Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Nautilus for a while now. I mean, who hasn’t, right? That watch is a legend! But let’s be real, the price tag on those things is insane. So, I started looking into this whole “remake” scene. Yeah, it’s not the real deal, but it’s a way to get that iconic look without, you know, selling a kidney.
I decided to go for the 5713/1 model. It’s got that classic Nautilus vibe, and the details are just beautiful. Now, the question was, where do I even start? I did some digging online, reading forums, and watching videos. There’s a whole community around these things! Anyway, I finally settled on trying to remake one myself using a regular old quartz movement.
First, I had to find a watch with a similar case shape. The Nautilus has that unique cushion shape, and it’s not easy to find in a regular watch. After searching online and in some local shops, I found a decent-looking one that was kind of close. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a good starting point.
Next up, the dial. This was tricky. I wanted that signature Patek Philippe look, so I spent hours looking at pictures of the real deal, trying to find a dial that had the same kind of markers and hands. I ended up ordering a few different ones online, hoping one of them would be a good match. It took a while, but one of them fit the bill pretty well.
Then came the hands. Oh boy, the hands. Finding the right ones was a pain. They needed to be the right size, shape, and color. I ordered a bunch of different sets, and it was like a matching game. Finally, after a lot of trial and error, I found a set that looked pretty darn close to the original.
Putting it all together was the most exciting part. I carefully removed the old movement, dial, and hands from the donor watch. Then, I installed the new dial, hands, and the quartz movement. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but I took my time and made sure everything was aligned properly.
The moment of truth
After weeks of work, I finally had my own “Patek Philippe Nautilus 5713/1”. It wasn’t perfect, and it definitely wasn’t the real thing, but it was mine. And you know what? I was pretty proud of it. It looked great on my wrist, and it gave me a taste of that luxury watch experience without breaking the bank.
- Sourcing the base watch: Took me about a week of searching.
- Finding the right dial: This took the longest, about two weeks of ordering and waiting.
- Matching the hands: Another week of trial and error.
- Assembling everything: A few hours of careful work.
Would I recommend doing this? If you’re into watches and you enjoy a good DIY project, then yeah, go for it! It’s a fun and rewarding experience. Just don’t expect to fool anyone into thinking it’s a real Patek Philippe. But hey, who cares? It’s all about enjoying the process and having a cool-looking watch at the end of the day.
Click to consult