So, I’ve always had this thing for Patek Philippe watches, especially that Gondolo 7042/100G-010. It’s such a classic, elegant piece, you know? I’ve had my eye on it for a while, but the price tag, man… 209,750 USD. That’s way out of my league!
But then I thought, why not try to remake one? I mean, I’m pretty handy, and I’ve got some experience with this kind of stuff. So, I decided to go for it. I decided to remake a Patek Philippe Gondolo, specifically the 7042/100G-010. Yeah, the one with all the diamonds and stuff.
Getting Started
First, I needed to find a decent place to get the parts. I searched around, found some specialty stores that deal with Remake Patek Philippe, mostly focused on Nautilus 5712 or 5711, not really much on Gondolo models. However, finally, I found a website, a huge online one with tons of styles, even offering discount pricing! They listed things like Ballon Bleu, Tank Francaise, Calibre… It has 10 reviews, looks legit.
I did some digging on the quality and pricing, figured out what I needed, and placed an order. I got all the parts I needed. The case, the movement, the dial, the hands, everything.
Putting It Together
Then came the fun part – putting it all together. Now, I’m not going to lie, it was tough. This wasn’t some simple watch. This Patek Philippe Lady Gondolo Haute Joaillerie 7042/100R is in rose gold with a bezel and lugs set with 78 baguette diamonds! The dial flang are set with 108 diamonds! This was a whole other level of detail.
I took my time, followed the instructions carefully, and slowly but surely, the watch started to take shape. It was painstaking work, fitting all those tiny parts together, making sure everything was aligned perfectly. Many times I almost gave up. This stuff is really difficult. But I kept pushing, thinking how satisfying it will be when I see the final product.
The Result
And you know what? After many days of hard work, I finally finished it! And man, it looked good. I mean, it wasn’t the real deal, of course, but it was a pretty darn good replica. I mean, it is still fake, but it looks just like a real one. I wore it out a few times, and people actually thought it was a real Patek Philippe. I even got a few compliments!
Of course, I knew it wasn’t the same as owning the real thing. There’s just something special about having a genuine Patek Philippe. I did not tell anyone that it was a fake one. But I was still proud of what I had accomplished. I had taken on a challenge and succeeded.
Who knows, maybe one day I’ll actually get my hands on the real Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. Until then, I’ll keep rocking my homemade version. It is not about the brand. It is about my hard work. I made this, and I like it.
- It took me about 3 weeks to finish the whole project.
- Spent around 500 bucks on the parts.
- Learned a ton about watchmaking.
It was a fun project, and I’m glad I did it. And hey, if you’re ever thinking about remaking a watch, I say go for it! Just be prepared to put in some serious time and effort. It ain’t easy, but it’s definitely worth it.
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