Hey everyone, it’s your boy back again with another project. Been feeling that itch to get my hands dirty, so I decided to tackle something I’ve been eyeing for a while – remaking the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7041R-001. Yeah, that classic beauty. It’s not just any watch, it’s got that timeless, art deco vibe that just speaks to me.
So, first things first, I started digging around to figure out what makes this watch tick, literally. Found out it’s got this cushion-shaped case, made of 18k rose gold. Fancy, right? And get this, it’s got 108 diamonds around the dial. We’re talking bling city here. It’s totally a ladies’ watch, but who cares? I’m all about that style. I just started with hunting down pictures, articles, anything I could find about this watch. Scoured the web, basically lived on watch forums for a few days. Gotta understand every detail, you know?
Then came the fun part – trying to source the materials. Now, I’m not exactly rolling in dough, so getting real 18k rose gold was gonna be a stretch, also with those diamonds, haha. Had to get creative. I hit up some local jewelry supply stores, found some decent rose gold-plated stuff that looked pretty close to the real deal. As for the diamonds, let’s just say I went for some high-quality cubic zirconia. They sparkle just as nice, trust me. Also the serial number is a problem, but I found that the serial number is usually on the case back. But if I want to know the movement and case numbers, I need to remove the case back. The movement number is engraved on the movement, and the case number is on the inside of the case back. I can handle this.
- Get the case right: This was probably the trickiest part. I ended up using a base metal and then carefully applying the rose gold plating. Took a few tries to get it looking smooth and even, no bubbles or anything.
- Diamond setting: This was a test of patience, let me tell you. Tiny stones, steady hands, and a whole lot of glue. But I managed to get them all set around the dial, just like the original.
- Movement: This is where I really had to improvise. I mean, I’m not a watchmaker, haha. Found a simple quartz movement that fit the case and got to work. It keeps time, and that’s good enough for me, right?
- Strap: Found a nice leather strap that matched the color scheme of the watch. Had to punch a few extra holes to make it fit just right, but it turned out pretty good.
Putting it all together was like assembling a puzzle, a really, really delicate puzzle. Had a few mishaps along the way, ngl. Dropped the case once, had to redo the plating. Almost glued my fingers together more times than I can count. But hey, that’s part of the process, right? Finally, after a few weeks of work, a lot of trial and error, and a few curse words here and there, I had my own version of the Gondolo 7041R-001. And let me tell you, holding it in my hands, seeing all that hard work come together, it was a pretty awesome feeling. By the way, the Gondolo collection was named after a retailer in Rio de Janeiro, Gondolo & Labouriau, quite interesting!
It’s not perfect, obviously. It’s not a real Patek Philippe, and it’s definitely not worth thousands of dollars. But it’s mine, and I made it. And that’s what counts. Plus, it looks pretty damn good on my wrist, if I do say so myself. It’s a great conversation starter, too. People are always asking me about it, and I get to tell them the whole story of how I made it. It’s like wearing a little piece of my own creativity. This whole project was a reminder that you don’t need a ton of money or fancy tools to make something cool. Just a bit of creativity, some patience, and a whole lot of determination.
So, what do you guys think? Not bad for a DIY project, huh? Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever tried remaking something like this. I’d love to hear about it! Until next time, keep creating!
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