Okay, so I’ve been wanting a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 for like, forever. But let’s be real, that thing is way out of my league, price-wise. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and try to remake one myself. Sounds crazy, right? But I was determined.
Getting Started
First, I spent hours just staring at pictures of the 5711 online. I mean, I really studied that watch. I wanted to get every little detail in my head. Then I started gathering materials. This was a real scavenger hunt.
- Case: I found a decent stainless steel watch case online that had a similar shape. Not perfect, but close enough.
- Movement: Now this was tricky. I ended up getting a used automatic movement. It wasn’t a Patek movement, obviously, but it did the job.
- Dial: I searched everywhere and finally I got a blue dial, I had to do some serious digging to find one with that same horizontal embossed pattern.
- Hands and Markers: I ordered some watch hands and markers that looked like the ones on the Nautilus. Tiny little things, but super important.
- Bracelet: This was tough. I couldn’t find an exact replica, so I had to customize a stainless steel bracelet to make it look sort of like the original.
Putting It All Together
Once I had all the parts, the real work started. I took apart the watch case I bought and carefully removed the original movement and dial. Then came the scary part – fitting the new movement into the case. It took some fiddling, but I managed to get it in there snugly.
Next, I attached the new dial. This was a delicate operation. I had to make sure it was perfectly centered and aligned. Then I pressed on the hands, one by one. My hands were shaking the whole time! Finally, I attached the modified bracelet to the case. It was not simple as I thought.
The Final Result
After hours of work, I finally had my own homemade “Nautilus.” It was not perfect by any means, but I was pretty proud of it. It definitely captured the look and feel of the 5711, at least to my untrained eye. It keeps time pretty well, too.
So, yeah, that’s how I remade a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711. It was a fun and challenging project. And hey, now I have a watch that looks kind of like a hundred-thousand-dollar watch, for a fraction of the price. Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a lot of work, but it was also a pretty rewarding experience. I learned a lot about watches, and I got to flex my DIY muscles. I did it!
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