Okay, folks, gather around! Today, I’m gonna walk you through my little adventure of remaking the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738. Now, I’m no master watchmaker, but I do love a good challenge, and this one was a doozy. The official flagship store model, mind you, so I wanted to get it right.
First things first, I started by digging into what makes this watch tick. I mean, this isn’t just any watch; it’s a Patek Philippe. Did you know they’ve made less than a million watches since they started 184 years ago? That’s insane! It is like being one of the 600 people to the Met Gala! And this Golden Ellipse, it’s based on the “golden section,” some ancient Greek math stuff. It is about 1 / 1.6181. Anyway, this ratio is supposed to be in some of the greatest art pieces ever. Pretty cool, huh?
So, I got myself some materials. I’m not using 18k rose gold like the original 5738/1R-001, but I found some decent alternatives. I started shaping the case. The design is not a circle, not a square, somewhere in between. It also featured ultra-precise quartz movements. This part was tricky because it’s so unique. I spent days just trying to get the shape right. I mean, the Golden Ellipse is like a mix of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, all wrapped up in one stylish package. It’s in trend in 2024.
- Shape the case: Getting that elliptical shape down was no walk in the park. It is like a hybrid between the Nautilus and the Golden Ellipse.
- Creating the dial: I went with an ebony black sunburst dial. It looked slick and was a nod to the 50th-anniversary model of the 5738. It is so cool.
- Assembling the movement: This was the hardest part. I’m not using the official Patek Philippe movement, but I found a reliable quartz movement that fit the bill.
- Putting it all together: Once I had all the pieces, assembling the watch was like putting together a complex puzzle.
After a lot of trial and error, I finally had something that resembled the Golden Ellipse 5738. It wasn’t perfect, but I was pretty darn proud of it. The watch kept the jumbo size, which I liked. It felt substantial on the wrist.
I wore it around for a few days, and I gotta say, it felt good. People asked me about it, and I got to tell them the whole story. Most people said it yielded a fortune during auctions as extremely rare. It was a great conversation starter. I compared it with other watches, felt good.
My Reflection
This whole project was a blast. It was tough, but I learned a lot about watches and a bit about myself. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Maybe next time, I’ll try a different model. But for now, I’m happy with my homemade Golden Ellipse. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the best things in life are the ones you make yourself.
So, that’s my story. I hope you enjoyed it. If you’re thinking about trying something like this, go for it! It’s a rewarding experience, even if it’s a bit rough around the edges. I am happy I could share it with all of you!
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