Okay, so, I got this idea to remake a Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. You know, that super fancy watch with all the diamonds? Yeah, that one. I thought, “Why not give it a shot?” So, I started this whole project, kind of as a hobby, but it turned into a real challenge, man.
First off, I got my hands on some decent materials. I went for 316L stainless steel ’cause it’s tough and looks pretty good. Needed something that wouldn’t just fall apart, you know? Then, for the bezel, I managed to find a fluted, bidirectional rotatable ring. It wasn’t easy to find one that looked like the real deal, but I did it!
Next up was the watch movement. I ain’t no expert on these things, but I did some digging and found a hand-wound mechanism that seemed to fit the bill. Getting it to work smoothly was a whole other story. Spent a bunch of nights tinkering with it, trying to get the gears and springs to behave.
Getting the Bling Right
- Diamonds, Diamonds, Diamonds: Now, about those diamonds. The original is covered in ’em. I couldn’t afford real diamonds, obviously, so I got some really good quality cubic zirconia. They sparkle just like the real thing, at least to my eyes.
- Setting the Stones: I tried to copy the original pattern as closely as I could. It’s like, a whole bunch along the bezel and the lugs. Let me tell you, setting those tiny stones was a pain! I used a pair of tweezers and a magnifying glass, and even then, it took forever. My back was killing me after those sessions, seriously.
The dial was another challenge. I wanted that clean, elegant look, so I went with a bright white dial. I tried to make it as close to the original as I could, with the Patek Philippe logo and all that, but man, getting those tiny details right is tough. I used a super fine brush and a steady hand, and it still took a few tries to get it right. I’m not a pro painter, so I feel like it’s not quite perfect, but it’s pretty darn close.
The case is supposed to be white gold, but stainless steel was what I could work with. I polished it up real nice to give it that shiny, luxurious look. It’s not the same, but it still looks pretty sharp, if I do say so myself.
Putting it all together was like, the final boss battle. I had all these parts, and I just had to make them fit. It took some adjustments, some filing, and a whole lot of patience. But eventually, I got it all assembled. And you know what? It actually worked! The hands moved, the time was accurate, and it looked pretty darn good on my wrist.
So yeah, that’s my story of remaking the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. It was a wild ride, a real test of my patience and skills. But in the end, I’m pretty proud of what I accomplished. It’s not perfect, but it’s my own little piece of watchmaking art.
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