Alright, folks, gather ’round, because today I’m diving into something a little fancy – I tried my hand at remaking a Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. Yeah, that super expensive watch that costs more than a car. I saw the price tag, a whopping 217,400 USD, and thought, “Hold on, I bet I can do something like that for a whole lot less.”
So, first things first, I started digging around. I found out this Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010 is a manually-winding mechanical watch. It’s got this 31mm by 34.8mm 18k white gold case that’s just dripping with baguette diamonds all along the bezel and lugs. Fancy, right? The dial is also filled with diamonds, which makes it shine a lot.
I got myself some basic watch parts from an old watch I had lying around. It was a little bit bigger than 31mm by 34.8mm, but who cares? This is gonna be my version. I found some shiny white gold-colored metal and crafted the case. I ain’t no expert, but I think I did a pretty decent job shaping it. Let me tell you, cutting and bending that metal took some serious effort.
- Crafting the case:
Used white gold-colored metal to shape the case, it was really tough to work with.
- Setting the “diamonds”:
Instead of real diamonds which are way too expensive, I went with some tiny, sparkly crystals. I spent hours gluing those tiny things onto the bezel and lugs. It was like, one wrong move and they’d go flying. But, hey, the end result looked pretty blingy.
- Making the dial:
I used some shiny material to mimic the diamond dial. Carefully placed the “diamonds” in a similar pattern to the real one. My hands were cramping up, but I was determined to get it right. Or at least, kind of right.
- Assembling the watch:
Put all the pieces together, the mechanism, the hands, the dial, and the case. This part was actually kind of satisfying. Like seeing all your hard work finally come together.
I also got a white leather strap to match the original. Figured it would complete the look. And you know what? It didn’t look half bad! Sure, it wasn’t the real deal, but it had that same kind of vibe. At least, I think so. The whole thing was sparkling and shining under the light, just like the original Patek Philippe.
The Result
So, there you have it. My homemade version of the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. It took a lot of time, a lot of patience, and maybe a few minor injuries, but I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine. And it didn’t cost me 217,400 USD. I call that a win!
If you’re thinking about trying something like this, I say go for it! Just be prepared to spend some time and get your hands dirty. And remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s all about having fun and creating something unique. Who knows, maybe you’ll surprise yourself with what you can do.
To be honest, I am not sure if I can wear it outside, maybe not. But I do enjoy seeing it inside my collection cabinet. It reminds me that anything can be achieved if you put your heart into it.
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