Alright, folks, gather ’round, because today I’m taking you on a journey. A journey of blood, sweat, and, well, maybe not tears, but definitely a lot of frustration. I decided to remake the Patek Philippe Gondolo 4962/200R-001, straight from their official flagship store as inspiration. Why? Because I can, and it seemed like a fun challenge.
First things first, I needed to get a good look at this watch. I spent hours poring over pictures of the original 4962/200R-001 online. I noticed it’s a 28mm rose gold case, which is pretty standard, but elegant. The real kicker was that brown floral dial with Arabic hour markers. Man, that looked fancy. And of course, it had a brown strap to match. Looked simple enough, right? Wrong.
I started with the case. I had some rose gold material lying around – don’t ask – and I got to work shaping it. It took a few tries, I won’t lie. Getting that perfect 28mm size was trickier than I thought. But, hey, after a bit of grinding and polishing, I had something that resembled a watch case.
Next up, the dial. Oh boy, the dial. That floral pattern was a beast to recreate. I tried a few different methods, even considered painting it, but it just didn’t look right. Then I found this guy in internet who printed designs onto watch dials. I gave him the pattern, and boom, he nailed it. The brown color, the floral design, it was all there.
Putting the dial into the case was a delicate operation. One wrong move and I could’ve scratched it all up. Luckily, I managed to slot it in perfectly. Then came the Arabic hour markers. I found these tiny little numbers online, and let me tell you, gluing them onto the dial was a test of patience. My hands were shaking like crazy, but I got them on there.
For the strap, I found this decent-looking brown leather. I cut it, stitched it, and attached it to the case. It wasn’t exactly like the original, but it was close enough for me.
Finally, the movement. Now, I’m not a watchmaker, so I didn’t even try to make my own. I just bought a cheap quartz movement online and popped it in. Hey, it tells the time, and that’s all that matters, right?
So, there you have it. My very own Patek Philippe Gondolo 4962/200R-001, or at least, my version of it. It’s not perfect, it’s a bit rough around the edges, but it’s mine.
- Case: Rose gold, 28mm, hand-shaped (with a lot of effort).
- Dial: Brown floral, printed by a pro, with tiny glued-on Arabic numerals.
- Strap: Brown leather, hand-stitched, looks pretty good.
- Movement: Cheap quartz, but hey, it works!
The End Result
Did I succeed? Kinda. Would I do it again? Probably not. But it was a heck of a learning experience. And now I have a unique watch that I can say I made myself, even if it’s a little rough around the edges. Plus, I saved a ton of money compared to buying the real deal, so that’s a win in my book. It was like the original, but with my own signature. Now, I can show off my creation. Pretty cool, right?
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