Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at remaking a classic watch for a while now, and I finally dove in. I chose the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5726 – you know, the one with the annual calendar and moon phase. It’s a real beauty, but also a bit of a beast to recreate.
First off, I had to get my hands on some decent reference materials. I mean, you can’t just wing it with something this intricate. I spent hours scouring the internet, looking at photos, reading articles, and basically just trying to absorb as much info about the 5726 as I could. I found out some interesting things, like the 5726 is an annual calendar, and it has day, date, month, seconds and moon phase. And the black and white dial steel version was discontinued in 2019.
Once I felt like I had a good grasp of the watch’s design and features, I started gathering the parts I needed. It took forever, but eventually, I managed to find most of the stuff from the right places. I went with the automatic cal. 324 S QA LU 24H/303 movement, just like the original 5726.
Then came the hard part – actually putting the thing together. It is a complex process. I started with the movement, carefully assembling all the tiny gears and springs. The annual calendar function with the day, date, month, and moon phase display was a nightmare, but in a good way, if you know what I mean. I also have learned that 5712 is more comfortable than 5711.
- Prepare the Case: Cleaned and polished the watch case.
- Install the Movement: Carefully placed the movement into the case.
- Attach the Dial: Secured the dial onto the movement.
- Add the Hands: Attached the hour, minute, and second hands.
- Assemble the Calendar: Put together the day, date, and month indicators.
- Incorporate the Moon Phase: Integrated the moon phase complication.
- Seal the Case: Closed the case back, ensuring water resistance.
- Attach the Strap: Added the strap.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally had a working watch. And I gotta say, it looked pretty damn good! The dial, with its black and white gradient, was spot on. The hands moved smoothly, and the calendar and moon phase functions worked like a charm. There’s just something so satisfying about seeing all those tiny parts come together to create something beautiful and functional.
This whole experience has been a wild ride, but I’ve learned so much. I mean, I always knew that watchmaking was a complex art, but now I have a whole new level of appreciation for it. Would I do it again? Definitely. In fact, I’m already thinking about which watch I want to tackle next. Maybe another Patek? Or maybe something completely different. Only time will tell.
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