Alright, so I got this wild idea the other day – I was gonna remake a Patek Philippe watch. Yeah, you heard that right. I’m talking about the PP Gondolo 4962/200R-001. Fancy, huh? I’ve always been a bit of a tinkerer, and I figured, why not try my hand at something totally out of my league?
First off, I started digging around for info. Found out this Gondolo thing is pretty slick. It’s not some giant clock on your wrist, more like 28.6 x 40.85 mm. And it’s not chunky either, just 7.36 mm thick. Apparently, it can handle a bit of water, but don’t go diving with it – 30 meters is the limit, they say.
So, I gathered all my tools. I’m talking tiny screwdrivers, magnifying glasses, the whole shebang. I even got some of those fancy watchmaker gloves, felt like a real pro. I found some decent materials too, nothing too crazy, but stuff that looked the part. It had this curved case, which was a pain to get right, and it was supposed to be covered in shiny stones. I used some cheap alternatives, of course, but hey, it’s the effort that counts, right?
- Started with the case. Man, that was a headache. I tried shaping the metal, but it kept bending all wrong. Finally, after like a dozen tries, I got something that looked halfway decent.
- Then came the dial. I printed out a picture of the real deal and tried to copy it. Let me tell you, it’s harder than it looks. Getting those tiny numbers and markers right? Forget about it.
- Next up, the movement. Now, I’m no watchmaker, so I just took apart an old watch I had lying around and tried to fit it in. It was like trying to put a square peg in a round hole, but I made it work, sort of.
- The shiny stones, or “gems” as they call them, were the last step. I just glued those suckers on. From a distance, it looked alright, I guess.
It took me weeks, working on and off. There were times I wanted to throw the whole thing out the window, but I stuck with it. And you know what? When I finally put it all together, it didn’t look half bad. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, not even close. It didn’t really keep time, and some of the stones fell off after a while, but I made it. I actually made a watch!
I even wore it out once. Got a few weird looks, but also a couple of “Hey, nice watch!” comments. I just smiled and nodded, didn’t tell them it was a homemade job. It felt pretty good, I gotta say. It wasn’t about having a fancy watch, it was about making something with my own two hands, something I could be proud of, even if it was a bit janky. And, yeah, I know it’s not the real deal, but that’s okay. It’s my little project, and I love it.
Click to consult