So, today I decided to jump into something that’s been on my to-do list for a while: remaking the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738R. It’s a classic, right? And there’s something about that “golden section” ratio that just gets me. It’s like, 1 / 1.6181, the “divine” proportion. You see it in famous art and buildings, and I wanted to see if I could bring some of that magic into a little project of my own.
First off, I gathered all my tools and materials. I’ve got a bit of a collection, thanks to previous projects, but I needed some specific stuff for this one. It took me a while, running around, making sure I had the right shades of rose gold and a nice, shiny black alligator leather strap. It’s not every day you find these things just lying around, you know?
I started by sketching out the design. Getting that ellipse shape just right was a bit of a challenge. I mean, Patek Philippe takes months, even years, to make these things. I didn’t have that kind of time, but I wanted to do it justice. After a few tries, I finally got a shape I was happy with. Then, I moved on to creating the case. I used some 18kt rose gold, which was a bit of a splurge, but hey, you gotta go big or go home, right? The bezel also needed to be fixed, which was a whole process in itself. I wanted to capture that simple but elegant look of the original.
Next up was the dial. I went with a classic black, inspired by the 50th-anniversary model. I thought about adding some details, but then I remembered the beauty of the Golden Ellipse is in its simplicity. So, I kept it clean, focusing on making the hands and the hour markers pop against the black background.
The strap was the last piece of the puzzle. I found a beautiful, shiny black alligator leather that I thought would work perfectly. Attaching it to the case was a bit tricky, but after a bit of trial and error, I managed to get it on there. And let me tell you, it looked pretty darn good.
Now, I know it’s not exactly like the ones you find on those fancy online stores where they go for, like, $18K and up, with free shipping and all that. But for a DIY project, I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. It’s got that golden ratio vibe, the rose gold shines just right, and the black dial and strap? Chef’s kiss.
This whole thing took me a good chunk of time. It wasn’t easy, especially since I’m not a pro at this. But it was fun, and I learned a lot. Plus, now I’ve got a pretty cool watch to show off. It might not be a real Patek Philippe, but it’s got a story, and that’s worth something, right?
Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a lot of work, but also really rewarding. For now, I’m just going to enjoy the fruits of my labor. And who knows, maybe this will inspire someone else to try their hand at remaking a classic. If you do, let me know how it goes!
Here’s a little breakdown of what I did:
- Gathered Materials: Got my hands on some 18kt rose gold and a shiny black alligator leather strap.
- Sketched the Design: Focused on getting that perfect ellipse shape based on the golden ratio.
- Created the Case: Worked with the rose gold to form the case and fixed the bezel.
- Designed the Dial: Opted for a simple, elegant black dial with rose gold hands and markers.
- Attached the Strap: Carefully connected the leather strap to the case.
- Admired My Work: Stepped back to appreciate my very own Golden Ellipse homage.
And that’s the story of how I spent my time remaking a Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse. It was a journey, but totally worth it.
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