Okay, so I’ve been wanting to remake this Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738 watch for a while now. I finally decided to give it a shot. I’m not a professional watchmaker or anything, just a guy who likes to tinker, so bear with me.
First, I started looking around online, just to see what was out there. I found that there were a lot of websites that talked about selling them and even found ads for discounts, which is cool, but I wanted to make one, not buy it. They’re pretty pricey, you know? I also saw that there are many different brands out there, like Rolex, TAG Heuer, and others. They are all cool, but I wanted to focus on the Patek Philippe.
I knew I needed to find some materials, so I started searching for parts. I looked at places selling all sorts of watch parts. I had no idea where to even begin with this project. I mean, I’m just a regular dude who likes to mess around with stuff. I’m not even close to a real watchmaker.
I managed to gather some basic tools and materials, things like a small screwdriver, some tweezers, and a magnifying glass – the usual suspects when you’re dealing with tiny parts. Honestly, the hardest part was just figuring out how to get started. This watch is so intricate.
My Process
- Getting Started:
I spent hours just staring at the watch, trying to understand how it all fits together. I started by trying to disassemble a cheap watch I had lying around, just to get a feel for it. It was a mess, to be honest. Springs flying everywhere, tiny screws rolling off the table – total chaos.
- The Dial:
The dial of the Golden Ellipse is pretty unique. I decided to try and replicate it using some thin metal sheets I found at a local craft store. Cutting it to the right shape was a pain, and I definitely messed up a few times. I tried to copy the design by hand, which was way harder than I thought it would be. I did my best, though. Then I tried my best to paint the numbers and markers, but I totally made a mess of it.
- The Case:
For the case, I used some modeling clay to try and mold the shape. It’s that elliptical shape that’s so iconic, you know? It took a bunch of tries to get it even remotely close to the real thing. I found some rose gold-colored paint and tried to give it that fancy look, but it didn’t really turn out like I hoped. You would never guess I was trying to remake a 5738. I ended up painting it a few times, but it still looked pretty rough.
- Putting It Together:
This was the most frustrating part. Trying to assemble all the tiny parts without losing or breaking anything was a nightmare. I tried following some online tutorials, but they were all for regular watches, not this fancy elliptical one. I think I spent more time searching for dropped screws than actually assembling anything.
After a lot of trial and error, I finally managed to put something together that kinda, sorta resembled the Golden Ellipse. It definitely wasn’t perfect – far from it, actually. It didn’t even tick. But hey, I learned a lot, and it was a fun challenge. I’m just glad I didn’t try to mess with a real Patek Philippe. I would have definitely ruined it. I might try it again sometime, but for now, I think I’ll stick to simpler projects. Maybe I’ll just save up and buy a real one someday. Who knows?
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