Okay, so the other day I was scrolling through my phone and came across some pictures of this Patek Philippe Calatrava watch, the 5227R-001 model. It looked really slick, all shiny and gold. I thought, “Man, I gotta try making something like that.” I mean, I’m not a watchmaker or anything, but I love tinkering with stuff.
So, I started by gathering some materials. I had this old watch movement lying around, it was not a caliber 324 movement, it’s a caliber 26-330, I think. I also found some brass sheets and other random bits and pieces in my garage. I don’t know, I might use some alligator strap. I looked up the dimensions of the real watch online – apparently, it’s 39 mm in diameter, and the movement is 27 mm wide and 3.3 mm thick. Good information to know, I guess. There are like 212 parts and 30 jewels, but mine would definitely have less.
The Making Process
- First, I tried shaping the brass sheet into a circle, kind of like the watch case. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. I used some tiny little tools to try to make it as smooth as possible.
- Then, I started working on the dial. I just used some cardboard for this, cutting it into a circle and painting it white. I even tried drawing those little lines for the hours, like on the real watch.
- Next, I tried to attach the old watch movement to the cardboard dial. This was tricky, I had to use some super glue and some tiny screws. I had to be really careful not to mess it up.
- I took some other old watch parts and tried to arrange them on the dial to look like the complications on the real Patek Philippe. This was more for looks than function, obviously.
After a few hours of work, I had something that vaguely resembled the 5227R-001. It was nowhere near as fancy or precise, but it was a fun little project. I even put it on a leather strap I had lying around. It didn’t tell the time accurately, but hey, it was a pretty cool-looking piece of junk!
I know it’s not a real Patek Philippe, and it’s definitely not worth the $33,314 they charge for the real one, but it was a fun way to spend an afternoon. I learned a bit about how watches are put together, and I got to use my hands to create something. That’s always a good feeling. It’s a good experience, right?
Click to consult