Okay, let’s talk about this watch. I’ve been messing around with watches for a while now, and I gotta say, trying to remake that Patek Philippe Gondolo 4962/200R-001 was a real doozy. I saw that beautiful piece in a specialty store, and I thought, “I bet I can make something like that.” Famous last words, right?
First off, I started by just staring at pictures of the watch. I mean, really staring. I zoomed in on every little detail, trying to figure out how they put it all together. The case, the dial, those tiny little diamonds – it was all so intricate. I sketched out some rough designs, trying to get the proportions right. It looked kind of like a kindergartener’s drawing at first, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.
Getting the Materials
- Finding the right materials was a whole other headache. I needed a rose gold-looking case, but real rose gold? Forget about it, way too pricey. I ended up settling for a rose gold-plated case that looked pretty decent.
- Then there was the dial. The original has this gorgeous mother-of-pearl thing going on. I searched high and low and finally found a similar-looking material online. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it had that nice shimmery quality.
- And the diamonds? Yeah, those are cubic zirconia, my friend. No way I was dropping a fortune on real diamonds for this project.
Once I had all the parts, the real fun began. I dusted off my old watchmaking tools – tiny screwdrivers, tweezers, the whole nine yards. I felt like a surgeon about to perform open-heart surgery on a flea. Let me tell you, my hands were shaking like crazy.
Putting the movement into the case was tricky, but I managed it without breaking anything (major win!). Then came the dial. I carefully placed it on the movement, making sure everything lined up perfectly. It was like trying to thread a needle while riding a roller coaster.
Setting the “Diamonds”
The worst part was setting those tiny cubic zirconia “diamonds.” I used a special glue and some super-fine tweezers. I swear, I almost went cross-eyed. I stuck those little suckers on one by one, following the pattern from the original watch. It took forever, and I probably lost a few years off my life from the stress.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I put the watch back together. I wound it up, and guess what? It actually worked! I couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. The “diamonds” were a little wonky, and the dial wasn’t quite as fancy as the original. But you know what? I made it. With my own two hands. I felt a sense of pride that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I learned a ton about watchmaking and patience. It was a tough journey but I was so satisfied when I finally saw my remake run.
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