Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001 for a while now. This thing is a beauty, you know? Real classic look. I did some digging around, and man, these things are not cheap. We’re talking five figures, easy. Plus, trying to find one at an Authorized Dealer? Forget about it. They’re always out of stock, and if you’re not a VIP customer, good luck getting on a waiting list.
So, I thought, “Why not try to remake one myself?” It sounded crazy at first, but I figured it would be a fun project. First, I started looking for info on the original. I checked out tons of pictures online, read forum posts from other watch nerds, and even found some technical specs. It was a lot of information to take in, but it gave me a good idea of what I was up against.
The next step was finding parts. This was a real pain. I had to source everything separately – the case, the movement, the dial, the hands, the strap, you name it. I spent hours online, comparing different parts, trying to find ones that looked as close to the original as possible without costing a fortune. Let me tell you, it’s like hunting for needles in a haystack. I reached out to a few local dealers, but most of them weren’t much help. One guy even laughed at me!
Once I had all the parts, I started putting it all together. It was tricky, to say the least. I’ve messed around with watches before, but this was a whole different level. I had to buy some new tools, watch a bunch of YouTube tutorials, and I even messed up a few times and had to order replacement parts. It was frustrating, yeah, but also kind of fun in a weird way.
The movement was the biggest challenge. It is the heart of the watch. I spent a lot of time on it, getting all the gears and springs in the right place. I was sweating bullets the whole time, worried I was going to break something. I remember seeing the prices of the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5811/1G, and the original Patek Philippe 5711. I knew the heart of them is very valuable. There were several nights when I wanted to give up, to be honest, but I just kept pushing. It is a very complicated process.
Finally, after weeks of work, I had a watch that looked pretty damn close to the real deal. It wasn’t perfect, of course. There were some small differences here and there, but I was proud of it. And you know what? It felt even more special than if I had just bought one from a store. I actually made this thing with my own two hands.
Would I recommend doing this? Probably not, unless you’re really into watches and have a lot of patience. It was a lot of work, and it wasn’t exactly cheap, even though I saved a ton compared to buying a real one. But for me, it was worth it. I learned a lot, and now I have a unique watch that I can be proud of. I think this experience also makes me know better about the Models that served as inspiration for the 6119R include the original reference 96, as well as the reference 3520. I have to say, the Calatrava is really the flagship model of Patek Philippe!
One last thing. Remember that this is just for fun. I am not making counterfeit watches or anything like that. Just wanted to share my little adventure. I think it’s cool to see what you can do with a little bit of effort and a lot of determination. Now it is time to have some good rest.
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