Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with watches lately, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild ride. Today, I want to share my little adventure of remaking the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001. Yeah, that super classy, elegant piece that just screams “I have good taste.”
First off, I started by digging up everything I could find about this watch. I found some stuff about it being a “Calatrava wristwatch with hand-engraved and enameled dial”, some stuff about the “Calibre 240 automatic movement”, and a bunch of other info from different places. Man, data collecting, and sorting is a chore, but it’s a chore that’s gotta be done. Gotta know what I’m dealing with, right? So, I spent a good chunk of time just reading and making notes. Turns out, this watch has a platinum 38mm case, a sapphire crystal case back, and it’s water-resistant to 30 meters. Fancy stuff. And that’s just the beginning. The dial, oh man, the dial is hand-engraved, and the whole thing runs on this Calibre 240 movement that apparently has a 48-hour power reserve.
After getting a handle on the specs, I started sketching out my plan. I mean, I’m not a watchmaker, but I figured I could try to replicate the look and feel, at least. I grabbed some basic tools, and started looking at the materials I’d need, I used the measurements from my research, like the 38mm diameter and 8.3mm height, as a guide to get the base of the watch started. I got some silver clay and started playing around with it. This was the messy part, let me tell you. I ended up with silver clay everywhere. But hey, no pain, no gain, right?
- Step 1: Found a ton of info on the Calatrava 5088/100P-001. This thing is nuts!
- Step 2: Sketched out what I wanted my version to look like.
- Step 3: Got some silver clay and started molding it into the case.
After many attempts, I managed to get a decent-looking case. It wasn’t platinum, but it had the right shape and size. Next, I tackled the dial. This was the tricky part. I wanted to get that engraved look, so I got a needle and started scratching away at a thin sheet of metal. Let’s just say my first few attempts looked like a kid’s drawing. But, I kept at it, and eventually, I got something that vaguely resembled the original. The key thing here, I realized, was to keep the patterns simple, just like the real deal. I focused on those “Volutes And Arabesques” I’d read about, trying to mimic the swirling designs.
Then came the movement. Now, I knew I couldn’t replicate the Calibre 240, but I wanted something that at least ticked. So, I cannibalized an old watch I had lying around, and it just happened to fit! It was far from perfect, but when I put it all together, it actually looked pretty good, at least from afar. I was pretty darn proud of myself. I polished up the case, attached a black leather strap I had, and there it was, my very own “remade” Calatrava 5088.
The Result
It was far from perfect, of course. The engravings weren’t as intricate, the materials weren’t as premium, and the movement was nowhere near as sophisticated. But, you know what? It was mine. I made it with my own two hands, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into these high-end watches. It was a fun little project, and it taught me a lot about patience, attention to detail, and the beauty of simplicity. I learned to respect the intricacies of real watchmaking, and this little project actually inspired me to look into taking a proper watchmaking course. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll actually make a real one!
So, that’s my story. It’s not every day you try to remake a $105,820 watch in your living room. But hey, it was worth a shot. And who knows, maybe it’ll inspire someone else to try their hand at something new. Just remember, it’s not about the outcome, it’s about the journey, and the occasional silver clay explosion along the way.
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