Okay, so, I got this crazy idea to try and remake a Patek Philippe watch. Yeah, I know, it sounds nuts. I’m talking about the Gondolo 7041R-001, that super classy rose gold one from like 2016. I’ve been kinda obsessed with watches lately, and this one just kept popping up. It is officially launched in the early 1990s.
First off, I spent hours just staring at pictures of this thing online. I mean, every angle, every little detail. I even read some old watch forums and blogs where people talked about it. It’s got this manual wind movement, a Caliber 215 PS, and a small seconds dial. It’s pretty simple but so elegant. There are about 18 Jewels, I noticed that.
Getting Started
- Gathering Info: This was the fun part. I felt like a detective, digging up everything I could about the 7041R-001. I looked at the movement, the case, the dial, everything. And I also found another similar model named 7042/100G-010.
- Finding Parts: This was way harder. I obviously couldn’t get original Patek parts, so I had to find similar-looking stuff. I spent a lot of time on those online marketplaces where you can find all sorts of watch parts. I looked for a movement that was kinda like the 215 PS, and a rose gold-colored case that had a similar shape.
The Hard Part
Putting it all together was a whole other story. I had to buy some tiny screwdrivers and other tools. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos on watchmaking, just to get a basic idea of what I was doing.
- The Movement: I tried to take apart and put back together the movement I bought. It was super fiddly, with all those tiny gears and springs. I messed up a few times, not gonna lie.
- The Case: Getting the movement to fit inside the case was a challenge. I had to make some small adjustments, and it wasn’t perfect, but it worked.
- The Dial: This was the hardest part for me. I tried to make a dial that looked like the original Gondolo, but it was tough. I used some thin metal and tried to paint it, but it didn’t look great. I printed the dial face on the paper, surprisingly, it looked acceptable.
The Result
After a lot of trial and error, I finally had something that kinda resembled the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7041R-001. It wasn’t perfect, not even close. The dial was a bit off, and the movement wasn’t as smooth. But, it was my own little creation, and I was pretty proud of it.
This whole project was a real learning experience. I gained a whole new appreciation for watchmakers and the work they do. It’s insane how much detail and precision goes into making a watch. It made me realize that I definitely don’t have the skills to be a professional watchmaker, but it was a fun experiment. I will consider buying an original Gondolo 7041R-001 in the future because I really love the design of this watch.
So, that’s my story. It’s not a perfect replica, but it was a fun project. It taught me a lot about watches and about my own limits. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll try to remake another watch. But for now, I’m just happy to wear my kinda-sorta Gondolo and remember the crazy journey it took to make it. And I found that there are also some other similar models of Gondolo. Such as 4962/200R-001. I have also made some quick research about it, and I think I will try it next time.
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