Man, I spent the last few days holed up in my workshop, trying to remake that classic Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse, the 5738R they sell in specialty stores. Let me tell you, it was a ride!
First off, I gathered all my tools. You know, the usual suspects: my trusty set of watchmaker’s screwdrivers, those tiny little tweezers, my loupe (gotta see those super small parts, right?), and a bunch of other specialized stuff I’ve collected over the years. I even dusted off my old polishing cloths.
Then came the fun part – or the headache, depending on how you look at it. I started taking apart a spare watch movement I had lying around. This was just for practice, getting a feel for the mechanics, you know? I carefully removed each screw, each gear, and each spring, laying them out in order on my workbench. It looked like organized chaos, but trust me, I knew where everything went.
After that, I moved on to the actual movement I planned to use for this project. I used those tiny screwdrivers to do the same. I was extra careful this time, taking pictures with my phone at every step. No way was I gonna mess this up and not know how to put it back together!
The dial was a whole other beast. I decided to craft it myself, old-school style. I grabbed a thin sheet of metal and got to work, carefully shaping and polishing it. I have to say, that took some time and a lot of patience.
- Cutting the metal to the right size and shape was tricky.
- Polishing it to that mirror-like shine? Even trickier!
Next up, painting. I carefully applied the paint, layer by layer. It’s not as easy as it looks! I had to wait for each layer to dry before applying the next, which was kind of boring. But hey, good things take time, right?
Finally, after what felt like forever, I started putting everything back together. This was the real test. I carefully placed each tiny component back into the movement, using my tweezers and my loupe to make sure everything was perfectly aligned. One wrong move, and the whole thing could be ruined!
Finished it. My hands were a little shaky, but I managed to get it all done. And you know what? It worked! It wasn’t perfect, not like the real deal you’d get from Patek Philippe, but it was mine. My own little Golden Ellipse.
This whole project was a real challenge, but man, was it satisfying. It reminded me why I love working with my hands, creating something from nothing. And it gave me a whole new appreciation for those master watchmakers who do this stuff for a living. They’re truly artists.
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