Okay, so I got this idea the other day. I was looking at this Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100R-010, and man, it’s a stunner. Rose gold, diamonds everywhere, you name it. But, you know, it costs more than a small house! Then it hit me – why not try to remake it myself? Not like, a perfect copy, but something that captures that same classy vibe.
So I started gathering some stuff. I found some cheap watches online that had a similar rectangular shape. Nothing fancy, just basic quartz movements. I figured that was a good place to start. The real challenge was making it look like the Gondolo.
- I picked up some rose gold-colored paint from a hobby store. It wasn’t real gold, obviously, but I figured it could give the watch case that warm, luxurious look.
- Then came the “diamonds.” I found a bunch of tiny rhinestones online for pretty cheap. The kind you might use for crafting or nail art. I thought, “Hey, close enough!”
First, I took apart one of the cheap watches. Took out the movement, the hands, everything. I was basically left with an empty case. Then, I carefully painted it with the rose gold paint. I did a few coats to make sure it was even and looked decent. Had to let it dry for ages, felt like forever.
Next up, the bling! This was the tricky part. I used tweezers and some super strong glue to stick those tiny rhinestones onto the watch case. I tried to follow the pattern of the real Gondolo, with the diamonds around the bezel and lugs. It was super fiddly work, and my eyes were practically crossed by the end of it. I messed up a few times and had to pry off the rhinestones and start again. What a pain!
For the dial, I printed out a picture of the Gondolo’s dial on some glossy paper. It wasn’t perfect, but it had the same general look. I cut it out and glued it onto the old dial. Then, I put the watch hands back on, and put the whole thing back together.
The Final Result
Honestly, it didn’t look half bad! It definitely wasn’t a Patek Philippe, not even close. But it had that rose gold look, it had the sparkle, and it told the time. I wore it around for a few days, and you know what? I felt pretty good about it. It was like a little piece of art that I made myself. Reminded me of the Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication, you know, very complicated and made of gold. But mine was, uh, much less complicated.
It’s not something I’d try to pass off as the real deal, of course. But it was a fun project, and it taught me a lot about watches and how they’re put together. Plus, I saved myself about, what, $254,826? That’s what they are listed for. I think I’ll stick to my homemade version for now!
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