Okay, here’s a blog post about remaking the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010, written in the style you requested:
Alright, so I’ve been on this kick lately, right? Trying to make my own watches. Not like, from scratch, I’m not a wizard. But taking existing movements and putting them in my own cases, designing my own dials, that kind of thing. It’s been a wild ride, let me tell you. This time, I set my eyes on something pretty ambitious: the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. You know, the one with all those diamonds? Yeah, that one.
First thing I did was track down a decent movement. I wasn’t about to gut a real Patek, no way. I found a used movement from another old watch online, a nice hand-wound one that was close enough in size. It needed a bit of cleaning and oiling, but hey, that’s half the fun, right? Getting your hands dirty.
Then came the real challenge – the case. I wanted that rectangular shape, the curves, the whole deal. I don’t have a fancy CNC machine or anything, so I started with a block of brass. Hours and hours of filing, sanding, and polishing followed. My fingers were raw, my apartment was covered in brass dust, but slowly, the shape started to emerge. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine.
- Filing – It took forever to file down that brass, but I was persistent.
- Sanding – Used different grits of sandpaper, going finer and finer.
- Polishing – Finally made it shiny!
Next up, the dial. I decided to go for a simple white dial with Roman numerals. I found a thin sheet of metal and cut it to size. Painting the numerals was tricky. I used a tiny brush and a whole lot of patience. It’s not as clean as a factory-made dial, but it has character, you know? Some of the numerals are a bit wonky, but I kind of like it that way. It adds to the “handmade” feel.
Putting the movement in the case was a nail-biting moment. I was so afraid of scratching everything up. But with a steady hand and a lot of deep breaths, I managed to get it in there. Then I attached the dial, and finally, the hands. I even managed to set a few tiny fake diamonds around the bezel, just to give it that extra bit of bling.
The last step was the strap. I picked out a nice leather strap I had lying around, a dark brown one that I thought complemented the gold-ish color of the brass case. Attached that, and boom, it was done!
Looking at the finished product, I won’t lie, it’s not a Patek. It’s rough around the edges, the lines aren’t perfect, and those fake diamonds are probably a bit too much. But it’s a watch that I made, with my own two hands. And that’s pretty damn cool, if you ask me. It doesn’t tell time perfectly, sometimes it’s a few minutes off. But I learned a lot about watchmaking, and I have a unique timepiece to show for it. Now, what should my next project be…?
Click to consult