Alright, so I’ve been wanting to remake a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5713/1G for a while now, you know, the one with the white gold and the diamond bezel. Those things are crazy expensive, like, upwards of $100,000 on average! I saw some for sale online, with prices all over the place, from $48,000 to a whopping $220,000. Insane, right? But I figured, why not try to make my own? It’s a fun challenge, and it’s not like I’m going to be passing it off as the real deal.
First, I got down to studying the watch. I scoured the internet for any info I could find. I learned it’s got a 40mm case, made of 18K white gold. The dial is this cool black-blue color with embossed details, and the hour markers glow in the dark. Fancy! It’s also got a sapphire crystal that’s supposed to be scratch-resistant, and you can see the movement through the back. They call that a skeleton case back, which sounds kind of spooky, but it’s cool to see all the inner workings.
Then came the tricky part – figuring out how to replicate all that. I started with the case. Now, I’m not working with white gold here, that’s way out of my budget. I opted for stainless steel instead. It’s not the same, but it’s got a similar look and it’s way more affordable. I found a local machine shop to help me out with shaping it. It took a few tries, but we eventually got the cushion shape pretty close to the original.
- Case Material: I used stainless steel, shaped it to a 40mm cushion.
- Dial: This was tough. I ended up using a dark blue paint and carefully applied it to a thin metal disc. I even managed to add some texture to mimic the embossed look of the original.
- Hour Markers: I found some small, luminescent stickers online. Not perfect, but they do the job in the dark.
- Crystal: I used a piece of acrylic, cut and polished to fit. Not as tough as sapphire, but it looks the part.
- Movement: I picked up a cheap automatic movement online. It’s not as complex as the real deal, but it keeps time.
- Bezel: Ok, the diamonds. Obviously, I’m not using real diamonds. I found some cubic zirconia stones and carefully set them into a steel bezel I had made.
Assembly Time
Next, I assembled the whole thing. I carefully placed the dial, attached the hands, and mounted the movement inside the case. Then I attached the bezel with the fake diamonds. It was fiddly work, but super satisfying to see it all come together.
For the bracelet, I just used a standard stainless steel one. Patek Philippe bracelets are known for being super complicated and time-consuming to make, and that’s a whole other level of craftsmanship I’m not ready for yet. I polished the whole thing up to give it a nice shine.
Honestly, it’s not perfect. It doesn’t have the same weight or feel as a real Patek Philippe, and the movement is nowhere near as intricate. But you know what? It looks pretty darn good! I’m really proud of how it turned out. It’s a fun conversation starter, and it was a great learning experience. Plus, I saved myself a ton of money! Now, I’m not saying everyone should go out and try to remake a luxury watch. But if you’re looking for a challenging project and you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, it’s definitely a fun thing to try. Just don’t expect to fool anyone into thinking it’s the real deal! The real ones are so expensive because of the craftsmanship, the materials, and the history of the brand. They say the Grandmaster Chime is the most complicated Patek Philippe ever made. Mine? Not so much. But hey, it tells the time, and that’s good enough for me! I’m no Patek, but I sure had a blast making this thing.
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