Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now, and today I finally did it. I remade a Patek Philippe Gondolo 7041R-001. Let me tell you, it was a journey!
First off, I started by looking around for info on this watch. I mean, it’s not just any watch, it’s a Patek Philippe. I found out that the real deal, the 7041R, is not something you see every day. It’s a “ladies'” watch, but honestly, it looks good on anyone. It has this cushion-shaped case, made of 18k rose gold, and get this – 108 diamonds around the dial. Talk about fancy, right?
So, I looked up how much these things cost. I saw listings for around $29,802, and some even went up to $255,200! Crazy, huh? I even saw that a used one, the 5098 model, also in rose gold, goes for about $23,400. That gave me a starting point.
Next, I started to think about how to remake it. It’s not like I could just waltz into a store and buy all the parts. So I got creative. For the rose gold, I found some similar-looking material. It was not real gold, of course, but it had that same warm, shiny look. And the diamonds? Well, let’s just say I found some pretty convincing alternatives.
- First, I worked on the case. Getting that cushion shape right was tough. I tried a few different methods, but eventually, I got it down. It was not perfect, but it was close.
- Then came the diamonds. That was a whole other challenge. I had to set each one by hand. It was a slow process, but seeing it come together was worth it.
- The dial was also tricky. I found an image of the real one online and tried to replicate it. It was not easy, but I think I did a decent job.
For the strap, I found some brown material, just like the original one. I cut it to size and attached it to the case. It was not perfect, but it worked. I wore it all day to see how it felt.
Finally, after all that work, I had my own remade Patek Philippe Gondolo 7041R-001. It was not the real thing, of course, but it looked pretty darn close. And the best part? I did it all myself.
A Reflection
This whole process was a great learning experience. It was not easy, but it was definitely rewarding. And who knows, maybe one day I will get my hands on the real deal. But for now, I am pretty happy with my creation.
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