Okay, folks, gather around! Today, I’m going to share my little project of remaking the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001. This is a really fancy watch, a real classic, you know? I saw one going for around 26,000 bucks online. Yeah, I know, crazy expensive. But hey, I thought, why not try to make my own version?
Getting Started
First things first, I needed to find a watch to start with. I went digging around and ended up grabbing a cheap watch at a local store. It was a plain, simple thing, nothing special, but it had the basic round shape I needed. I took that watch home and, like, I totally took it apart. I removed the straps, the hands, and, like, the face as well. The insides looked complicated, but I only needed the round outside shell part.
Making the New Watch Face
Next up, I needed a new face. I found a picture of the real Calatrava online and, using a cheap photo editor, I printed it out on some good quality paper. I had to fiddle with the size a bit to make it fit just right inside the old watch case. Once I got it the right size, I carefully cut it out with, you know, the small scissors. It’s kind of tough to cut a perfect circle, but I did my best.
The Straps
The straps were a bit tricky. The original watch has these really nice leather straps, but I didn’t have any spare leather lying around. I thought about using some old fabric, but then I found an old belt that I didn’t wear anymore. It wasn’t the same color, but it was leather, so I was like, “Why not?” I carefully cut the belt into two strips to match the size of the original straps, and it kind of worked! I had to, like, punch some new holes in it, but it ended up looking alright.
Putting it all Together
Now for the fun part – putting it all back together. I glued the new face onto the inside of the watch case. Then, I had to reattach the hands. This was pretty fiddly, I used tweezers, and, like, I’m not gonna lie, I almost messed it up a few times. But eventually, I got them back on. Finally, I attached the new, well, they’re not exactly new but, you know, the repurposed belt straps. I secured them with the little pins that hold the straps in place, and voila!
The Final Result
So, there you have it, my homemade Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001. It’s not perfect, of course. It doesn’t have that, like, fancy “Clous de Paris” pattern on the bezel, that I read about it online. And it definitely doesn’t have the real Patek Philippe movement inside. But, you know, for a little weekend project, I think it turned out pretty cool. It’s not going to fool any watch experts, but it’s a fun little conversation starter, and it’s a reminder that you can, like, make something cool without spending a ton of money.
It was a fun little experiment. Maybe next time, I’ll try something even more ambitious. Who knows! Stay tuned, folks!
Click to consult