Hey everyone, so I’ve been itching to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001, you know, the one they have in the official flagship store. It’s a real beauty, but that price tag? Ouch. Over 100 grand! So, I thought, why not try to remake one myself? I figured it would be a fun little project.
First things first, I started digging around for information. I found some info online about the watch. It’s a 38mm, platinum, with a super-thin self-winding movement. Fancy stuff, right?
Next, I started looking for parts that I might be able to use. I figured the movement would be the trickiest part, so I focused on that first. I’m no watchmaker, but I thought I could maybe find something similar and modify it. That was tough. Really tough. These things are complicated.
- I spent hours online, looking at different watch movements.
- I read a bunch of articles about how they work.
- I even tried taking apart a few old watches I had lying around, just to see how they were put together.
After a lot of trial and error and a whole bunch of headaches, I finally found a movement that I thought might work. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it was close enough. I ordered it and waited impatiently for it to arrive.
While I was waiting, I started working on the case. I wanted to get that platinum look, but actual platinum was way out of my budget. So, I opted for a high-quality stainless steel case and planned on maybe getting it plated later to resemble platinum.
Once the movement arrived, I got to work. I carefully disassembled the old watch movement and started modifying the new one. It was a slow and painstaking process, but I was determined to make it work.
I faced a few setbacks along the way. Some parts didn’t fit quite right, and I had to do some creative problem-solving to make them work. There were times when I felt like giving up, but I kept pushing through.
Finally, after weeks of work, I managed to get the movement working. I carefully installed it in the case and added the dial and hands. I found some that looked pretty similar to the original. I couldn’t get the exact ones, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.
The Final Result
It wasn’t perfect, but I was pretty darn proud of what I had accomplished. It looked somewhat like a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001, and it actually kept time! It might not have been worth anything close to the original, but the feeling of making it myself was priceless. From what I saw, used ones are going for over 80k anyway, so I saved a ton doing this.
This whole experience taught me a lot about watches and about myself. It showed me that I’m capable of more than I thought I was. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll actually be able to afford the real thing. Until then, I’ll be happy with my homemade version. It’s a reminder that even if something seems impossible, you can always find a way to make it work, even if it’s not exactly the same. It sure looks like one from a distance, haha.
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