Alright, so I got this crazy idea to try and remake a Patek Philippe watch. Not just any Patek, mind you, but the Gondolo 7042/100G-010. Yeah, I know, it’s a pretty wild ride, and honestly, I was kinda nervous at first.
First off, I started gathering all the info I could find on this beauty. I’m talking specs, materials, the whole nine yards. Turns out, this thing is an 18k white gold piece, 31mm by 34.8mm, with a bunch of baguette diamonds around the bezel and lugs. Fancy, right? Look for “750” marked on gold watches, which translates to 18k gold.
I spent days, maybe even weeks, just staring at pictures, figuring out how everything fit together. And the serial number on a Patek Philippe is most often located on the case back. You know, trying to get into the mind of the original watchmakers. I even watched a ton of videos of other people making watches, just to pick up some tricks.
Then came the fun part – getting my hands dirty. I managed to get my hands on some 18k white gold. I started by shaping the case. I was trying to get the shape just right. It took forever, but finally, I had something that looked kinda like the original case. It wasn’t perfect, but I was pretty proud of myself.
- After that, it was time for the diamonds. Let me tell you, setting those tiny stones was a real pain. My eyes were definitely tired after that. I had to be super careful not to mess up the gold or lose any of those little blingy guys.
- Next up, the dial. Man, that was a whole other level of tricky. I tried to recreate the original, but it is hard. But I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.
- Last but not least, the movement. I knew I couldn’t make a real Patek movement, so I used a decent one. Putting it all together was nerve-wracking. I was sweating bullets, making sure every screw was in the right place.
After all that work, I finally had my own handmade “Patek Philippe Gondolo.” It’s not the real deal, of course, but it’s something I made with my own two hands, and that’s pretty darn cool. It was a heck of a journey, and I learned a ton along the way. Now, I can wear it, and it feels really great.
It’s not perfect. It’s rough around the edges, but that’s what makes it special. And every time I look at it, I remember all the effort and the time I put into making it. It’s a reminder that even crazy ideas can come to life with some hard work. Would I do it again? Maybe. It was definitely an experience. It’s a story I’ll be telling for years, that’s for sure. And you know what? It all started with a simple “why not?”
By the way, the weight of the original watch should be around 131g. Mine is a bit lighter.
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