Okay, so I’ve been eyeing the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 for a while now. It’s a beauty, no doubt, but the price tag? Ouch. So, I thought, “Why not try to remake it?” Sounds crazy, I know, but I was determined to give it a shot.
First, I spent hours, probably days, just looking at pictures and videos of the real deal. I needed to get every little detail in my head. The way the light hits the bezel, the texture of the dial, the shape of the hands… everything.
Next up, I started hunting for parts. This was a real adventure. I scoured the internet for websites and forums that sell watch parts. I found some generic watch cases that looked somewhat similar to the Nautilus case. They weren’t perfect, but it was a starting point.
- Sourced a decent automatic movement online. Nothing too fancy, just something reliable.
- Found some hands that were kind of close to the original, but not quite.
- The dial was the hardest part. I ended up trying to make my own, which was a disaster, honestly.
After many failed attempts to print a custom dial, I ended up looking for a simple blue watch face to modify it. It was not easy, but after some time, I managed to find something that was at least satisfactory.
Then came the assembly. Let me tell you, putting a watch together is way harder than it looks. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos, bought some tiny screwdrivers, and went to work. There were moments when I almost gave up. I bent a few hands, scratched the case a couple of times, and probably said a few words I shouldn’t repeat.
But eventually, after a lot of trial and error, I had something that resembled a watch. It wasn’t a Patek Philippe, not by a long shot, but it was mine. It ticked, it told time, and it even looked kinda cool, in its own way.
The Final Result
It’s definitely not perfect. The finishing isn’t great, the dial is a bit off, and the overall feel is nowhere near the quality of a real Nautilus. But you know what? I’m proud of it. I made it with my own two hands, and that’s something. It’s a reminder that even if you can’t afford the real thing, you can still create something unique and special. Plus, now I can say I kind of have a “Nautilus” on my wrist. Maybe it’s not the real thing, but I think the whole experience was worth it. After this, I even considered starting to sell some of my custom watches. I might have a new passion now.
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