Okay, here is my sharing about remaking the Patek Philippe PP Gondolo 7041R-001.
So, I got this crazy idea to try and remake a Patek Philippe watch. I mean, who doesn’t love those things? But the price? Forget about it! I decided to go with the Gondolo 7041R-001, it’s got this cool, rectangular shape. I wanted to try my best to reproduce it.
Getting Started
First thing I did was gather as many pictures and videos of the watch as I could. I found a pretty good high-definition picture of the watch in the internet, and watched some videos about this watch.
Then, I had to figure out the materials. Now, I’m not using real gold or anything like that, we are not a bunch of rich man here. I opted for some stainless steel for the case and a decent leather strap.
The Process
I started by sketching out the design, paying really close attention to the dimensions from those images I collected. I drew a picture of the watch face, and then sketched out the frame of the watch.
Next up, I began crafting the watch case. I used a small, handheld rotary tool, a Dremel, and used it to slowly shape the stainless steel into that rectangular Gondolo shape. It took a good chunk of time, honestly. Also, I bought some cheap leather strap from a local store. They said it is pretty good, so I just trusted them and bought it.
- Shaping the Case: This was a slow process. I kept going back to my reference photos to make sure I was on the right track.
- Polishing: Once I had the basic shape, I polished the steel to give it a nice shine. I started with a rough polishing compound, and worked my way to a finer one. The goal here was to get it looking smooth and shiny.
- Creating the Dial: I printed out a high-res image of the Gondolo dial and carefully cut it out. I used a regular office paper, and printed it out. Then, I stuck it onto a thin piece of metal to give it some support.
- Assembling the Watch: I got a cheap quartz movement online, it only cost me a few bucks. Then, I put the dial, hands, and movement into the case. This part was pretty tricky, lots of small parts. Finally, I attached the leather strap to the case, and the whole process has finished.
The Result
Alright, it’s definitely not a real Patek Philippe, let’s be real. But I’m pretty happy with how it turned out! It’s got that Gondolo look, and it actually tells the time, which is a plus. It’s a fun little project, and now I have a unique watch that I made myself. And it looks pretty similar with the picture I found, I can’t believe I can do this!
If anyone is thinking of doing something similar, I’d say go for it! Just be prepared to spend some time on it, and don’t expect to fool any watch experts. It’s a great way to learn about watches and get your hands dirty. And believe me, the process is pretty fun!
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