Hey everyone, I’ve been itching to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001 for a while now. That thing is a beauty, but man, that price tag! We’re talking over $33,000! So, I thought, why not try to make my own? It might sound crazy, but I was up for the challenge. I mean, I found a few online for around $26,000 used, but that’s still a chunk of change. Plus, where’s the fun in just buying one?
I started by looking at a bunch of pictures online. I mean, hours and hours of staring at this watch from every possible angle. This Calatrava 6119G, though, it’s different. It’s got that old-timey look. Even though it’s new. It’s a head-scratcher, ain’t it? I needed to figure out the size first. Turns out, it’s 39mm in diameter and just over 8mm thick. I wanted to get as close to that as possible. It was like a puzzle, trying to piece together all the details just from images.
I found some watch parts I thought might work and just went for it. Trying to get that perfect white gold look was tough. And the little details, like the “Clous de Paris” pattern on the bezel? That was a whole other headache. I tried a few different ways to make it. The faceted applied white gold hour-markers, combined with dauphine-style hours/minutes hands. Man, those hands were tricky! They’re so thin and delicate. It took a lot of patience and a few messed-up attempts to get them looking right.
The “box shaped” sapphire crystal was another hurdle. This Calatrava 6119G. It’s supposed to be slightly raised, giving the watch a bit of a vintage vibe. I found something that was kind of similar and tried to make it fit. It wasn’t perfect, but it did the job. I spent days just tweaking and adjusting, trying to get everything lined up. It was frustrating at times, but also pretty satisfying when things started to come together. It’s a little thicker than the real deal, but hey, it’s my version.
Finally, after what felt like forever, I had something that looked like a watch. It wasn’t a Patek Philippe, but it was mine. The feeling of wearing something I made with my own hands? That’s priceless. I put it all together and, you know what? It actually kept time pretty well! I was shocked, to be honest. I wore it around for a few days, and it felt pretty good on my wrist. It was a bit rough around the edges, sure, but it had character.
My remake of the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119G-001 isn’t perfect, but it’s something I’m really proud of. It was a fun and challenging project, and I learned a lot along the way. Plus, I saved a ton of money! Now, I’m not saying go out and start making your own watches instead of buying them. But it’s a pretty cool feeling to create something like this from scratch. Would I do it again? Maybe. It was definitely an experience I won’t forget.
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