Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to remake a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5722, the classic style, for a while now. I mean, who wouldn’t? It’s a beautiful watch. I finally took the plunge and started this project. It was a journey, let me tell you.
First, I started to look up some info about the watch. I dug around and found out it’s like, the essence of a round wristwatch. It falls under Patek Philippe’s style, which includes all sorts of cool models like the Calatrava and Aquanaut. I read that the Aquanaut was started in 1997, pretty neat!
Starting the Project
So, I started to gather what I needed, thinking about the materials I’d use and how I’d put it all together. I was aiming for that “supremely elegant” look they talk about. I was browsing through an online marketplace to find some inspiration and to look at what other people were doing.
Getting into the Details
I also did a bunch of research on the technical side. I found some info about turning a graphic bitmap into a 2-bit-per-pixel format, which was interesting, but not exactly what I needed for this project. I found out that this kind of conversion is usually used for displaying stuff on a screen with a certain display list, not for making a watch. But, it’s always good to learn something new. There was also some stuff about a bitmap file dumping function for something called CGA mode 4. It’s all pretty technical and related to how images are displayed on computers, especially in the old days. I read that 2bpp was added for Windows CE. This is not really related to watchmaking, but hey, you never know what you’ll stumble upon when you’re researching!
Focusing on the Design
My main focus was getting that classic Nautilus look. I spent a lot of time looking at pictures, trying to get every detail right. This watch is all about those “pure lines,” and I wanted to capture that. I’m no expert, but I was determined to make this watch as close to the real deal as possible.
The Process of Making
I started by sketching out the design, then moved on to picking out the right materials. I ended up using some good quality metals and tools I found. It was a lot of trial and error, trying to get the shape and feel just right. I spent hours just working on the case, trying to get those curves and edges perfect. It’s a lot harder than it looks!
Putting It All Together
Next, I had to figure out the movement. I’m not going to lie, this was the hardest part. Making a watch movement from scratch is no joke. I did a lot of reading and watching videos, trying to understand how it all works. I ended up using some parts from old watches I had lying around, and I even made some parts myself. It was a real challenge, but I was determined to make it work.
After a lot of work, I finally managed to put everything together. I had the case, the dial, the hands, and the movement all assembled. It was a proud moment, seeing it all come together. But it wasn’t perfect yet. I had to make a bunch of adjustments, tweaking things here and there to get it just right.
The Final Touches
Finally, after what felt like forever, I had a working watch. It wasn’t a real Patek Philippe, of course, but it was my version of it, and I was pretty happy with how it turned out. It had that classic Nautilus look, and it even told time! I wore it around for a few days, just to see how it felt. It was a bit rough around the edges, but it was mine.
In the end, it was a great learning experience. I learned a lot about watches, about design, and about myself. It was a lot of hard work, but it was worth it. Would I do it again? Maybe. But for now, I’m just going to enjoy wearing my homemade Nautilus.
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