Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738 for a while now. The real deal is way out of my budget, so I thought, why not try to remake one myself? I mean, how hard could it be, right?
First things first, I needed to find a watch case that looked like the 5738. I spent hours scrolling through online shops and forums, looking for something that fit the bill. The Golden Ellipse has this unique oval shape, not your typical round case. Finally, I found a decent-looking case that had that same kind of vibe, even though it wasn’t exactly the same. It was a bit of a gamble, but I went for it.
Next up was the dial. The real 5738 has this beautiful blue sunburst dial, and I wanted to get as close to that as possible. I found a guy online who makes custom dials, and I sent him a bunch of pictures of the 5738. We went back and forth a few times to get the color and the finish just right. It wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty darn close. I also ordered some hands that looked like the ones on the original watch. They were just plain, no-frills hands, but they did the job.
Now, for the movement, I didn’t even try to replicate the fancy automatic movement that Patek Philippe uses. I opted for a simple quartz movement that I found online. It’s nothing special, but it keeps time, and that’s what matters. I popped it into the case, and I felt like I was playing the role of a professional watchmaker.
Putting it all together was a bit tricky. I had to make sure the dial and hands were aligned properly, and I didn’t want to scratch anything. I used some basic tools I had lying around, like tweezers and a small screwdriver. It took some patience, but eventually, I got everything assembled.
- Found a case that sort of looked like the 5738.
- Got a custom dial made that was close to the original blue sunburst.
- Bought some simple hands that matched the original.
- Used a basic quartz movement because I’m not a millionaire.
- Put it all together with some basic tools and a lot of care.
The final product? Well, it’s not a Patek Philippe, that’s for sure. But it does look somewhat like a Golden Ellipse 5738, at least from a distance. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, considering it was just a fun little project. It’s not perfect, and there are definitely some things I could have done better, but hey, it’s my own little “Patek Philippe,” and that’s good enough for me. And you know what? It’s a great conversation starter!
Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a fun challenge, and I learned a lot about watches in the process. But it was also a bit of a pain in the butt. So, maybe I’ll just stick to buying regular watches for now. But who knows, maybe one day I’ll try to remake another fancy watch. We’ll see!
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