So, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001 for a while now. It’s a real beauty, with that classic style. I finally decided, screw it, let’s do this. I’m going to remake one myself. First things first, I needed to get a good look at the real deal.
I spent hours on the Patek Philippe official website. You know, just browsing and admiring their watches, dreaming a little. Then I started digging deeper. I found some forums and communities where people were talking about Patek Philippe watches, asking questions about authenticity, registration, and all that good stuff. It was pretty interesting to see how passionate people are about these watches.
Collecting Data
I also stumbled upon some articles talking about how Patek Philippe makes their watches. One mentioned something about making the face square, which I guess is a big deal for them. There was also a piece about the president of the company, Thierry Stern. Sounds like a cool guy. I read about their collections, like the Calatrava, Nautilus, and Aquanaut. Each one is like a little work of art. Apparently, the Aquanaut was launched in 1997. Wow, it is an older brother than me!
Start My Work
- Finding the Materials: This was probably the toughest part. I mean, I’m not exactly rolling in dough, so I had to get creative. I went on a deep internet search. Found a few places that had some decent-looking parts. It was a total shot in the dark, but I figured, what the hell, let’s give it a try. I ended up ordering a bunch of stuff online. It was all super cheap. I mean, we’re talking pennies on the dollar compared to the real thing.
- The Dial: Okay, so the dial on the 5088 is pretty intricate. It’s got this beautiful engraved pattern. I found some pictures online and tried to copy them as best as I could. I used a fine-tip marker and a steady hand. And I must say it is not an easy work for me. Let me tell you, it took forever. But, in the end, I think it turned out pretty darn good.
- The Hands: The hands were a bit easier. I found some that were the right shape and size online. They weren’t perfect, but they were close enough. I just had to carefully file them down a bit to get them to fit just right. It was a bit fiddly, but I got it done.
- Putting it all together: This was the moment of truth. I carefully assembled all the parts, following some diagrams I found online. It was like building a really complicated puzzle. But, slowly but surely, it all came together. I used some tweezers and a magnifying glass to make sure everything was aligned perfectly.
Finally Done
And there it was, my very own, homemade Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088. It may not be the real thing, but I made it with my own two hands. And that, my friends, is priceless.
It is a crazy adventure for me! I will try more in the future.
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