Okay, so, I’ve been itching to get my hands dirty with a new project, and what better way to challenge myself than by trying to remake a classic timepiece? I’m talking about the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100R-010. Man, just looking at pictures of this watch gets me excited. It’s a real piece of art. So that is the background, here we go!
First things first, I spent hours just staring at photos of the Gondolo, trying to memorize every little detail. This watch is covered in diamonds – 251 of them, to be exact. And they’re not just thrown on there; they’re arranged in this beautiful circular pattern. It’s mesmerizing. Plus, the case is made of rose gold, which is just the cherry on top.
Next, I started gathering my materials. Now, I’m not a professional watchmaker, so I had to get creative. I found some similar-looking materials that I could work with and, let me tell you, finding a good substitute for rose gold wasn’t easy. But the dial, I know the original is Paved with 251 diamonds (~0.73 ct). That is so crazy! I must find something to make the same effect. It took a while, but I finally managed to find a material that would give me the same warm, luxurious feel.
- Sourcing the Movement: I managed to get my hands on a Caliber 215 movement. This is a manual one, so it means you got to wind it yourself. It is kind of cool, it will be just like the old times.
- Crafting the Case: Using a 3D printer and some rose gold filament, I started printing the watch case. It’s got that classic Gondolo shape, about 31 x 34.8mm. Took a few tries to get it right, but I am happy with how it turned out.
- Setting the Diamonds: This was by far the trickiest part. I used tiny crystals instead of real diamonds ’cause, well, I’m not made of money. I followed the circular pattern from the original watch, carefully placing each crystal by hand. It was tedious, but seeing it come together was so rewarding.
Then came the tricky part – setting all those tiny diamonds. I’m not gonna lie; this part was a real pain. It took forever, and my eyes were definitely strained by the end of it. But seeing the dial sparkle in the light made it all worth it. The hands are also set with diamonds in the original watch, so I also make it in the same way.
Finally, I put everything together. The movement, the case, the dial, the hands, everything started to look like a real watch. It is a dream that comes true. I wound it up, and to my surprise, it started ticking! I couldn’t believe it. I actually managed to remake a Patek Philippe, well kind of. After all the effort I make, the price of the original watch is 214,790 USD, that is so crazy! I make it almost the same!
It’s not perfect, of course. There are definitely some imperfections here and there. But I’m still incredibly proud of what I accomplished. It was a challenging project, but I learned so much along the way. And who knows, maybe this is just the beginning of my watchmaking journey. I do hope that I can share the next one with you guys, hope you like this sharing, see you next time!
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