Okay, so I’ve been wanting to remake a Patek Philippe watch for a while now, and I finally decided to go for it. I picked the Gondolo 7042/100G-010 model – you know, the one with the diamond-paved dial. It’s a real beauty, but man, it’s complicated!
I started by gathering all the materials I could. I managed to find some decent white gold for the case. It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. And the diamonds, finding so many tiny diamonds of good quality? That was a real pain. I spent days, maybe even weeks, just sourcing materials. I really started to get on it.
Then came the actual crafting. I decided to make the case first. I measured everything like a hundred times – got to get those dimensions right, you know? It’s 31mm by 34.8mm, not a huge watch, but every millimeter counts. I carefully shaped the white gold, trying to get that cushion shape just right. Bending and shaping metal isn’t as easy as it looks in those fancy videos, trust me.
- Measuring and cutting: Double, triple, quadruple-checked every measurement.
- Shaping: Heated and bent the white gold. Got a few burns, but hey, that’s part of the process, right?
- Polishing: Spent hours just polishing the case to make it shine.
Next up, the dial. Oh boy, the dial. This is where things got really tricky. Setting all those tiny diamonds into the dial was a nightmare. Each one had to be placed perfectly. One wrong move, and the whole thing could look wonky. I used a tiny, tiny tweezer and a magnifying glass. My eyes were practically crossed by the end of it. I stuck those little guys in there one by one. It felt like it took forever.
Then there’s the movement. I found a hand-wound caliber 215 PS, which is apparently what the original uses. Trying to assemble that was like trying to put together a puzzle designed by a genius. So many tiny parts! I followed the diagrams as closely as I could, but there were moments when I felt like throwing the whole thing out the window. But, I pushed through. I screwed, I connected, I did whatever the heck those instructions told me to do.
Putting it all together
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, I had all the pieces ready. Putting it all together was both exciting and terrifying. What if I messed something up at the last minute? What if it didn’t work? But I carefully assembled everything, step by step. I put the movement in the case, attached the dial, and then closed it all up. The moment I put it on my wrist, I felt like such a boss!
And guess what? It worked! It actually kept time! Sure, it wasn’t perfect – a few of the diamonds were a little off, and the finishing could have been better. But, hey, I made a working replica of a Patek Philippe watch! How cool is that? This whole thing was way harder than I thought it would be. But seeing the finished product on my wrist, it was all worth it. I learned so much, and I’ve got a pretty sweet watch to show for it.
This whole experience really made me appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into these luxury watches. It’s not just about the materials; it’s about the skill, patience, and dedication of the people who make them. Would I do it again? Maybe. But I definitely need a break first. My eyes need a rest, and my fingers need a break from all that tiny, detailed work!
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