Alright, so today I decided to tackle remaking the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227R-001. This ain’t my first rodeo with watches, but Patek Philippe is a whole different beast. I started my day by scouring the internet for any info I could find on this model. There are plenty of listings on different sites selling it, but I’m not buying, I’m making!
First thing I noticed was the price range. This bad boy goes for anywhere between $29,000 and $44,000, give or take. Sheesh! After recovering from the initial shock, I focused on the specs. It’s powered by a self-winding caliber 324 movement, whatever that means. I mean I’ve never touched this kind of movement before, and I won’t lie, it is a bit intimidating. But hey, that’s why we do these things, right? For the challenge!
I spent a good chunk of the morning just reading up on the movement. The Calatrava 5227R-001 has a calibre 324 S C automatic movement, with 29 jewels and 213 parts. I managed to find some movements that kinda look like it and start working. It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a power reserve of about 45 hours. Fancy stuff. It’s also got a date display at the 3 o’clock position and an ivory lacquered dial with gold Dauphine hands, which I think I can replicate with some patience. I think the hardest part is going to be getting the movement right. I started to look for something similar that I could get my hands on, to at least get the feel for the size and weight of it. It’s also rhodium-plated with something called “fausses cotes” embellishment and has a shock absorber mechanism. I have no clue what that means but I tried my best. After finding some similar materials I started to tinker around, I made a list of the things I needed and started.
- Movement: Started by disassembling an old automatic watch I had lying around. Cleaned the parts, made some measurements, and started to modify it to get it closer to the Caliber 324.
- Dial: Found some ivory-colored material that could pass for the dial. Cut it to size, marked the 3 o’clock position for the date window. For the hands, I shaped some thin gold-colored metal into Dauphine style. It took a few tries, but I got there.
- Case: Now, the case was tricky. The 5227R-001 has a rose gold case. I opted for a similar-looking metal and gave it a polished finish to mimic the look. It’s not perfect, but it’s close enough for a first attempt.
Putting it all together was a whole other story. It took me the better part of the afternoon, and a lot of trial and error, but I finally managed to assemble something that resembled the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227R-001. It’s not perfect, the movement is far from the real deal, but it ticks, and the date changes, so that’s a win in my book. I’m planning on wearing this bad boy for a few days, just to see how it holds up. I might even try to find someone who knows more about these things to take a look at it and give me some pointers. I think I did alright. It is far from perfect, but I guess it is a start!
This project was definitely one of the more challenging ones I’ve taken on, but it was also one of the most rewarding. There’s something about taking a bunch of parts and turning them into something that resembles a high-end timepiece. If you’re thinking about trying something like this, my advice is to go for it. Just be prepared to make mistakes, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go show off my new watch.
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