Today, I felt like messing around with a watch, specifically, remaking the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001. It’s a real beauty, a classic style that I’ve always admired. I got my tools, and decided to just have at it.
First things first, I spent a good chunk of time just studying the watch. I mean, this thing is famous. Designed by David Penney, a big name as far as I know, it’s the perfect example of what Patek Philippe is all about. What got me was the Clous de Paris bezel and those fancy three-dimensional hands. It’s got this bold look, but not too flashy, you know? You could totally wear it every day and not feel like you’re overdoing it. This is way different from the 5196, which is more like a special occasion type of watch.
I started with disassembling my old watch that I planned to use as base for the remake. It was a bit of a pain, but I got there. I cleaned up all the parts, made sure everything was nice and neat. Then came the tricky part – trying to recreate that iconic bezel.
Recreating the Bezel
- Study the pattern I looked at a ton of pictures of the 6119G-001. The Clous de Paris, also known as the hobnail pattern, it’s pretty intricate. I needed to get a good feel for the size of the tiny pyramids and how they’re arranged.
- Practice runs I didn’t want to ruin any parts, so I practiced on some scrap metal first. I tried different tools to see what would give me the best result. It was a lot of trial and error.
- Applying to the bezel Finally, I started working on the actual bezel. Slow and steady, I started to engrave the pattern. It was super time-consuming, and my hand was cramping up, but I had to keep going. It was not fun, but it was worth it.
The hands were another challenge. They’re so delicate, and I had to make sure they were the right size and shape. I used some thin metal sheets and carefully cut out the shapes. Then, I polished them up to give them that shiny look.
Putting it all back together was like a puzzle. I had to be extra careful not to damage anything. But when I finally got it all assembled, man, it was satisfying. It wasn’t perfect, of course, but it looked pretty darn close to the real deal.
This whole thing took me pretty much a long time, from start to finish. But honestly, it was worth every minute. I learned so much about watchmaking, and I got to appreciate the craftsmanship of the Patek Philippe Calatrava even more. It’s not just a watch; it’s a piece of art. And now I have a little piece of that art that I made myself. Not bad for a day’s work, if I do say so myself.
The Patek Philippe Calatrava is seen by lots of folks as a good investment, just like the Nautilus and Aquanaut. I guess if you’re into that sort of thing, it’s something to think about. But for me, it was just a fun project. I get why people love these watches though. They are pretty special.
Anyway, that’s my little adventure in watchmaking. Maybe I’ll try another model next time. Who knows?
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