Okay, so I’ve been wanting to remake a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 for a while now, you know, the one you see at the fancy specialty stores. These watches are crazy expensive, so I figured, why not try to make one myself? It seemed like a fun challenge, and I’m always up for a good DIY project.
First, I gathered all the materials I needed. This was a bit of a pain, honestly. I needed to find the right kind of metal for the case and bracelet, and let me tell you, sourcing that stuff isn’t easy. I ended up ordering most of it online, which was a bit of a gamble, but it all worked out in the end. Also, I needed a bunch of tiny tools, like the kind watchmakers use. Those were also tricky to find, but I managed to get my hands on a decent set after some digging.
Getting Started
Once I had everything, I started working on the case. I used a small saw to cut the metal into the basic shape of the Nautilus, which is kind of like a rounded square. This was probably the most nerve-wracking part because one wrong move and you could ruin the whole thing. I took my sweet time with it, measuring everything like ten times before making any cuts.
- Cut the metal for the case
- Shape the case into a rounded square
- Polish the case to get rid of any rough edges
After getting the case shape right, I started polishing it. I used different grades of sandpaper, going from coarse to super fine, to get that smooth, shiny finish you see on the real deal. This part was pretty relaxing, actually. Just me, some sandpaper, and a whole lot of elbow grease. And I must have listened to like 15 episodes of my favorite true crime podcast.
Next, I moved on to the bracelet. This was a bit more complicated because it’s made up of a bunch of small links. I cut out each link individually, shaped them, and then connected them all together. This was super tedious, but it was satisfying to see the bracelet slowly take shape. Each link is only as big as one grain of rice, and my fingers are quite thick, so you can imagine how difficult it is.
The Dial and Movement
The dial was another challenge. I wanted to replicate that iconic blue color, so I mixed a few different shades of paint until I got it just right. Then, I carefully painted the dial, making sure not to mess up the little details, like the hour markers and the date window. I even added those tiny little lines that give the dial that textured look.
- Mix paint to get the right shade of blue
- Paint the dial, including the hour markers and date window
- Add texture lines to the dial
For the movement, I decided to use a generic one I found online. I’m not a watchmaker, so building a movement from scratch was way out of my league. I carefully installed the movement into the case, making sure everything lined up perfectly.
Finally, I put it all together. I attached the bracelet to the case, added the hands to the movement, and closed everything up. And there it was, my very own homemade Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712! It’s not perfect, of course, but I’m pretty proud of it. It actually keeps time pretty well, too, which is a bonus.
This whole project took me a few months, working on it here and there in my spare time. It was definitely a learning experience, and I’m glad I did it. Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun. If you’re thinking about trying something like this, I say go for it! Just be prepared to spend a lot of time and maybe a little bit of money. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s how you learn, right?
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