Today, I want to share something a bit different, something pretty fancy, actually. It’s about this watch, the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5226G-001. Now, I’m not the type to wear something this ritzy every day, but I got interested in making my own version of it.
Started out by looking up this Calatrava thing. Turns out, it’s a pretty big deal in the watch world. I mean, it’s one of those “luxury” items, which, from what I gather, means it costs a small fortune. But I figured, why not try to remake it? It sounded like a fun challenge.
Getting the Look Right
First off, I needed to get an idea of what this watch actually looks like. It’s 40 mm across and about 8.53 mm thick. Sounds simple, but there’s a lot of detail packed in there. The bezel, which is the ring around the watch face, has this fancy “Clous de Paris” pattern. It’s like a bunch of tiny pyramids all lined up. I grabbed some tools and materials from my workshop and started working on replicating that pattern on a spare piece of metal. Took some time, but I got something that looked pretty close.
The Hands and the Face
Next up were the hands and the face of the watch. The hands on this Calatrava are three-dimensional, which makes them stand out. I spent a good chunk of time shaping some thin metal pieces to mimic these hands. For the watch face, I found that the original has a textured look, kind of grainy. I experimented with a few techniques to get that same texture on a small disc of material I planned to use as the face. Sanding, polishing, a bit of etching – you name it, I tried it.
Putting It All Together
- Sourcing the Movement: Now, the inside of a watch, the movement, is where things get really tricky. The Calatrava has this automatic caliber 26-330 S C, which is a fancy way of saying it winds itself as you move. I didn’t have one of those lying around, obviously. So, I looked for a similar-sized automatic movement that I could get my hands on. After some searching, I found one that would fit the bill.
- Assembling the Watch: Once I had all the parts, it was time to put it all together. This was the most nerve-wracking part. I carefully placed the movement in the case, attached the face, and then the hands. I made a simple case back out of sapphire crystal, just like the original, so you could see the movement inside.
The Final Touches
After I assembled everything, I gave it a good polish. The original is made of 18k white gold, which I couldn’t replicate, but I made sure my version had a nice shine to it. I also made a simple leather strap to complete the look.
It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. It’s not something I’d wear every day, maybe just for special occasions. It’s more of a showpiece, something to remind me that with a bit of patience and effort, you can make something pretty darn impressive.
This whole project was a lot of fun. It was a nice break from my usual routine, and it taught me a lot about watches and craftsmanship. Maybe I’ll try another one of these remakes in the future. Who knows?
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