Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Nautilus for a while. You know, the real deal. But man, those prices are insane! So, I thought, why not try to make my own? I mean, how hard could it be, right? (Famous last words, I know.)
I started by doing some research online. I found a few forums and articles about replica watches. From what I gathered, the Nautilus 5713 is a pretty popular model to replicate. I guess the classic style is a big draw. It has a 40mm diameter and 8.5mm thickness and is made of stainless steel. It has a sapphire crystal glass, not bad at all. I also found that the 5711 and 5811 are pretty popular, too.
First, I bought a cheap watch online that looked somewhat similar to the Nautilus. It was a roll of the dice, but I figured it was worth a shot. When it arrived, I started taking it apart. I carefully removed the case back, the movement, the hands, everything. I made sure to take pictures along the way so I could remember how to put it back together. There are so many different parts to a watch! I had no idea.
Finding the Right Parts
- Case: I found a stainless steel case that was pretty close to the Nautilus. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough for my first attempt.
- Dial: This was the tricky part. I wanted to find a dial that looked as close to the original as possible. After a lot of searching, I found a place that sells replica dials, and I ordered one that looked promising. The gen 5811 is white gold, but I thought I didn’t want to get that.
- Hands: I managed to find some hands that were similar in style to the Nautilus hands. They weren’t an exact match, but they were close enough.
- Movement: I used a Caliber 324S movement, which is the same movement that Patek Philippe uses in the original Nautilus. Getting my hands on one of these was a real challenge.
Putting it all together was like solving a really complicated puzzle. I had to be super careful not to damage any of the parts. I used a small screwdriver and some tweezers to carefully place each component. It was a slow and painstaking process, but I was determined to get it right.
The Moment of Truth
After hours of work, I finally got the watch assembled. I wound it up, held my breath, and… it started ticking! I couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was my own handmade Patek Philippe Nautilus. And honestly, it looked pretty darn good.
I’ve been wearing it for a few weeks now, and I’m really happy with it. It’s not a genuine Patek Philippe, but it’s a reminder that with enough determination and effort, you can achieve almost anything. Plus, it was a fun project that taught me a lot about watches. Would I do it again? Maybe. But next time, I might try a different model. Just for kicks.
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