Alright, folks, let’s talk about this little project I’ve been messing around with. I got this wild hair to try and remake the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001. Yeah, that super fancy, way-out-of-my-price-range watch. It’s a real beauty, no doubt, but the price tag? Forget about it.
First off, I started digging around for info. I mean, I’m not made of money, so I had to figure out what makes this watch tick, what makes it so special. Turns out, it’s a limited edition, only ten of ’em were ever made. Ten! Can you believe that? And it’s got all this fancy stuff – platinum case, hand-engraved dial, the works. It was pretty clear early on that this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.
Next, I had to find some materials. Now, I’m not using platinum, obviously. I went with some decent stainless steel for the case. It doesn’t have the same heft, but it looks the part. For the dial, I found a guy online who does some pretty impressive engraving work. It’s not hand-engraved like the original, but it’s close enough for my purposes. It took a while, but I managed to track down most of the parts I needed. Some were easier to find than others, let me tell you.
Getting Down to Business
Once I had all the parts, it was time to start putting this thing together. This was the real challenge. I’m no watchmaker, but I’ve tinkered with a few watches in my time. I started with the movement. I managed to find a decent automatic movement that fit the case. Getting it to sit right was a bit of a pain, but I eventually got it in there. Assembling the watch itself was a real test of patience. Those tiny screws and gears? Don’t even get me started. My hands were cramping, my eyes were strained, but I kept at it.
Then came the dial. Fitting the engraved dial was tricky. One wrong move and I could have scratched it all up. But with a steady hand and a whole lot of patience, I got it in place. The hands were another story. Getting those tiny things on without bending them was a nightmare. I think I went through three sets before I got it right. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to get it all assembled without too much trouble. It definitely tested my patience, though. There were moments I wanted to throw the whole thing across the room.
The Final Touches
Finally, I added the strap. I found a nice leather strap that matched the original pretty well. It’s not alligator skin like the real deal, but it’s a good quality leather that feels nice on the wrist. Putting on the strap was a breeze compared to the rest of it. Just a couple of spring bars and it was done.
- Gathering information and research
- Sourcing materials (stainless steel case, engraved dial, etc.)
- Assembling the movement and fitting it into the case
- Carefully attaching the dial and hands
- Adding the finishing touch with a leather strap
So, there you have it. My attempt at remaking the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001. It’s not perfect, not by a long shot. But it’s mine, and I’m pretty proud of it. It was a fun project, and I learned a lot along the way. Would I do it again? Probably not. But it was definitely an experience. It’s not the real deal, but it looks pretty good on my wrist, if I do say so myself. And it didn’t cost me a hundred grand, which is a big plus.
And there you have it. Not a perfect copy by any means but something I’m genuinely proud of. Sure, it’s got its flaws, and it’s definitely not going to fool any experts. But, hey, it looks pretty good, right? It was a heck of a learning experience, and maybe one day I’ll tackle another watch project. But for now, I’m going to enjoy wearing this one and maybe, just maybe, I’ll start saving up for the real thing.
Click to consult