Alright, let’s talk about what I did today. I tried to remake a Patek Philippe Gondolo 7041R-001. Yeah, you heard that right, that super fancy watch that costs an arm and a leg. I thought, “Why not give it a shot?” I mean, I like watches, and I’ve tinkered with a few before, but this was a whole new level.
First, I started by looking up everything I could find about this watch. I saw it’s one of those “form” watches from Patek Philippe, all rectangular and sleek. This one, the 7041R-001, is a rose gold beauty with a manual wind movement. It’s got that Caliber 215 PS, with small seconds and 18 jewels. Fancy, right? And it’s designed for the ladies, with its precise contours and timeless style. It was launched in 2016. I found a couple of online stores selling it for around $33 or something, I guess that was a fake website.
So, I got myself a basic watchmaking kit. Nothing too fancy, just the usual tools. I also grabbed a cheap watch that I wouldn’t mind messing up. I started by taking apart the cheap watch, just to get a feel for it. I took photos at every step because, trust me, you don’t want to forget where those tiny screws go.
Then came the hard part. I tried to find similar-looking parts online. I was searching for a rectangular case, something in rose gold or at least rose gold-colored. I found a few that looked okay, but nothing perfect. For the movement, I settled for a basic manual wind movement I found on some random website. It wasn’t a Caliber 215 PS, but it was close enough for a first try.
Assembling it was a nightmare. Those tiny parts are so hard to work with! I used tweezers, a magnifying glass, and a whole lot of patience. I tried to mimic the look of the Gondolo, with the small seconds dial and all. It took me hours, and I had to redo a few things, but eventually, I had something that kinda resembled the 7041R-001.
- The Case: I managed to fit the movement into the rectangular case I found. It wasn’t a perfect fit, but it worked.
- The Dial: This was tricky. I printed out a picture of the Gondolo’s dial and tried to stick it onto the movement. It looked alright from afar, but up close, it was pretty obvious it was just a printout.
- The Hands: I used the hands from the cheap watch I took apart earlier. They weren’t the same style as the Gondolo’s, but they did the job.
- The Strap: I didn’t even bother with a fancy alligator strap. I just used a plain brown leather strap I had lying around.
In the end, I had a watch that looked somewhat like the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7041R-001. It wasn’t perfect, far from it. But, it was a fun project. I learned a lot about watchmaking, and I definitely gained a new appreciation for those luxury watches. Would I do it again? Maybe. But next time, I’d probably invest in better parts and take more time with it. Or, you know, just save up and buy the real deal someday. But hey, it was worth a shot, right?
I made a mistake while assembling the movement, causing a slight misalignment of the second hand. It was a frustrating error, but I decided to leave it as is, considering it a lesson learned rather than a failure. It’s not a Gondolo, but it’s got its own story now.
So, that’s my story of trying to remake a super expensive watch. It was challenging, a bit frustrating, but also pretty rewarding. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll actually own a real Patek Philippe. Until then, I’ll keep tinkering and learning. I need to find an online store to purchase this watch, and hope I won’t get scammed by them.
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