Okay, so I got this idea to remake a Patek Philippe watch. Not just any Patek Philippe, but the Gondolo 4962/200R-001. It’s a beauty, right? I mean, who wouldn’t want to have a crack at making one of these?
I started by just staring at pictures of the watch online. I spent hours looking at it from every angle, trying to get a feel for its shape and how it’s put together. It’s got this neat rectangular case with some fancy curves, so I knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.
Next, I tried to sketch it out on paper. Let me tell you, drawing isn’t my strong suit. My first few attempts looked more like a messed-up robot than a fancy watch. But I kept at it, erasing and redrawing until I got something that sort of resembled the Gondolo.
- Gathering Materials:
- I went out to search for the materials. This is not easy, let me tell you. Finding stuff that looks like the real deal but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg is tough.
- I ended up using some sheet metal, some old watch parts I had lying around, and a whole lot of glue.
- Making the Case:
- This was probably the hardest part. I tried to bend the sheet metal into the shape of the watch case.
- It took a lot of hammering and cursing, but eventually, I got it to look somewhat like the real thing.
- The Dial and Hands:
- For the dial, I just printed out a picture of the real one and glued it onto a piece of cardboard.
- The hands were made from some thin pieces of wire. It was super fiddly, but I managed to get them in place.
After countless hours, I finally had something that looked like a watch. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. It was rough around the edges, and the finishing was, well, let’s just say it was “rustic.” But it was my own handmade version of the Gondolo, and I was pretty darn proud of it.
The Final Touches
I added a cheap leather strap I got from a local market, and voila! My very own Gondolo-ish watch was complete. I even wore it out a couple of times. Sure, people gave me some weird looks, but I didn’t care. I made this thing with my own two hands, and that’s something, right?
So, that’s the story of my little watchmaking adventure. It was messy, frustrating, but also kind of fun. Would I do it again? Maybe. But next time, I might pick a watch that’s a little less complicated. Or maybe I’ll just stick to buying them. We’ll see.
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