close. Was it a masterpiece of horological engineering? Absolutely not. But was it mine? You bet. I poured my heart and soul into that thing. It doesn’t even tell time accurately, but I’m still proud of it.
- Step 1: Gathered tools and materials.
- Step 2: Tried to make the case. Failed many times, but finally got something similar.
- Step 3: Struggled to make the dial, mixing paints and even using gemstones, but failed to get a good color.
- Step 4: Used a cheap quartz movement.
- Step 5: Settled on a leather strap.
It’s rough around the edges, the dial is a bit wonky, and the movement is far from a Patek Philippe in-house caliber 28-520 C. It’s a flyback chronograph. But, you know what? I made it. And that’s what matters. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the journey is more important than the destination, even if the destination is a franken-watch that barely tells the time. It’s a conversation starter, a testament to my stubbornness, and a pretty funny story to tell.
So, there you have it, folks. My adventure in watchmaking. It wasn’t pretty, but it was definitely an experience. Maybe I’ll stick to buying watches from now on. Or maybe, just maybe, I’ll try to make another one. Who knows? This whole thing taught me a newfound appreciation for the real watchmakers, though. Those guys are artists. As for me, I’m just a guy who tried to make a Patek Philippe and ended up with a, well, let’s just call it “unique” timepiece.
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