Okay, so I’ve been messing around with watches for a while now, and I gotta say, this latest project was a real doozy. I decided to try and remake the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712, that’s the original order one. You know, the one that everyone’s always going on about? Yeah, that’s the one.
First off, finding info on this thing was a pain. I mean, it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack, except the haystack is made of other needles. But I dug around, found some stuff. Apparently, this 5712 model is rarer than a unicorn, with only a 1% chance to grab one without being buddy-buddy with an authorized dealer. And get this, the waiting list at official stores is like 7 years long! They say it’s gonna be discontinued soon, too.
I started by looking for parts. Now, I heard that this company, PPF, spent like 4 or 5 years trying to get this watch right. So, I figured, “Why not?” I ordered their parts, hoping for the best. It was a gamble, for sure.
While I was waiting for those to arrive, I did some more digging. Found out that the original 5712 came out in 2006, along with another model, the 5711. They’re similar in size, but the 5712 has all these extra displays for power reserve. It also has a moon phase function, which is really pretty! They call it the “5712/1R-001” when it’s got the rose gold case and the fancy moon phase thing.
The parts finally showed up, and I got to work. Let me tell you, putting this thing together was no walk in the park. It’s got this asymmetrical dial, which is part of what makes it so unique. I spent hours just trying to get that right. Then there’s the whole moon phase complication. Getting all those tiny gears to work together was a real headache.
- Sourcing the parts: This was the first major hurdle. I decided to go with the PPF parts, based on what I’d read online.
- Assembling the dial: The asymmetric design made this tricky. I had to make sure everything lined up perfectly.
- Working with the moon phase: This was by far the most challenging part. Those tiny gears are a nightmare to deal with!
- Putting it all together: Once I had the dial and moon phase sorted, I had to assemble the rest of the watch. This involved carefully fitting the hands, the case, and the bracelet.
But you know what? I did it. I actually managed to put together a pretty decent replica of the 5712. It’s not perfect, of course, but it’s close enough for me. And honestly, the whole process was kind of fun, even with all the frustrations. It felt good to get my hands dirty and actually build something. I even found out that some places are selling this watch for over $200,000! It’s crazy. Mine isn’t worth anywhere near that, obviously, but it’s still cool to have something that looks like the real deal. It was a real pain at times, but at the end of the day, I’m proud of what I accomplished.
Anyways, that’s my story. Just wanted to share my little adventure with you all. Maybe it’ll inspire some of you to try your hand at watchmaking, or maybe it’ll just make you appreciate the real Patek Philippe 5712 even more. I’m gonna get back to tinkering. I’ve got my eye on a few other models I want to try and replicate. Wish me luck!
Click to consult