So, I got this wild idea to try and remake a Patek Philippe watch. Yeah, I know, sounds crazy, right? I went for the Gondolo 7042/100G-010 model. I heard it got its name from some fancy shop in Rio, Gondolo & Labouriau, way back when.
First off, I started digging around for all the info I could find on this watch. I looked up pictures, specs, anything I could get my hands on. This thing is made of white gold and has a bunch of diamonds on it, which makes it super flashy.
Gathering Materials
- Finding similar-looking white gold was a real pain.
- Got some materials that looked close enough, I guess.
- Sourcing those tiny diamonds, or something that looks like them, was another headache. Ended up with some shiny stones that kinda sorta look like the real deal.
Then came the actual work. I tried to shape the white gold material into that Gondolo case shape. Let me tell you, it’s way harder than it looks. It’s a 31mm by 34.8mm case, and getting those dimensions right was tough. After messing up a few times, I finally got something that resembled the case. But man, it took forever!
Next, I worked on setting those little shiny stones where the diamonds are supposed to be. You need a steady hand for this, which I don’t have. I fumbled around, dropped a few stones, and probably cursed a lot. But, eventually, I managed to get them all in place.
The mechanism inside is a whole other story. I didn’t even try to replicate that. I just grabbed a cheap watch movement and stuck it in there. I mean, who’s gonna open it up and check, right?
After weeks of tinkering, I ended up with something that looks somewhat like the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. It’s definitely not the real thing, but it’s not too shabby for a homemade job. At least I can say I tried, right? It was a fun project, but I don’t think I’ll be quitting my day job to become a watchmaker anytime soon.
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