Hey folks, so the other day I got this wild hair to try something totally nuts. I decided to remake a Patek Philippe watch. Yeah, I know, sounds crazy, right? But not just any Patek Philippe, oh no. I went for the Gondolo 7042/100G-010. That’s the one with all the white gold and diamonds. I’ve always had a thing for this watch. It’s just so classy and fancy, you know? I thought, “Why not give it a shot?” It seemed like a fun challenge.
First off, I gathered all the materials I thought I’d need. I did some digging around to find the best prices ’cause, let’s be real, this stuff can get pricey. I looked up the specs of the original watch – 31.0 x 34.8 mm, white gold case. I already knew that the Gondolo collection was named after some big-shot retailer in Rio, Gondolo & Labouriau. Patek Philippe and them were tight back in the day, from 1872 to 1927.
The Process
Then came the hard part. I started by trying to mimic the watch’s case. Let me tell you, working with white gold is no joke. It’s tough! I spent hours just trying to get the shape right. And the diamonds? Don’t even get me started on those. Each one had to be carefully placed, just like the original.
- First, I worked on the case, trying to get that perfect rectangular shape.
- Then, I moved on to the dial. The original has this beautiful, clean look that I really wanted to capture.
- After that, I tackled the movement. Now, I’m no watchmaker, but I did my best to put together something that would at least tick.
- Finally, I added the diamonds. This was probably the most tedious part of the whole process.
Honestly, there were times when I thought I’d bitten off more than I could chew. But I kept at it, learning as I went. I watched a bunch of videos, read a ton of articles, and even reached out to some folks who know a thing or two about watchmaking. They gave me some solid advice, which was super helpful.
In the end, my remake wasn’t a perfect replica of the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. I mean it’s keep time. But you know what? It was pretty darn close, and I made it with my own two hands. And that’s something I’m really proud of. It looks pretty good. Plus, I learned a ton along the way. Who knew I had a knack for this kind of thing?
So, yeah, that’s my little adventure in watchmaking. It was a wild ride, but I’m glad I did it. Maybe I’ll try another one someday. But for now, I’m just gonna enjoy wearing my homemade Gondolo.
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