Okay, guys, let’s talk about this wild ride I had remaking the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. You won’t believe the hoops I jumped through for this one!
First off, I started by digging up everything I could about this watch. I mean, pictures, specs, you name it. I scoured the internet, checked out watch forums, and even browsed through some fancy auction catalogs. It’s a pretty rare piece, so information wasn’t exactly growing on trees, but I managed to piece together a decent idea of what I was dealing with.
Getting the Materials
Then came the fun part—finding the materials. Now, I’m not exactly swimming in rose gold and diamonds, so I had to get creative. I found some decent white gold that looked similar enough, and for the diamonds, well, let’s just say cubic zirconia can be a girl’s best friend in a pinch. I also needed to get the right kind of leather for the strap, which was a whole other adventure. I ended up ordering a few different types online before I found one that felt right.
- Sourced white gold that could pass for the original rose gold.
- Opted for cubic zirconia to mimic the diamonds.
- Experimented with different leather straps.
The Nitty-Gritty
The actual making of the watch was where things got really interesting. I don’t have fancy watchmaking tools, so I had to improvise. A lot. I used a combination of regular hand tools and some stuff I rigged up myself. For instance, I used a tiny drill bit for some of the more intricate details. I also ended up doing a lot of the work under a magnifying glass, which was a real eye-strainer, let me tell you!
Putting It All Together
Putting everything together was like solving a super complicated puzzle. Each tiny piece had to fit perfectly, and there were a lot of tiny pieces. I spent hours just trying to get the hands to move correctly. And don’t even get me started on setting the “diamonds.” That was a whole other level of tedious, but hey, I was determined to make it look good.
The Final Result
After weeks of work, I finally finished it. And you know what? It actually turned out pretty darn good! Sure, it’s not the real deal, and a real watch expert could probably spot the differences from a mile away, but to the untrained eye, it looks pretty convincing. I wore it out to a party the other day, and people were actually complimenting me on it! I just smiled and said, “Thanks, it’s a Patek.”
All in all, it was a super fun project, and I learned a ton along the way. Would I do it again? Maybe, but I’d definitely need a break first. My eyes still hurt!
Click to consult