Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with watches lately, and I got this wild idea to try and remake the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738R. You know, that super classy, elegant watch that just screams luxury? Yeah, that one. I thought, “Why not give it a shot?” It seemed like a fun challenge, and honestly, I was itching to see if I could pull it off. I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty excited to get started.
First things first, I spent a good chunk of time just staring at pictures of the 5738R online. I mean, I was practically drooling over the details. That rose gold case, the sleek design… it’s a real beauty. I noticed that the design is based on something called the “Golden Ratio,” which is some fancy mathematical concept that’s supposed to make things look aesthetically pleasing. I’m not a math guy, but I can appreciate a good-looking watch. And man, this is a GOOD-looking watch!
Next up, I started sketching. Lots and lots of sketching. I tried to capture the shape of the case, the way the hands are designed, all that jazz. I needed a good base to start working on. Also, I dug up some info about the movement. It’s an “ultra-thin self-winding mechanical movement,”. Sounds complicated, right? But it is cool that it’s so thin, it really adds to the elegance.
Then came the fun part (or the headache, depending on how you look at it) – actually trying to build this thing.
- I started with the case. Now, I don’t have access to rose gold just lying around, so I had to improvise. I found some materials that I could shape and mold to mimic the look and feel of the original. It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. Getting that elliptical shape just right took some serious trial and error. I even tried to incorporate that Golden Ratio thing into my design, but I’m pretty sure I messed that up somewhere along the way.
- The movement was a whole other beast. I knew I couldn’t replicate the original Patek Philippe movement – that thing is a masterpiece of engineering. Instead, I opted for a simpler, more readily available movement that I could get my hands on. I’m not a watchmaker, so this was definitely a learning experience. I watched a bunch of videos online and read some articles, and eventually, I managed to get the movement to fit inside the case. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked!
- For the dial and hands, I tried my best to recreate the look of the 5738R. I used some basic materials and tools, and after a lot of fiddling, I managed to come up with something that resembled the original. It wasn’t perfect, but hey, it was close enough for a first attempt. I even found that some places were selling replicas for around $36,789, which made me feel a bit better about my own less-than-perfect version.
Case
Movement
Details
After countless hours of work, I finally had something that looked like a watch. It wasn’t a Patek Philippe, that’s for sure, but it was my own take on the Golden Ellipse 5738R. It was rough around the edges, and the movement was definitely not as smooth as the original, but I was proud of it. I learned a ton about watchmaking, and I got to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into these luxury timepieces even more.
Would I wear it out in public? Probably not. But it’s a cool little project that I can keep on my desk as a reminder of what I accomplished. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll try to make another one, and it’ll be even better. For now, though, I’m happy with my little homemade Golden Ellipse. It’s a fun story to tell, and it taught me a lot about patience, precision, and the beauty of a well-designed watch.
Click to consult