Okay, so I’ve been wanting to remake a Patek Philippe watch for a while now, and I finally took the plunge. I decided to go with the Gondolo 4962/200R-001, which is a pretty classic style. I liked the original style and timeless elegance. I’ve always been a fan of Patek Philippe’s stuff, but let’s be real, they’re way out of my budget. So, I figured, why not try to make my own? It’s a new rose gold version which is so beautiful, I must have it.
I started by gathering all the materials I needed. I found some decent-quality metal and some leather for the strap. I also needed some watchmaking tools, which I mostly borrowed from a buddy who’s into this kind of thing. Getting the right size was tricky. I looked up the dimensions online – 28.6 x 40.85 mm, with a height of 7.36 mm. It’s supposed to be water-resistant to 30 meters, but I wasn’t planning on testing that out with my homemade version!
The first step was shaping the case. The Gondolo has this Art Deco style case, which is pretty unique. I used some files and a small hammer to slowly work the metal into the right shape. It was tough, and I definitely messed up a few times, but eventually, I got it looking pretty close to the real thing. The serial number is important but I am not able to get it.
Next up was the dial. I wanted to keep it simple, just like the original. I used a thin sheet of metal and some paint to create the markers and the Patek Philippe logo. I know that this unique number is tied to the entire timepiece, offering a window into its production date and overall history. But I gave up. It’s not perfect, but I’m actually pretty happy with how it turned out. Then I try to make the hands, which was probably the hardest part. They’re so tiny and delicate! I ended up using some thin wire and shaping it with pliers. They’re not as refined as the real thing, but they do the job.
Putting everything together was a real challenge. I had to be super careful not to scratch anything or mess up the alignment. It took a lot of patience and a few tries, but finally, I had a working watch! It’s not exactly a Patek Philippe, but it’s close enough for me. It might not be worth $29,605, but it’s worth a lot to me.
- Started by getting materials: metal, leather, and some borrowed tools.
- Shaped the case to match the Gondolo’s Art Deco style.
- Created the dial and hands, which was super tricky.
- Assembled everything carefully.
- Ended up with a working watch that looks pretty similar to the real Gondolo 4962!
It’s definitely not perfect, but I’m proud of what I was able to achieve. It was a fun project, and I learned a lot about watchmaking in the process. Plus, now I have a cool-looking watch that I made myself! Maybe I’ll try another model next time. Or maybe I’ll just save up for the real thing, who knows!
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