Alright, so I decided to get my hands dirty and remake a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712. You know, that fancy watch everyone’s always going on about? I thought, “Why not give it a shot?” Plus, I heard some folks talking about these remakes, and it got me curious.
First off, I started digging around to see what’s what with these remakes. I mean, where do you even start? I heard about some places called 3K and ZF that are supposed to be good at this. Then there’s this 5712 model that caught my eye. I saw some posts about the 5713/1 and a few others, but the 5712 just seemed like the one to try.
Then came the hard part – actually finding the parts and figuring out how this thing goes together. I looked at a bunch of pictures of real Patek Philippe watches. You know, the ones that cost more than my car? Those. I wanted to see how they’re made, what materials they use, and all that jazz. The real ones have this special kind of crystal, sapphire, I think? And the printing on the dial is super crisp. No way I’m getting it that perfect, but it’s good to know what to aim for.
After that, I started gathering the materials. It’s not like I can just walk into a store and buy Patek Philippe parts, right? So, I had to get creative. I found some stainless steel that looked pretty close to the real deal, and some other bits and pieces that seemed like they’d work. Oh, and I got some high-grade leather for the strap. Gotta make it look somewhat legit, you know?
Putting It All Together
Now, the fun part – putting it all together. I’m not gonna lie; it was tricky. I watched a bunch of videos and read a ton of stuff about how these watches are assembled. It’s like a puzzle, but way more complicated and with tiny, expensive pieces.
- Step one: I started with the case. I had to shape the stainless steel to look like the Nautilus case. It’s not just a plain circle; it’s got these weird angles and curves.
- Step two: Then there’s the dial. I tried to make it look like the real one, with the blue color and those little markers. Let’s just say it’s… unique.
- Step three: The hands were a pain. They’re so small! I managed to get them on there, but they’re not exactly perfect. I saw someone online talking about a V2 version where the hands are better, maybe I should’ve looked into that.
- Step four: Putting the movement together was like performing surgery. So many tiny parts! I followed some guides online, and somehow, it actually worked.
- Step five: Finally, I attached the strap. The leather was actually pretty nice to work with. It made the whole thing look a bit more put-together.
In the end, did it turn out exactly like a real Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712? Nope, not even close. But, it was a fun project, and I learned a lot. Would I wear it out and try to pass it off as real? Nah, that’s not my style. But it’s a cool little thing to have, and it’s a good conversation starter. Plus, now I can say I kinda, sorta made a Patek Philippe. Anyway, this whole thing was more about the journey than the destination, you know? And hey, maybe I’ll try another model sometime. I heard the Calatrava’s pretty popular. But for now, I’m pretty proud of my little 5712 remake.
Click to consult