Alright, guys, so I’ve been messing around with this Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001 remake project, and let me tell you, it’s been a journey.
I started by looking all over the place for deals. I mean, who doesn’t love a good bargain, right? I checked out a bunch of different sites and found some stuff on Amazon, but nothing that really gave me the good stuff to get started. Some of the descriptions were like, “Millions of products ordered before 11:59 PM.” Like, okay, but what does that have to do with this beautiful watch?
Then I stumbled upon this forum called Chrono24. They had a whole bunch of prices listed for the Patek Philippe Ref 6119G, like 82 of them. That was kind of helpful to see the range, but I was more interested in how to make one myself.
I kept digging and found this other description talking about how Patek Philippe gave the Calatrava a new look with a larger diameter and this fancy “Clous de Paris” hobnail pattern. It sounds super complicated, but I was determined to figure it out. I’m not gonna lie; these names, Nautilus, Aquanaut, Calatrava they sound like some exotic fish or something, but this Calatrava, it’s more like a fancy bird. I am gonna make it.
I started gathering all the materials I thought I’d need. I got some basic tools, some metal to practice on, and I even found some tiny little screws that looked like they might work. It was like putting together a really complicated puzzle, but I was up for the challenge. Then I started to put it together. The hardest part of the process was making the new hobnail pattern, which is called “Clous de Paris.” But I finally made it by using my tools.
After a lot of trial and error, a few messed up pieces, and probably a few more gray hairs, I finally started to see something that resembled the Calatrava. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot, but it was mine, and I was proud of it.
I kept tinkering, refining, and polishing until I got it to a point where I was pretty happy with it. It’s not an exact replica, but it captures the essence of the Calatrava, and it’s something I made with my own two hands. And let me tell you, there’s something really satisfying about that.
So, here are the steps I took, in a nutshell:
- Scoured the internet for information and deals.
- Gathered all my tools and materials.
- Practiced the guilloched hobnail pattern.
- Assembled the watch, piece by piece.
- Refined and polished until I was satisfied.
It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. I learned a ton, and I ended up with a pretty cool watch that I can say I made myself. It’s not the same as buying it from some fancy online store, but it’s special in its own way.
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