Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to remake a fancy watch for a good while, and I finally decided to do it. I went with the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980, you know, that really popular one.
I did a ton of searching online, reading all sorts of stuff. I even found some guides specifically about buying remake Pateks. I mean, it’s a remake, so you gotta be careful, right?
Start Looking
First off, I spent days just looking at pictures of the real Nautilus 5980, trying to get every little detail in my head. I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what I was aiming for. It is very hard to find something important information about it, because it is really limited.
Gather Materials
- Metal: I decided to use stainless steel since that’s what the original uses. It was a pain to find a good supplier, but I eventually did.
- Movement: This was tricky. I couldn’t get my hands on the real Patek movement, obviously, so I had to find a good substitute. I researched for hours, comparing different movements, and finally settled on one that seemed pretty reliable.
- Dial and Hands: I found a place online that makes custom watch dials and hands. I sent them pictures of the Nautilus 5980, and they were able to recreate them pretty accurately.
Assemble the Watch
This was the hardest part. I had all the pieces, but putting them together was a real challenge. I’m not a professional watchmaker, so I had to learn as I went. I watched a bunch of videos online, read some articles, and just took my time.
- Movement Installation: Getting the movement into the case was fiddly, but I managed it. I had to make sure it was secure and aligned properly.
- Dial and Hands: Attaching the dial and hands to the movement was super delicate work. I had to be really careful not to scratch or bend anything.
- Crystal: I used a sapphire crystal, just like the original. Getting it to fit perfectly into the case was a bit of a struggle, but I got it in the end.
Finishing Touches
Once everything was assembled, I had to do some finishing work. I polished the case and bracelet to get that nice shine. I also had to adjust the movement to make sure it was keeping accurate time.
Final Result
It took a while, but I finally finished my remake of the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980. It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It looks really close to the original, and it’s been keeping good time so far. I wear it all the time now, and it feels great to have made something like this with my own hands.
The whole process was a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun. I learned so much about watches and how they’re made. I am so pround of myself because I have done it. If you’re thinking about trying something like this, I say go for it. Just be prepared to put in the time and effort.
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