Okay, so I’ve been messing around with watches for a while now, and let me tell you, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 is a real beauty. It’s sleek, it’s fancy, and it’s way out of my budget. But hey, a guy can dream, right? So, I got this wild idea to try and remake the 5712 myself, just for kicks. I mean, why not? It’s not like I’m gonna sell it or anything, it’s just a fun project.
Finding the Parts
First things first, I needed to find a place that sold all the bits and pieces. Now, the real 5712, that’s like $51,850 retail, and on the used market, you’re looking at almost double that, around $96,966! And that’s not even counting the markup from those secondary market guys. Forget about it.
I did some digging around, and there are a few places online that sell parts for remaking these fancy watches. It’s kind of a niche market, but it’s there. These guys were selling 5712 remakes anywhere from $140,000 to $280,000! And some other places had them listed from $73,000 to over $215,000! It’s crazy, I know. I wasn’t about to drop that kind of cash, so I kept looking until I found some decent deals. Also, I read that Patek Philippe, they engrave serial numbers inside the case back, but for these remakes, there are no serial numbers, which is fine by me.
The Real Challenge
The real challenge was figuring out how to put it all together. I’m no watchmaker, but I’m pretty handy. I watched a bunch of videos, read some forums, and even found a review by some guy named Tim Mosso. This thing is about 8.8mm thick and 44.2mm from lug to lug. It’s a complicated little machine.
I started with the case, then moved on to the dial, the hands, and all those tiny little screws. It was like doing a puzzle, but way more frustrating. I messed up a few times, ngl. There were moments when I just wanted to throw the whole thing in the trash. But I stuck with it, and slowly but surely, it started to come together. It actually looked like a watch!
The Final Result
After a lot of trial and error, and a few choice words, I finally had something that resembled a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712. It wasn’t perfect, obviously. There were some imperfections here and there. The real 5712 is a masterpiece of engineering, and mine was, well, not that.
But you know what? I was pretty damn proud of it. I made it with my own two hands, and it actually kept time! Sure, it wasn’t worth thousands of dollars, but it was worth something to me. Plus, I learned a ton about watches, and I had a blast doing it. And if you ever want to get a real one, remember, there is only 1% chance to get a 5712 without an extensive history with an AD.
So, that’s my story about remaking a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712. It was a fun, frustrating, and ultimately rewarding experience. Would I do it again? Maybe. But next time, I might just save up for the real thing. Or maybe not. Who knows? Life’s too short to not have a little fun, right?
Click to consult