Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to share this for a while now. I decided to remake a Patek Philippe watch. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy, but I did it. The specific model is the Gondolo 7042/100G-010. It’s a real beauty, but the price tag? Forget about it. That’s why I thought, why not try to remake it myself?
First, I started by looking up everything I could find about this watch. I mean everything. Pictures, articles, descriptions, even the history of this model, I read it. It’s a classic style, manually-winding, mechanical watch, with a white gold case that’s full of diamonds. I found out the case is actually 31mm by 34.8mm, which is important for getting the size right. The original has a bunch of baguette diamonds on the bezel and lugs, which makes it super fancy.
Next, I began to collect the materials. Now, I couldn’t get real diamonds or white gold, that would defeat the whole purpose. I searched for the good fake diamonds and a durable material that looks like white gold. It took some time, but I eventually found materials that I think would work.
- Fake Diamonds: I found some pretty convincing cubic zirconia stones online. They sparkle just like the real thing, at least to the untrained eye.
- Watch Case: I used a stainless steel case with a white gold plating. It has a similar shine and weight, which is crucial for that authentic feel.
- Watch Movement: The mechanism is really the heart of any watch. I had to get a manually-winding mechanical movement that looked similar to the one used by Patek Philippe.
Once I had all the stuff, it was time to start. I started with the watch case. I carefully placed the fake diamonds along the bezel and lugs, just like on the original. This was super tedious, I won’t lie. I used a tiny tweezer and some strong glue and tried my best. Then, I got to work on the inside of the watch. This was the hardest part. I had to assemble the watch movement and make sure it was working correctly. Let me tell you, it’s not as easy as it looks in those videos.
After a lot of trial and error, I finally finished it. And you know what? It looked pretty darn good! Of course, it’s not a real Patek Philippe, but it captures the look and feel of the Gondolo 7042/100G-010 pretty well. It was a tough but a great project, I learned a ton about watches, and I ended up with a cool-looking timepiece that didn’t cost me a fortune.
So, if you’re thinking about doing something like this, I’d say go for it. Just be prepared to spend a lot of time and be patient. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely rewarding. And hey, if you’re a watch lover like me, it’s a fun way to get that luxury look without having to spend too much money.
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