Alright, folks, gather ’round. Today, I’m gonna walk you through my latest project: remaking the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001. It is a classic style timepiece, and I thought, “Why not give it a shot?” So, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
First things first, I needed to get a good look at the original. I spent hours staring at pictures online, trying to get every detail right. This watch, the 6119G-001, it’s got this 18k white gold case and a manual wind movement, the caliber 30-255 PS, according to what I found. Pretty fancy, huh? And the strap has an 18k white gold buckle. I made sure to write all this down.
Then, I started sketching. I’m no artist, but I did my best to draw out the watch face, the hands, the markers, everything. It’s got this cool “Clous de Paris” pattern, which is basically a bunch of tiny little pyramids. Drawing that was a real pain, let me tell you.
Next up, I made a list of materials. I couldn’t afford real white gold, obviously, so I went with some good quality stainless steel that I would give a silver look. I also grabbed some silver-colored paint and a set of watchmaker’s tools. My workshop, which is really just a corner of my garage, started to look like a real watchmaker’s place.
I started working on the case. I used a Dremel to shape the steel, trying to copy the curves of the original. It took a lot of filing and sanding to get it right. It was hard but I tried my best. I even tried to engrave the Patek Philippe name on the back, just like the real one.
- Cutting the case
- Shaping the case
- Sanding the case
- Adding the “Clous de Paris” pattern
Then came the hands and the markers. I used thin pieces of metal and painted them silver. They were so small, I nearly lost them a few times! Gluing them onto the watch face was tricky, but I managed it with a steady hand and a lot of patience.
Assembling the whole thing was like putting together a tiny, intricate puzzle. I followed a diagram I found online, but it was still pretty tough. I had to be super careful not to scratch anything or mess up the alignment. I put them all together and tried to make it look good.
Finally, after days of work, it was done. It’s not perfect, not by a long shot, but it kinda looks like the real deal from a distance. I even made a strap out of some old leather I had lying around. I wore it around the house for a day, feeling pretty proud of myself.
The Result
It was a fun project, and I learned a lot. Would I do it again? Maybe. It’s definitely a lot harder than it looks. But hey, if you’re ever bored and want to try something new, give it a shot. Just be prepared to spend a lot of time and maybe go through a few band-aids. And who knows, you might end up with a pretty cool-looking watch at the end of it all.
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