Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at remaking a really fancy watch for a while now. I finally decided to go for it and picked the Patek Philippe Gondolo 4962/200R-001. This thing is a beauty, all rose gold and Art Deco vibes. You can find it online at some stores, but the price is, well, let’s just say it’s up there.
First things first, I needed to get a good look at this watch. I spent hours just staring at pictures online, trying to get every little detail in my head. The size is 28.6 x 40.85 mm, and it’s pretty slim, only 7.36 mm thick. It can handle a bit of water, up to 30 meters, which is good to know.
Finding the Materials
- Rose Gold: This was the toughest part. Real 18k rose gold is expensive, so I had to look for alternatives. I ended up finding a pretty good rose gold-plated material that looks the part without breaking the bank.
- Watch Movement: I decided to go with a quartz movement since it’s easier to work with, and honestly, the original uses quartz too. Found a decent one online that fit the size I needed.
- Strap: I opted for a brown leather strap. This was the easiest part, there are tons of options out there. I just made sure it looked classy and matched the overall style of the watch.
Putting it Together
This is where things got tricky. I don’t have fancy watchmaking tools, so I had to improvise a lot.
- Case: I started by shaping the rose gold-plated material into the rectangular shape of the Gondolo. It took a lot of careful bending and filing to get it right.
- Dial: I found a brown dial that was close enough to the original and carefully attached the hour markers. This was super fiddly, but I managed to get them all on straight.
- Hands: The hands were another challenge. I had to find some that were the right size and style, and then carefully attach them to the movement. Let me tell you, those things are tiny!
- Assembly: Once I had all the pieces, I carefully put everything together. The movement went into the case, then the dial, then the hands. Finally, I attached the strap.
The Result
After all that work, I finally had my own version of the Patek Philippe Gondolo. It’s not perfect, of course. There are definitely some imperfections if you look closely. But, I’m pretty proud of it. It looks great on my wrist, and it’s a fun conversation starter.
This whole project was a real learning experience. I definitely gained a new appreciation for the work that goes into making these fancy watches. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely rewarding.
I hope you guys enjoyed this little story about my watch project. Maybe it’ll inspire some of you to try something similar. Who knows, maybe I’ll even try to remake another watch someday. But for now, I’m going to enjoy wearing this one!
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