Hey everyone, so I’ve been itching to get my hands on a Patek Philippe Gondolo 4962/200R-001 for a while now. You know, the one with that classic, timeless look? But let’s be real, the price tag is, well, a bit much for my wallet. So, I thought, why not try to remake it myself? Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy, but stick with me here.
First, I started looking around online, trying to get a good feel for the watch. I found that it’s got this 18k rose gold case, 28.6 x 40.85 mm in size. I took measurements and drew up some rough sketches. I’m no artist, but it was enough to get a basic idea down on paper. And it’s pretty thin, only 7.36 mm thick, so I knew I had to be careful with my materials.
Next, I needed to find something that looked like rose gold. Obviously, I wasn’t going to use real gold, but I found this metallic paint that had a pretty good rose gold color. I grabbed some thin sheets of metal and cut them down to the right size, using my sketches as a guide. It was tricky, but I managed to get the shape right after a few tries. Then I applied several coats of that paint, letting it dry between each coat. It actually started to look pretty decent!
- Sourced metallic paint resembling rose gold
- Cut thin metal sheets to 28.6 x 40.85 mm
- Applied multiple coats of paint, ensuring each layer dried properly
Now, for the dial, I saw it had this brown, floral design with Arabic numerals. I tried to print out a similar design on some high-quality paper, but it just didn’t look right. So, I ended up hand-painting it. Yeah, it took forever, and my hand was cramping like crazy, but I think it turned out okay. Not perfect, but hey, it’s handmade, right? I used a fine-tipped brush and some acrylic paints. The numbers were the hardest part, but I took my time and got them as close as I could to the original.
Adding the Jewels
The original watch has all these hand-set stones, and I knew I couldn’t replicate that exactly. But I found these tiny, shiny beads at a craft store that looked pretty close. I carefully glued them onto the case where the stones would be on the real watch. It was a bit tedious, but it really added that extra sparkle. It’s not diamonds, but from a distance, it kinda gives off the same vibe.
For the strap, I opted for a simple brown leather one. I mean it looks fine, right? I attached it to the case, and there you have it. My very own, handmade version of the Patek Philippe Gondolo 4962/200R-001. It’s not perfect, and it’s definitely not the real deal, but I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. Plus, I learned a lot along the way. It was a fun project, and who knows, maybe I’ll try to remake another watch in the future. What do you guys think?
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