Okay, so I wanted to try remaking the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001. I’m a big fan of these watches, you know? They’re classy and all that. First, I spent a good chunk of time just looking at pictures of the watch online. Lots of them. I needed to really get a feel for how it looks from every angle.
Then, I started sketching. I’m not an artist or anything, but I tried my best to draw the watch face, the hands, and that cool “Clous de Paris” pattern on the bezel. It’s pretty intricate, so it took a while to get it somewhat right. I messed up a lot, erased a bunch, and started over many times. It was kinda frustrating, but hey, gotta keep at it.
After I felt okay about the sketches, I moved on to finding the materials. This was tricky. I wanted something that looked like white gold, but, you know, not actually white gold ’cause that stuff is expensive! So I went to a few stores, looked around online, and finally found some metal that had a similar shine. It wasn’t perfect, but it was close enough for this project.
Cutting and shaping the metal was a whole other story. I don’t have fancy watchmaking tools, so I used what I had at home. It was slow going, and I definitely made some mistakes. I had to be super careful not to cut myself, and also not to ruin the metal. There were a few close calls, I won’t lie.
The “Clous de Paris” bezel was the hardest part. I tried a few different ways to make that pattern. I even experimented with some tools from my garage, but let’s just say those attempts didn’t go so well. In the end, I found a method that worked okay-ish. It’s not as neat as the real thing, but it gives a similar vibe.
For the watch face, I decided to print out a design I made on my computer. I measured everything like ten times to make sure it would fit. Getting the hands right was also tough. I ended up using some thin pieces of metal and carefully bending them into shape. They’re not perfect, but they look like watch hands, so that’s something.
- Sketching the watch
- Finding the right materials
- Cutting and shaping the metal
- Making the “Clous de Paris” pattern
- Creating the watch face and hands
Putting it all together was like solving a puzzle. I had to be really patient and make sure everything lined up. There were moments when I wanted to give up, honestly. But I kept thinking about how cool it would be to have a watch that I made myself, even if it’s just a remake.
The Final Result
So, after all that work, I finally finished it. It’s not an exact copy of the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001, not by a long shot. It’s a bit rough around the edges, and some parts are definitely not perfect. But you know what? I’m still proud of it. It was a fun challenge, and I learned a lot along the way. Maybe it’s not ready for daily wear, but it’s a cool piece to have, and it’s a reminder that you can make something interesting with some effort and creativity, you know what I mean?
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