So, I’ve been eyeing those fancy Patek Philippe watches for a while now, especially the Calatrava 5088/100P-001. You know, the one with the black enamel dial and platinum case? Man, that thing is a beauty! But, the price tag? Over 100 grand! No way I could swing that. But I wasn’t about to give up on my dream of having a watch like that.
I started digging around, trying to learn everything I could about this watch. Turns out, it’s got this 38 mm platinum case, which is pretty standard for a dress watch. It is only 8.3 mm thick, which makes it super sleek. And that dial, oh man, it’s hand-engraved and covered in black enamel. Looks so classy. The movement inside is the caliber 240, which is apparently ultra-thin and self-winding. This means it winds itself as you move, pretty neat, right? And it’s got like a 48-hour power reserve, so you don’t have to wind it every day. Also I learned that the Calatrava was first introduced in 1932 with the first model named Ref. 96. The name ‘Calatrava’ came from the famous Christian knighthood order.
After seeing some folks online doing these amazing “remakes” of expensive stuff, I figured, why not give it a shot myself? I’m pretty handy, and I’ve always loved tinkering with things. So, I set out on this mission to make my own version of the Calatrava 5088/100P-001.
First things first, I needed to find a watch case that was similar in size and style. I spent hours browsing online and finally found a decent-looking stainless steel case that was about the right size. It wasn’t platinum, but hey, it was close enough, and way more affordable. That the watch case is 38mm wide and 8.3mm thick. Next up was the dial. This was going to be the trickiest part. I knew I couldn’t replicate the hand-engraving, but I thought I could maybe get a similar look with some careful painting and detailing. Then I found a black enamel dial that is very similar to the original one.
I ordered a bunch of watchmaking tools from the internet – tiny screwdrivers, tweezers, a loupe, the whole nine yards. I also found a cheap automatic movement that was similar in size to the caliber 240. It wasn’t as fancy, but it would do the job.
When all the parts arrived, I cleared off my workbench and got to work. Assembling the watch was a real challenge. Those parts are tiny! I had to use the loupe to see what I was doing half the time. But slowly but surely, I managed to get the movement into the case and attach the dial and hands.
The painting part was even harder. I practiced on some scrap metal first, trying to get the technique down. After a few failed attempts, I finally managed to create a dial that looked somewhat similar to the real deal. It wasn’t perfect, but I was pretty proud of it.
After many hours of work, I finally had my own “remade” Calatrava. It wasn’t an exact replica, but it captured the essence of the original. And you know what? I loved it! It felt amazing to wear something that I had built with my own hands.
This whole experience taught me a lot about watchmaking and about my own capabilities. It wasn’t easy, but it was definitely worth it. And now, whenever I look at my wrist, I’m reminded of the time I took on a crazy challenge and came out on top.
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