Hey everyone, it’s your boy back at it again, sharing another one of my little projects. This time, I tried to remake a fancy Patek Philippe watch, the Gondolo 7042/100R-010. I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but stick with me here.
So, I’ve always been a fan of these super classy watches. I saw this Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100R-010, and I was like, “Man, that’s a beauty.” It’s got this rose gold case, diamonds all over, and just looks stunning. But, you know, these things are crazy expensive, way out of my league. So, what’s a guy to do? Try to make one myself, of course!
First things first, I needed to figure out how these watches are even made. I did a bunch of digging online, and it turns out Patek Philippe is pretty tight-lipped about their process. But I found out that they have these authorized dealers and boutiques, you know, the only places you can officially buy these watches. I figured if I want to remake it, I need to get my hands on something similar first.
- Started hitting up some online forums and groups. You wouldn’t believe the community of watch nerds out there. These guys know their stuff.
- Found a few folks who had older Gondolo models. Not the exact one I wanted, but close enough.
- Managed to buy a used Gondolo from a guy who was upgrading. Score!
Now, having the watch in hand, I started taking it apart. Carefully, of course. I’m no watchmaker, but I’m pretty handy. Took a bunch of photos, made some notes, just trying to understand how everything fit together.
The real challenge was the diamonds and that rose gold case. I’m not about to go buy a bunch of real diamonds, haha. So, I had to get creative. Found some pretty convincing fake diamonds online, and for the case, I experimented with different materials, different shape.
- Tried out a few different metals, finally settled on a mix that looked and felt somewhat like rose gold, after shaping them to a 31 x 34.8 mm rectangle.
- Spent hours setting the fake diamonds. My fingers were cramping, but it was worth it.
- Had to redo the dial a couple of times because I kept messing it up, I marked the wrong scale.
The Moment of Truth
After weeks of tinkering, it was finally time to put it all back together. I won’t lie, I was nervous. But, to my surprise, it actually worked! And you know what? It didn’t look half bad. Sure, it’s not a real Patek Philippe, and any watch expert could probably spot it as a fake from a mile away. But to me, it was a masterpiece.
I wear it around sometimes, and people are always asking me about it. Most of them think it’s a real Patek Philippe, haha. I always tell them the truth, though. It’s not about tricking anyone, it’s about the process, the challenge, and the satisfaction of making something with my own two hands.
So, yeah, that’s my story of how I tried to remake a Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100R-010. It was a wild ride, but I learned a ton, and I had a blast doing it. Hope you guys enjoyed hearing about it. Until next time, stay curious and keep making stuff!
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