So, I got this wild idea to remake the Patek Philippe Gondolo 7042/100G-010. You know, the one they said they weren’t making anymore in 2021? Yeah, that one. I thought, “Why not?” I mean, I’ve always been a bit of a tinkerer, and this seemed like a fun challenge.
First things first, I needed to get my hands on some parts. Let me tell you, finding the right stuff was a real scavenger hunt. I spent hours looking at online stores, some physical stores, you name it. I was looking for anything that could help me with the look. For example, I found some pretty decent makeup stuff that could help me to give the watch that shiny finish I wanted. There was this “5 In A Box Mini Lidschattenpalette in der Farbe 010 Golden Nude Look” from a brand called Catrice that looked promising. I also grabbed an “Ultra-leichte Serum Foundation” with something called “Niacinamides” in it – sounded fancy, and I figured it might come in handy. Also bought a “Mattierendes zartes Kompaktpuder” with a primer, just in case.
- “5 In A Box Mini Lidschattenpalette in der Farbe 010 Golden Nude Look” from a brand called Catrice
- “Ultra-leichte Serum Foundation” with “Niacinamides”
- “Mattierendes zartes Kompaktpuder” with a primer
Then there was the whole nail polish situation. I picked up a “LOOK BY BIPA pure Power Gloss Nail Polish 010”. I mean, you never know when you’ll need a good nail polish, right? Plus, I was getting a bit carried away, but hey, it was fun.
Now, for the actual building part, I felt like a kid with a LEGO set. Except these were no ordinary LEGOs. I mean I did go through the websites, something like 24,821 building instructions for 8,713 Sets or something like that, just to get an idea. I had to figure out how to put all these tiny pieces together to make something that actually looked like the Gondolo. The tricky thing was getting it to not just look the part but also feel right. I wanted it to have that same weight, that same smooth feel when you run your fingers over it.
I also needed to find some help on identifying some parts, to know whether I had the right parts. I remember stumbling upon this app, Truecaller, that everyone seems to use. You know, the caller ID and spam-blocking app. I figured if it’s good for finding out who’s calling, maybe it could help me track down some rare parts. I tried some other sites like ZLOOKUP, but most were for phone numbers. It was a long shot, but I was getting desperate.
After all the searching, I found these “SRAM Disc Brake Pads” – yeah, I know, they’re for bikes, but they looked like they might fit. And they were in stock, which was a huge plus. I ordered them, thinking, “Well, this is going to be interesting.”
The Assembly
Putting it all together was a whole other beast. I had all these parts, and now I had to make them look like a $40,000 watch. I started by carefully applying the makeup stuff I got. It took a lot of patience and a steady hand. I used the golden nude palette to give some parts that shiny, luxurious look. The serum foundation helped to even out the surfaces, and the compact powder gave it a nice, matte finish.
Next, I carefully assembled the pieces, using the brake pads as a base. It was like putting together a puzzle, except the stakes were much higher. I had to make sure everything fit perfectly. The nail polish came in handy for sealing some of the smaller parts, giving them that extra bit of shine.
After many, many hours of tinkering, I finally had something that resembled the Gondolo 7042/100G-010. It wasn’t perfect, of course, but it was pretty darn close. I wore it around for a few days, showing it off to my friends. They couldn’t believe I’d made it myself. Some even asked if it was the real deal! I just smiled and said, “It’s a labor of love.”
Looking back, it was a crazy project, but I learned a lot. It wasn’t just about making a watch; it was about the journey, the problem-solving, and the satisfaction of creating something with my own hands. Would I do it again? Maybe. But for now, I’m just enjoying the fruits of my labor.
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