Today, I tried to remake the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738R, and let me tell you, it was a journey. I’ve always been fascinated by the Golden Ellipse, with its unique shape and all that “golden ratio” stuff the ancient Greek mathematicians came up with. It’s supposed to be this “divine” proportion, 1 / 1.6181 or something. Anyway, I wanted to see if I could recreate that magic.
First, I dove deep into what makes the Golden Ellipse tick. From what I gathered, the original watch is all about that simple two-hand design and the golden ratio. I started by sketching out the case. The dimensions of the original are around 31mm x 35mm, and it’s made of 18K rose gold. I didn’t have any rose gold lying around, obviously, so I had to get creative with the materials I had on hand.
- Sketching the Case: I used some basic drawing tools to get the proportions right. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to get a decent outline of the elliptical shape.
- Choosing the Material: Since I couldn’t use real gold, I opted for a gold-colored metal alloy that I found in my workshop. It’s not the same, but it gave me a similar look and feel.
Next up was the movement. The original 5738R has an automatic movement. I, on the other hand, had to make do with a standard quartz movement I had lying around. It’s not fancy, but it gets the job done. I carefully disassembled the quartz watch and started working on fitting it into my makeshift Ellipse case.
The dial was another challenge. Patek Philippe uses an 18K gold dial plate, and they hollow it out and stuff. I just used a thin piece of metal and painted it a deep blue, which is similar to one of the original dial colors. I made some simple hour markers, but honestly, it didn’t turn out as elegant as I hoped. This is way harder than I thought it would be.
- Fitting the Movement: This was tricky. I had to adjust the case a bit to make sure the quartz movement fit snugly. It wasn’t perfect, but I managed to secure it in place.
- Creating the Dial: I used some basic tools to cut the metal into an elliptical shape. Painting it was a whole other story – let’s just say it took a few tries to get the color right.
Finally, the strap. The real Golden Ellipse has a black alligator strap with a tang buckle. I didn’t have any alligator leather, so I used a regular black leather strap that I had. It’s not quite the same, but it does the job. I attached it to the case, and voila, my homemade Golden Ellipse was complete.
The Final Result
So, how did it turn out? Well, it’s definitely not a Patek Philippe, but I’m pretty proud of my little project. It looks somewhat like the Golden Ellipse, and it tells the time, which is all that really matters. It was a fun experiment, and I learned a lot about watchmaking in the process. I mean, trying to replicate something as refined as the 5738R with just basic tools and materials is a tall order. But hey, I gave it my best shot, and that’s what counts, right?
Would I wear it out? Probably not. But it’s a cool little reminder of what you can achieve with some creativity and a bit of elbow grease. Plus, it’s a good conversation starter – “Hey, wanna see my homemade Patek Philippe?”
Click to consult