Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 for a while now. I mean, who hasn’t? It’s like, the watch. But, you know, the price tag is just… insane. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I’m going to remake one, piece by piece, baby!
The Hunt for Parts
First things first, I needed parts. A real Patek uses some fancy stuff, and getting those exact materials? Forget about it. I scoured the internet, looking for anything that was a close enough match, or even just looked good enough. Some forums dedicated to the 5712 were surprisingly helpful. I saw some threads about the 5980 and the 5711, these are also some hot Nautilus, you know. So I learned a bit from these posts.
I hit up some online stores, some even from Italy. Found a bunch of places selling watch parts. It was a total mix. Some places had really high-quality stuff that was way out of my budget, and others had stuff that was, well, let’s just say not so great. But I’m not a professional, so it’s good for me.
The Assembly
After weeks of waiting for packages to arrive, I finally had a decent pile of parts. Then came the hard part: putting it all together. Let me tell you, it was a challenge. I watched a ton of videos online, read through forums, and basically became a temporary watchmaker expert, or so I thought. I spent countless evenings hunched over my workbench, tools everywhere, messing with these tiny parts. There were so many little screws and gears. And don’t even get me started on the hands. Getting those aligned properly? A nightmare! I think I messed it up like a hundred times. And I lost a few screws in the process, you can imagine. I have to get the replacement parts.
I thought I had made a huge mistake. But after a few days’ rest, I put myself together and start it all over again. The second time was much better, I am more familiar with all the stuff. Finally, the movement was done! The rest parts were a piece of cake.
The Final Product
Finally, after what felt like forever, it was done. My very own “Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712”. Obviously, it’s not the real deal. Anyone who knows anything about watches could tell in a heartbeat. The movement is nowhere near as smooth, and the materials are obviously not the same caliber. But, you know what? It looks pretty darn good, at least to me. I’m so satisfied with my work.
- It’s got that classic Nautilus look.
- It tells the time.
- It’s got a nice weight to it.
And most importantly, I made it myself. And that’s pretty cool, right? It was a fun project, and I learned a ton about watches in the process. Plus, I saved myself a small fortune. Maybe someday I’ll get the real thing. But for now, I’m happy with my little homemade masterpiece. And I will wear it every day to work!
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