I spent ages looking for a watch, a really nice one. Not just any watch, but a Patek Philippe. Yeah, those super fancy ones. I finally decided on the Calatrava 6119R-001. It’s got that classic look, you know? But I didn’t just want to buy it; I wanted to make it. A remake, to be exact. So, I started digging around to figure out how.
First, I found out that Patek Philippe is all about luxury and has some really fine watches for both men and women. Then, I stumbled upon some info about a skeleton version of the Calatrava in rose-gold. It sounded cool, but that wasn’t exactly what I was going for. I kept searching and found something about a watch with a minute repeater, a tourbillon, and a perpetual calendar. That was way too complicated for me.
I even found something mentioning online banking, RVs for sale, and some strange stuff about flashcards with “Anticodon Loop” and “Splicing.” No idea how that’s related, but it was a wild goose chase. There was even some mention of a product variation option (“Selecione uma opo para variao do produto”), but I am not a merchant, so it does not matter.
Anyway, I had to figure out the parts I needed. I’m not a watchmaker, so this was all new to me. I started looking up pictures, videos, anything I could find about the Calatrava 6119R-001. I needed to know what made it tick, literally.
Breaking Down the Watch
- Case: I found out the case is made of rose gold. That’s going to be tough to replicate, I thought. I might have to settle for something that looks like rose gold.
- Movement: This is the heart of the watch, and it’s super complicated. I read about the caliber 240, which is self-winding and ultra-thin. No way I could make that myself. I’d need to find a similar movement, maybe an old one I could take apart and rebuild.
- Dial: The dial is the face of the watch, and it’s pretty simple on the 6119R-001. But it has these tiny details that make it special. I figured I could try to make something similar, but it wouldn’t be easy.
- Hands: The hands are those little pointers that tell you the time. They’re delicate and precise. I’d need to find some that fit the style of the watch and were the right size.
- Strap: The strap is what holds the watch on your wrist. The original is probably made of some fancy leather. I wasn’t too worried about this part. I could find a decent leather strap anywhere.
So, I started gathering parts. I found an old watch at a flea market that had a movement that looked kind of similar. I bought some tools, watched a bunch of videos on how to take a watch apart, and started tinkering. It was a mess at first. I broke a few parts, got frustrated, and almost gave up. But I kept at it.
After weeks of work, I finally had something that resembled the Calatrava 6119R-001. It wasn’t perfect, not even close. But it was mine. I made it with my own two hands. And it actually told the time, which was a bonus.
It wasn’t easy. I spent a lot of time and a bit of money. I learned a lot about watches and even more about myself. It was a journey I enjoyed the most, and it was totally worth it. Even better, every time I wear that watch, it was made by myself. I could tell my friends proudly I made this watch myself!
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