Okay, so I’ve been wanting to remake a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 for a while now. It’s just such a classy watch, you know? And not just any 5712, but the ones you see in specialty stores. They just have that extra something.
First, I started digging around for info. I hit up a bunch of different places online that sell luxury watches to get a feel for what the real deal looks like. There are these places called Luxury Watches USA and Chrono24, and they have a ton of pictures and details about the 5712. I spent hours just scrolling through, zooming in on the photos, trying to memorize every little detail.
I also found some forums and communities where people talk about watches. It’s always good to hear what other folks think, especially when they really know their stuff. Some of them have actually bought or sold 5712s, so they had some pretty useful insights.
Then, I started looking at the prices. Man, these things are expensive! We’re talking tens of thousands of dollars. I saw one on Chrono24 for over $82,000! That’s way out of my league. But it gave me a good idea of what the market is like.
After that, I started sketching out some designs. I grabbed my notebook and pencil and started drawing the case, the dial, the hands, everything. I wanted to get the proportions just right. The real 5712 has a stainless-steel case that’s 40.0 x 8.52 millimeters, and it’s water-resistant up to 60 meters. I made sure my sketches matched those specs.
Once I had a good design, I started thinking about the materials. I couldn’t afford real gold or platinum, obviously, so I had to find some alternatives. I decided to go with stainless steel for the case, just like the original. It’s durable, it looks good, and it’s relatively affordable.
Next, I needed to find a movement. The movement is the heart of the watch, the thing that makes it tick. I did some more research and found a decent automatic movement that would fit the bill. It’s not a Patek Philippe movement, of course, but it gets the job done.
Putting it all together was the hardest part. I’m not a watchmaker, so I had to learn a lot of new skills. I watched a bunch of videos online, read some tutorials, and practiced on some cheap watches before I felt confident enough to work on my 5712 remake.
It took a lot of time and effort, but finally, I finished it. And you know what? It actually turned out pretty good! It’s not a perfect replica, but it captures the spirit of the 5712. It’s got that same classy look, that same attention to detail. I’m pretty proud of it.
Here’s a little breakdown of what I did:
- Researched the heck out of the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712.
- Studied pictures and specs from various online sources.
- Got insights from watch enthusiasts in online communities.
- Checked out the prices of real 5712s to understand the market.
- Drew detailed sketches of the watch’s design.
- Chose stainless steel for the case material.
- Sourced a suitable automatic movement.
- Learned basic watchmaking skills through online resources.
- Assembled the watch with patience and care.
- Finished my very own Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 remake!
It was a fun project, and I learned a lot along the way. Maybe one day I’ll be able to afford a real Patek Philippe, but for now, I’m happy with my little homemade version.
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