Okay, so, I’ve been obsessed with the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 lately. You know, the one with the moon phase and power reserve indicator? It’s a total grail watch, but let’s be real, getting your hands on a real one is like winning the lottery. I heard there’s only a 1% chance to get one without an extensive history with an authorized dealer, and rumors say it’s going to be discontinued soon! So, I thought, “Why not try to make my own?”
I started by doing some serious digging online. I hit up all the watch forums, checked out auction sites like Catawiki, and even looked at places like Chrono24 just to see what the real deal looked like up close and get a feel for the market. It’s wild, the Patek Philippe 5712 has a 7-year waiting list! Patek Philippe makes some great models, but this one is special.
I found out that there’s this PPF 5712 Nautilus that has a so-called “clone movement.” Apparently, it’s equipped with this PP240 “super clone” movement that’s got pretty good finishing. This gave me a bit of hope.
Finding the Parts
The next step was finding the right parts. This was a mission in itself. I started with the movement. I figured if I could get a decent clone movement, the rest would fall into place. I spent hours scouring the internet for the PP240, and let me tell you, there are a lot of fakes out there. But I finally found a seller that seemed legit, and they had one in stock. I pulled the trigger and hoped for the best.
- Got the movement: This was the biggest hurdle. Finding a reliable source for a decent clone movement was tough, but I managed to snag one after some serious searching.
- Sourced the case and bracelet: I found a decent stainless steel case and bracelet that looked pretty close to the original Nautilus. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough for my first attempt.
- Dial and hands: The dial was tricky. I wanted that signature blue, but finding a good replica dial was harder than I thought. I ended up settling for one that was a bit off in color, but the details were pretty accurate. The hands were easier to find, thankfully.
Putting it Together
Once I had all the parts, it was time to put this bad boy together. I’m no watchmaker, but I’ve always been pretty handy. I watched a bunch of videos online and got some basic watchmaking tools. Let me tell you, this was no walk in the park. It’s super detailed work.
The trickiest part was definitely fitting the movement into the case. It was a tight fit, and I was terrified of damaging the movement. But after a few hours of careful work and a whole lot of sweating, I finally got it in there. After that, I started to install the dial and hands, and put the caseback on.
The Final Result
It’s not perfect, not by a long shot. The dial color is a little off, and the finishing isn’t as refined as the real deal. But you know what? I made it myself. And it actually works! It keeps time surprisingly well, and the moon phase and power reserve indicators are functional. It’s not a Patek Philippe, but it’s my Patek Philippe, and I’m pretty darn proud of it.
This whole experience has been a wild ride. It’s been frustrating, challenging, but also incredibly rewarding. I learned a ton about watches, and I got to build something with my own two hands. Would I do it again? Maybe. But for now, I’m going to enjoy wearing my homemade “Nautilus” and see where this new hobby takes me.
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