Alright, let’s talk about my latest project: remaking the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227G-010. Yeah, you heard that right. It’s a fancy piece, and I wanted to see if I could recreate it. I started by gathering all the info I could find. I found this watch is 39mm across and 9.24mm thick. I also learned it’s made of 18kt white gold, which is pretty swanky.
First things first, I needed to get the materials. I went with a good quality white gold for the case because I didn’t wanted to skimp on that. This thing had to feel hefty and luxurious. Then, I started shaping the case. I measured it out to 39mm, just like the original. It took a lot of patience, let me tell you. Shaping that gold wasn’t easy, but I eventually got it into a nice, round shape.
Next up was the dial. The original has a shiny black lacquered dial, so I aimed for that. I carefully applied layer after layer of black lacquer, making sure each one was perfectly smooth. Then, I added the white gold index hour markers and the little dot minute track. It was tedious, but seeing it come together was pretty satisfying.
The original watch has this cool feature where you can open the back and see the movement. So, I decided to replicate that too. I made a little hinge mechanism and used a piece of sapphire crystal for the back window. This way, you could see the “guts” of the watch, just like the real deal. I did not make a mechanical self-winding movement because I don’t have this capacity.
Now for the strap. The 5227G-010 comes with a black alligator leather strap. I found some good quality black leather and got to work. I cut and stitched it together, making sure it was comfortable and looked sharp. This wasn’t my first time working with leather, so it went pretty smoothly.
Finally, I put it all together. I carefully assembled all the parts, double-checking that everything was aligned correctly. Seeing the finished product was amazing. It wasn’t perfect, but it looked pretty darn close to the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227G-010.
Here’s a quick rundown of what I did:
- Got the materials: White gold for the case, black lacquer for the dial, leather for the strap.
- Shaped the case: Measured and shaped the white gold to 39mm.
- Made the dial: Applied layers of black lacquer and added the hour markers.
- Created the see-through back: Made a hinged back with a sapphire crystal window.
- Made the strap: Cut and stitched a black leather strap.
- Assembled the watch: Put all the parts together, making sure everything was perfect.
The End Result
I’m pretty proud of how this project turned out. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. It’s not exactly like the original, but it’s a pretty good replica. Plus, I learned a lot along the way. I hope you enjoyed this little breakdown of my watchmaking adventure. Let me know what you think!
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