RemakePatek Philippe PP Calatrava 5227J-001Original order: Where to Find and What to Expect.

So, I’ve been eyeing this Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227J-001, the original order remake, for a while now. You know, the real deal is way out of my league, price-wise. But this remake, it got me thinking, is it worth it? I decided to find out myself.

First, I did some digging online, read a bunch of stuff about these remakes. Some folks say they’re pretty good, others are all like, “Nah, it’s not the same.” But I wanted to see for myself. I took the plunge and got one.

• Got the watch in hand, and man, it looked nice. It had that ivory dial, that 18k yellow gold case, just like the real one. They said it’s 39mm, felt about right on my wrist.
• The inside, they call it the 324 S C caliber, I popped open the back. Now, I’m no watch expert, but it looked intricate, all those little gears and things moving. And this one had the inner hinge that can’t be seen from the outside. It looked complex, not easy to make for sure.
• Then started to search for the case number. They said I can find it on the inner side of the solid caseback, and I did find it after several minutes. Also found the movement number engraved on the movement itself.
• I wore it around for a few days, showed it to a couple of friends. They thought it was the real deal, at first. I had to tell them, “Nope, it’s a remake.” They were pretty surprised.

So, what’s the verdict? Honestly, it’s a good-looking watch. It feels solid, it looks expensive. If you’re into the whole Patek Philippe thing, but can’t drop tens of thousands, this might be a decent option.

My Two Cents

But let’s be real, it’s not a real Patek. If you’re looking for an investment, something that’ll go up in value, this ain’t it. But if you just want a nice watch, something that looks like a Patek, then yeah, maybe it’s worth considering. I mean, I’m enjoying mine. It’s a conversation starter, for sure. But at the end of the day you should know that a real Patek needs to wait for about 9 months to a year. And the price, oh the price, I heard that the entry-level is still about 30,000 bucks.

You just have to know what you’re getting into. It’s like buying a really good replica of a famous painting. It looks great on your wall, but it’s not the original. As long as you’re cool with that, then go for it. I did, and I’m not regretting it, at least not yet.