Remake Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001: Where to Buy It? A Guide for Getting This Remake Patek Philippe Watch

Alright, let’s talk about this little project I got myself into. I decided to try and remake a Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001. Yeah, one of those fancy watches that cost more than my car. I ain’t no watchmaker, just a regular guy who likes to tinker, so keep that in mind.

First, I started doing some digging around the internet. I found a bunch of pictures of the original 5088/100P-001. I studied them like my life depended on it, trying to figure out all the little details. It’s got this black dial with all these fancy engravings, a platinum case, and a black leather strap. Looks simple enough, right? Wrong.

I started with the case.

• I found a cheap, plain watch case online that had a similar shape. It wasn’t platinum, but hey, I’m on a budget here.
• I took the thing apart, which was a pain in the neck, let me tell you. All those tiny screws and parts, I almost lost a few.

Next up, the dial.

• Now this was the tricky part. The original has all these intricate engravings, and I have zero skills in that department. I tried to find a similar dial online, but no luck.
• So, I got creative. I printed out a picture of the original dial, scaled it down, and glued it onto a piece of thin metal. It looked kind of okay from a distance, but up close, it was pretty obvious it was a fake.

Then came the movement.

• I just used the movement from the cheap watch I bought. It kept time, which is the main thing, right?

Finally, the strap.

• I found a black leather strap online that looked pretty close to the original. It was a bit stiff at first, but after wearing it for a while, it softened up.

After a few weeks of messing around, I finally put the whole thing together. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. But it kind of resembled the real Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001, at least to my untrained eye. It was a fun little project, and I learned a thing or two about watches along the way. Would I do it again? Probably not. It was a lot more work than I expected. But hey, at least I can say I tried.

It felt good to accomplish something, even if it was just a cheap imitation of a fancy watch. Maybe one day I’ll be able to afford the real deal. Until then, I’ll keep on tinkering and trying new things. That’s what life’s all about, right?