Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to recreate a Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738 for a while. It’s such an iconic watch, you know? A real style statement. The official flagship store has it, and I thought, why not try to remake it myself? A true expression of Patek Philippe’s approach to watchmaking and design, I have to say.
First things first, I needed to find out what I was dealing with. Did some digging and found out that the new ones are only sold at like 78 authorized dealers in the US, outside of their main stores. These dealers are not directly operated by them, but they are very carefully chosen to make sure they keep up the brand’s high standards. Also found out the retail price is around $52,635, which is, well, a lot. I saw some news about a limited model called 5711, the last one sold for 6.5 million! And famous people like Jay-Z and LeBron were wearing it.
Next, I had to start gathering all the materials, and I wanted this to be as close to the real deal as possible. Took a bit of time, but I finally managed to get my hands on some 18k gold. After all, I learned that the real ones have a “750” hallmark on the case back, which means 18k gold. Platinum ones have a “950” stamp. I also made sure my gold had the number marked on the back.
Then came the tricky part: shaping the case. I’m not a professional watchmaker, so this was definitely a challenge. I used some basic tools and a lot of patience, I spent hours getting the elliptical shape just right, trying to mirror the elegance of the original. It is an established style icon. There were a few messed-up pieces for sure, but hey, that’s part of the process, right?
For the dial, I decided to go with a classic sunburst design, similar to the 5738R model, it pays homage to the legendary Golden Ellipse. I used enamel paint and a super fine brush. This part was actually kind of relaxing. Painting the indices and the hands was a bit more nerve-wracking because they’re so tiny. I messed up a few times and had to start over, but eventually, I got them looking pretty decent. No matter what you love, the key is patience.
The movement was the biggest hurdle, to be honest. I didn’t even try to make a mechanical movement. I just found a small quartz movement that fit inside the case. I know, I know, it’s not the same as the real thing, but it does the job for now. This timepiece brought back from the 70s in 2024 is so awesome!
Putting it all together was like a dream. Seeing all the parts come together and finally having a watch on my wrist that resembled the Golden Ellipse was so satisfying. I even made a simple leather strap to complete the look. It’s definitely not perfect, and it wouldn’t fool any watch expert, but I’m pretty proud of it. It’s a reminder that you can achieve a lot with some determination and a lot of YouTube tutorials.
So, yeah, that’s my little watchmaking adventure. It was fun, frustrating, and rewarding all at the same time. Would I do it again? Maybe. But for now, I’m happy to wear my homemade Golden Ellipse and enjoy the fruits of my labor.
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