Got an idea the other day to remake a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711. The design is so classic, with that rounded octagonal bezel and the porthole case. And man, that embossed dial! It’s been around since ’76, and it’s still the king of elegant sports watches.
So, I started digging around. These watches are not easy to come by, you know? This model was discontinued, making it even more of a unicorn. I found out they only made a few of these each year. No wonder they’re so expensive! I saw some listings going for crazy prices, like over a million bucks! Can you believe that?
First, I studied the dimensions. Officially, it’s 40mm, but with those “ears” on the sides, it wears a bit bigger. I spent hours just looking at pictures, trying to get a feel for the proportions. Then, I started sketching. Yeah, I’m no artist, but it helped me understand the watch better. I must have filled a whole notebook with rough drawings.
Next, I needed to find parts. That was a real challenge. I scoured the internet, looking for anything that could work. I found a few things, but not everything. I also found a few forums where people talked about their custom watch projects. That gave me some ideas, but it also made me realize how hard this was going to be. It was like the people online were speaking a different language sometimes!
I started assembling what I had. It was slow going. I had to be super careful, you know? One wrong move, and you could ruin everything. Sometimes, I would spend hours on one tiny part, and it wouldn’t even fit right. Talk about frustrating. There was a lot of taking things apart and putting them back together. My workbench was a mess, covered in tiny screws and tools.
Challenges Encountered
- Finding the right parts: Many parts were hard to find or just plain expensive.
- Assembly difficulties: Putting the tiny pieces together was tough and time-consuming. I even broke a couple of parts by accident!
- Accuracy: Getting it to look exactly like the original was nearly impossible.
After a lot of trial and error, I finally got something that resembled a Nautilus 5711. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. But it was mine. And I learned a ton in the process. I gained a whole new respect for watchmakers. It takes some serious skill and patience to make these things. The end result wasn’t exactly what I hoped for. But hey, I made it myself, and that’s something, right?
Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a fun challenge, even if it was super frustrating at times. Plus, now I have a cool story to tell, and a one-of-a-kind watch, even if it doesn’t say Patek Philippe on the dial.
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