Man, today was a doozy. I’ve been itching to get my hands dirty with this project for a while, and today was finally the day. I decided to remake a Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001, the original order. Yeah, that super fancy watch that costs more than my first car. Heard it’s like buyin’ gold or somethin’.
So, first things first, I cleared off my workbench. Gotta have a clean space, right? Then I gathered all my tools. Tiny little screwdrivers, tweezers, you name it. Felt like a surgeon prepping for an operation. I laid out the parts I had managed to get my hands on – some of them were a real pain to find, let me tell you.
The Process
- Disassembly: I started by carefully taking apart a donor watch. Not the Patek, mind you, but a cheap one I picked up just for practice. Took pictures of every step ’cause I knew I’d forget where everything went.
- Cleaning: Once I had all the tiny gears and springs laid out, I gave them a good clean. Used some special solution I found online – hope it’s the right stuff. They sure looked shiny after, though.
- Examining the Case: Then I got to work on the case. This 6119G-001, it’s got that “Clous de Paris” bezel. Sounds real fancy, and let me tell you, it’s a pain to get right. I spent hours just staring at pictures online, trying to figure out how they did it.
- The Dial: The dial was another headache. Getting those tiny little numbers and markers just right is tough. Tried a few different methods, messed up a couple of times, but I think I finally got it looking decent.
- Assembly: Putting it all back together was the real test. My hands were shaking like leaves. Those little screws are so darn small! But, slow and steady, I managed to get everything back in place.
After what felt like a lifetime, I finally finished. Did it look exactly like the real Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001? Nah, probably not. But you know what? It looked pretty darn good. And the best part? I did it myself. Felt a real sense of accomplishment, you know?
This whole thing was way harder than I thought it would be. I spent hours online, reading forums, watching videos, trying to learn. I messed up a bunch of times, had to order new parts, almost threw the whole thing out the window more than once. But I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did. Learned a heck of a lot about watches, that’s for sure. Maybe I’ll even try another one someday. But for now, I think I’ll just enjoy this one for a while. It’s not a Patek, but it’s mine.
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