I’ve been eyeing the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227J-001 for a while now. I mean, it’s a classic, right? So, I finally decided to take the plunge and try to remake it myself. It’s one of those watches that just screams elegance. You know what I’m talking about? Simple, clean, and just beautiful.
First, I spent hours just staring at pictures of this watch online. I tried to find as many high-quality pictures of the 5227J-001 as I could. I even found some articles mentioning that there have been “dozens of Calatrava watches over the years, with many of them among the most collectible watches.” That just made me even more excited. It’s not just a watch; it’s a piece of history!
Then I started sketching. Lots and lots of sketches. I wanted to get the proportions just right. The official site mentions “Calatrava Remontage automatique Avec son esthtique pure,” which I guess means automatic winding with a pure aesthetic. I think my sketches are pure as well. But honestly, I just wanted it to look like the real deal. The size, the shape of the case, the hands, the dial – everything needed to be perfect.
Materials
- Yellow Gold sheets
- Some watch movements I got from an old watchmaker
- Leather for the strap
- Tiny screws and tools, lots of them!
Next, I started working on the case. I decided to go with yellow gold. I read somewhere “Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227J-001 Condition: New Year of production 2024 Original box.” So, I figured, mine should be new, too! I carefully shaped the gold sheets, trying to mimic the smooth curves of the original. This part took forever! Let me tell you, working with gold is not easy. I even saw some offers online that said, “Grande slection de Patek Philippe 5227J au meilleur prix sur Chrono245227J. Montres de,” and it made me wonder if I was crazy for doing this myself.
After that I carefully assembled the dial. I tried to make it as clean and simple as possible, just like the real thing. Also, I put the watch movement into the case, hooked everything up, and prayed that it would work. The hands of the watch, the tiny numbers, everything had to be placed just right.
The last step was the strap. I used some high-quality leather and stitched it together by hand. I saw the website mentioning “Achat/Expertise/Vente.” I guess that means “Buy/Expertise/Sell.” Well, I wasn’t selling mine! I wanted it to look like it came straight from the official flagship store.
And guess what? It worked! My very own Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227J-001, well, a pretty good remake, at least. It’s not perfect, of course, but I’m really proud of it. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. The feeling of wearing something you made yourself is just incredible. And it looks pretty darn good, if I do say so myself!
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