Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at remaking a classic watch for a while now. And not just any watch, but the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100R-010. It’s a real beauty, you know, with that Art Deco vibe and all those diamonds. I finally took the plunge and here’s how it went.
First off, I started by gathering all the info I could find about this watch. Scouring the internet, checking out what other people were saying about it. The original is an 18K rose gold, manual winding, and covered in diamonds. That’s the basic stuff.
Then I started to get the materials ready. I mean, I’m not made of money, so 18K rose gold was out of the question. I opted for a more budget-friendly rose gold-plated stainless steel instead. And the diamonds? Let’s just say I went with some sparkly cubic zirconia that look pretty darn good if I do say so myself.
The real work started with the case. I got myself a rectangular case that’s pretty close in size to the original, which is about 31mm by 34.8mm. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to get it looking somewhat like the real deal. You see, the original Gondolo has this cool, kind of stepped design on the sides, so I did my best to recreate that. Let me tell you, getting those angles right was a real pain.
Next up was the dial. Now, this was tricky. The original has this awesome circular pattern paved with diamonds. I tried to replicate that pattern as best as I could, arranging the cubic zirconia in a similar fashion. I had to do it, you know, it’s such a striking feature of the original.
Then came the movement. I got a simple, manual winding movement. Not as fancy as the Patek Philippe Caliber 215, of course, but it gets the job done. Fitting it into the case was another challenge. I had to make sure everything lined up just right.
- I started by disassembling the new movement and cleaning it thoroughly.
- Then, I carefully placed it inside the case, making sure it was centered.
- Finally, I attached the hands and the crown.
Putting it all together was the most satisfying part. Seeing all the individual pieces come together to form something resembling the Gondolo was really something. It’s not perfect, of course. Far from it, it’s a bit rough around the edges, but it is my own version of the watch.
The whole process took me a good few weeks, working on it on and off. There were times when I almost gave up, especially when I was trying to set those tiny stones on the dial. But I kept at it, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.
This whole experience has been a real eye-opener. It’s given me a whole new appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into making these high-end watches. I mean, I knew it was complicated, but actually trying to do it yourself? That’s a whole different story.
So, yeah, that’s my little watchmaking adventure. It was tough, it was frustrating, but it was also a lot of fun. Would I do it again? Maybe. We’ll see. For now, I’m just going to enjoy wearing my very own “Patek Philippe Gondolo.” It’s not the real thing, but it’s mine, and that’s pretty cool in my book.
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