Hey everyone, it’s your boy back again with another project. This time, I tried to remake the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5088/100P-001. Yeah, that super fancy, super expensive watch. I saw it online and thought, “Why not give it a shot?” I mean, it looked so cool with its fancy engraved dial and all.
First off, I did some digging. Turns out, this watch is crazy expensive. Like, we’re talking over a hundred grand retail price! And even used, it’s still in the tens of thousands. It’s a “Calatrava” something, a name they started using way back in the 19th century. I guess it’s supposed to be some symbol of perfection and mastery, or something along those lines. I found it is a current production model as of September 2024, so I thought that maybe I can still find it in some stores and try it out.
So, I started by looking at a bunch of pictures online. I needed to figure out the size and materials. Found out it’s got a 38 mm platinum case, and it’s pretty thin, about 8.3 mm thick. It’s also got a “sapphire-crystal back,” whatever that means. Sounded fancy, so I made a note of it. Then, I looked for similar watches that sold online, and found one for around 144 Australian dollars. That gave me a base to work with. I searched for those who had 24-month warranty, because I wanted to buy a watch in good quality and last for a decent time. It’s a huge price drop, but at least it is much affordable for me now.
Next, I started gathering materials. Now, I’m not made of money, so I didn’t use platinum. I went with some stainless steel I had lying around. I cut it into a circle, roughly 38 mm across. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. Then I worked on making it thinner, trying to get it close to that 8.3 mm. I used some basic tools – a file, sandpaper, that sort of thing. It took a while, but I got it pretty close. Then I grabbed some clear plastic for the “sapphire-crystal” back.
The hardest part was definitely the dial. The real one has this intricate, hand-engraved design, and it’s black enamel. I tried a few things, printed out some patterns, but nothing looked quite right. Finally, I found some black paint and a really fine brush. I spent hours trying to copy the design from the pictures. It was messy, and my hand cramped up like crazy. It is really tiring, but I keep telling myself that I must finish it.
After all that, I put it all together. The strap was another challenge. The original is probably some fancy leather, but I just used an old leather belt I had. Cut it to size, punched some holes, and attached it to the case. It’s rough, but it works.
Final Thoughts
- Was it worth it? Probably not. It took forever, and it doesn’t look exactly like the real thing.
- Did I learn anything? Definitely. I got a new appreciation for how much work goes into these fancy watches. And I got to practice my crafting skills.
- Would I do it again? Maybe, but not anytime soon. My hands need a break!
So, there you have it – my attempt at remaking a super expensive watch. It’s not perfect, but it was a fun project. Hope you enjoyed hearing about it. Let me know what you think in the comments!