Alright, guys, let me tell you about this little project I’ve been working on. I’ve always been into watches, you know, the classy kind. So, I thought, why not try to remake one myself? I decided to go with the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. It’s a beauty, with its rectangular shape and all those fancy diamonds.
First off, I started looking into what this watch is really made of. Seems like most folks use 316 or 904L stainless steel for the body. I went with 316 stainless steel, it’s sturdy and more than good enough for this. The bezel, it’s that fluted, rotating ring thingy. I spent hours trying to get that right, making sure it could turn both ways smoothly.
Sourcing the Parts
Now, the dial got me thinking. I saw some places selling them with bright black or intense white faces. I managed to find a supplier for a nice, deep black dial that looked pretty close to the real deal. It wasn’t easy, trust me. I ordered a few different ones until I was happy with the look.
Putting It All Together
- Finding the Right Shape: This watch isn’t your typical round one. It’s rectangular, which made finding the right case a bit of a pain. I looked high and low, finally found a white gold case that had the right feel and was strong.
- The Movement: This is the heart of the watch, the part that makes it tick. I got my hands on a decent mechanism, it’s not the original Patek one, but it does the job. Getting it to fit inside the case was a whole other story. A lot of fiddling around, I can tell you.
- Adding the Bling: This model has diamonds, lots of them. I found some good-quality fake diamonds and got to work setting them. This was probably the trickiest part. It took forever to get them all in place, and I nearly went cross-eyed doing it.
The Final Touches
After all that, I finally put it all together. I attached the strap, another piece I had to source separately, and wound it up. Seeing those hands move, knowing I put all that work in, it was a good feeling, man. It is a good feeling to complete the watch.
It’s not a perfect copy, sure. But it looks good on the wrist, and it keeps time. Plus, I can say I made it myself, which is pretty cool, right? I wore it to a dinner party last week, and everyone was asking where I got it. I just smiled and said, “Oh, this old thing? I just threw it together.”
So, that’s my little watchmaking adventure. It was a fun challenge, and I learned a ton along the way. Maybe I’ll try another model next, who knows? Stay tuned, folks!
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