Today, I decided to remake a Patek Philippe Gondolo 7041R-001. It’s a classic style, and I’ve always been a fan of its look. So, I thought, why not give it a shot?
First off, I gathered all the materials I needed. I mean, I looked around online and found some basic info about the watch. Seems like the original goes for around $29,774. Yikes! Not exactly pocket change. But hey, I’m not making the real deal, just a fun little project for myself.
I started by sketching out the design. This watch, the 7041R-001, it’s got this rose gold thing going on and a manual wind movement. I’m no watchmaker, so I won’t be doing all that fancy mechanical stuff. My focus is more on the look and feel.
- Grabbed some polymer clay in a color that sort of matches rose gold.
- Found a cheap watch mechanism from an old watch I had lying around.
- Printed out a picture of the watch face to use as a guide.
Then, I got to work. Molding the clay was trickier than I thought. Trying to get those “precise contours” they talk about in the description was a real pain. But after a few tries, I managed to get something that looked vaguely like the watch case.
Next, I painted the watch face. I just used the printout as a stencil, and carefully painted in the numbers and details. It’s not perfect, but it does the job. Let’s just say my hands aren’t the steadiest. Attached the watch face to the clay case, and popped in the cheap watch mechanism. It’s not a “Caliber 215 PS” or whatever, but it tells time. Kinda.
Lastly, I fashioned a strap out of some old leather I had. Stitched it together, and voila! My homemade Patek Philippe Gondolo 7041R-001 was complete. Or at least, my very, very rough version of it.
It’s definitely not going to fool anyone, and it’s probably not worth anything close to the real deal, but I had a blast making it. It’s a bit clunky, and the details are far from perfect, but hey, it’s my little creation. And who knows, maybe this is the start of a new hobby. Might try my hand at a Nautilus next time – those seem popular.
Lessons Learned
- Making watches, even fake ones, is hard.
- Polymer clay is a fickle beast.
- I have a newfound respect for watchmakers.
It was a fun little project. Maybe I’ll try another model someday. But for now, I’m pretty pleased with my clumsy little Gondolo.
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