Man, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse for ages. You know, that classy watch with the weird shape? I finally pulled the trigger and decided to try remaking one myself. I went with the 5738R model, the rose gold one with the brown face. Let me tell you, this wasn’t some weekend project.
First, I had to figure out what made this watch tick, literally. I found out it’s got this automatic movement called the caliber 240. Apparently, it’s super thin, which is why the whole watch is only like 6mm thick. Pretty slick, right?
Then there’s the whole “golden ratio” thing. I read somewhere that the design is based on some ancient Greek math stuff, this ratio of 1 to 1.6181. Sounds fancy, but honestly, I just wanted to get the shape right.
The Start
I started by sketching out the case. Getting that elliptical shape down was a pain. I went through so many drawings, I felt like an ancient Greek myself.
The Grind
- Case making: This was the hardest part. I tried shaping metal, I tried 3D printing, I even tried carving it out of wood. Nothing looked quite right. It was frustrating as hell.
- The face: Finding the right shade of brown was tricky. I mixed a bunch of paints, trying to get that rich, chocolatey look.
- Hands and markers: These had to be delicate and precise. I ended up using tiny pieces of wire, which I filed down and polished until they gleamed. My fingers were numb for days.
- The movement: Forget about making my own caliber 240. I ended up finding a similar-sized, thin automatic movement online. It wasn’t the real deal, but it did the job.
Putting it Together
Assembling the watch was like performing surgery. I had to be so careful not to scratch anything or mess up the alignment. I used tweezers, tiny screwdrivers, and a whole lot of patience.
The Result
After weeks of work, I finally had something that resembled a Golden Ellipse. It wasn’t perfect, of course. There were a few rough edges, and the finish wasn’t as polished as the real thing. But you know what? I was proud of it. I had taken on this crazy project, and I actually pulled it off. I’d caught wind this was released at Watches and Wonders 2024, so I guess I’m on trend.
Would I do it again? Probably not. It was a ton of work. But I learned a lot about watchmaking, and I have a newfound appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into these things. Plus, I have a pretty unique watch to show for it, even if it’s not a real Patek. It’s my own little piece of golden ratio goodness.
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