Okay, so, I got this idea the other day. I was looking at some fancy watches online, you know, just daydreaming as usual, and I stumbled upon this beauty – the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7041R-001. Man, that rose gold is something else. It’s like, this pinkish gold, really classy. Anyway, I thought, “Why not try to remake this?” I mean, I’ve got some time on my hands, and it seemed like a fun challenge.
So, I started digging around. This Gondolo, it’s got a rectangular case. And this particular model, the 7041R-001, that’s like its special code or something. It is a manual wind wristwatch and came out in like 2016, I guess, not that I’m an expert or anything. I just wanted to copy the look, you know?
- First, I needed materials. I couldn’t afford real 18k rose gold, obviously. I went to a local store and found some materials that looked similar in color.
- Then came the hard part. I started shaping the case, trying to get that rectangular shape just right. It was a lot of trial and error, I’m not gonna lie. I messed up a few times, had to start over. I don’t even want to talk about it.
- The dial was another headache. I tried to draw on the tiny numbers and those little details, but my hands aren’t exactly steady. It took forever, and I was sweating bullets the whole time, but I got something that sort of looked like the real thing.
- Next, I tried to put the whole thing together. It is way harder than it looks in those watchmaking videos. I almost gave up a couple of times, to be honest.
But, after what felt like a million years, I finally had something that kind of looked like the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7041R-001. I mean, it’s not perfect. It’s not an exact replica, obviously. But I made it, and I’m pretty proud of it. It’s got that rose gold-ish look, the rectangular case, and it even ticks! It might not be worth anything, but it’s priceless to me.
So, yeah, that’s my little watchmaking adventure. It was a lot harder than I thought, but I learned a ton. Would I do it again? Maybe. If I find another watch that catches my eye, who knows? But for now, I’m just gonna enjoy my little homemade Gondolo look-alike.
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