This time, I tried to remake a fancy Patek Philippe watch, the Gondolo 7042/100R-010. I know, it sounds crazy, but stick with me here.
First, I got all the stuff I needed. This was a pain, let me tell you. I needed 316 stainless steel for the case ’cause it’s tough and looks good. Then, there’s the bezel – I went with a fluted one ’cause that’s what the original has. And the dial, I picked bright black ’cause it looked classy.
I started by shaping the case. I used a mold and some tools to get it just right, 31mm by 34.8mm, like the real deal. It was tricky, but I managed. Then I added the bezel. It was a bidirectional rotatable one, just like the original. I had to make sure it fit perfectly.
- Case: 316 stainless steel, 31mm by 34.8mm
- Bezel: Fluted, bidirectional rotatable
- Dial: Bright black
Next up was the dial. I carefully placed 251 tiny diamonds on it, just like the original. It took forever, but it looked amazing. I also added 12 trapeze-cut diamond hour markers. Fancy, right? And a rose gold crown with an Akoya pearl ’cause why not?
Making the Movement
Now, the movement. This was the hardest part. I used Caliber 215, but getting it to work right was a nightmare. I spent days tinkering with it, but finally, I got it ticking. It was a manually-winding one, just like the original, ’cause I’m a purist.
Putting it all together was like a puzzle. I carefully assembled all the parts, making sure everything fit perfectly. It took a while, but seeing it all come together was so satisfying.
In the end, I had a pretty good-looking remake of the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100R-010. It wasn’t perfect, but I was proud of it. It was a lot of work, but hey, I learned a ton, and that’s what matters, right?
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