Okay, so, I got this idea the other day to try and make a watch. Not just any watch, mind you, but a Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but I’ve always been a bit of a tinkerer, and I figured, why not give it a shot?
First off, I started by gathering all the stuff I’d need. Now, I don’t have access to all the fancy materials and tools that the real watchmakers use, so I had to get creative. I found some decent-looking metal scraps, some old clock parts, and a bunch of other bits and bobs lying around my workshop. I also printed out a bunch of pictures of the Gondolo 7042/100G-010 to use as a reference.
Getting Down to Business
Next, I got down to the nitty-gritty of actually making the watch. It was tough, I won’t lie. The Gondolo has this cushion-shaped case, which was a real pain to try and replicate. I spent hours just trying to get the shape right, bending and filing the metal until it looked somewhat like the real deal. It wasn’t perfect, but hey, it was close enough for a first try.
Then came the even harder part – the movement. Now, I’m no watchmaker, so I couldn’t make a movement from scratch. Instead, I took apart an old mechanical watch I had and tried to modify it to fit inside my makeshift Gondolo case. It was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, but after a lot of fiddling and cursing, I somehow managed to make it work.
Putting It All Together
- Once I had the case and the movement sorted, it was time to put everything together.
- I carefully assembled all the parts, making sure everything was aligned and functioning properly.
- Then I made a simple dial out of some thin metal sheet, painting on the numbers and indices as best as I could.
- For the strap, I just used a generic leather one I had lying around.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, my homemade Gondolo 7042/100G-010 was finished. It wasn’t pretty, and it definitely didn’t look like the real thing, but it was mine. And you know what? It actually kept time! Sure, it gained a few minutes every day, but it worked. I wore it around for a few days, feeling pretty proud of myself. It was a fun little project, and it taught me a lot about watchmaking. Would I do it again? Probably not. But hey, it was an experience, and that’s what counts, right?
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