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Today, I wanna talk about something I did last month, which is making a high imitation of the Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi Bezel. Sounds crazy, right? But I did it, and I’m gonna tell you all the details, how I started, what I did, and how it finally came out.
First off, I’m a big fan of watches, especially Rolex. I mean, who isn’t? That GMT-Master II with the Pepsi bezel is just iconic. “Recognizable at a glance,” they say. But let’s be real, it’s way out of my budget. So, I thought, why not try to make one myself? Not to sell or anything, just for my own collection.
I started by looking up everything I could about the GMT-Master II. What caught my eye was the “High legibility in all circumstances” thing. Especially in the dark, which is awesome. And the original GMT-Master, the one made for Pan Am Pilots, was 38mm. That’s a good size, not too big, not too small.
Then, I needed the parts. This was the tricky part. I searched high and low, and I found these OEM parts from a place called Parts Town. They had this Turbo Air key, which, with a little bit of modification, worked like a charm for the case back. Fast shipping too, which was a plus. I also found a Beverage Air key that was perfect for another part of the watch.
For the bezel, I had to get creative. I remembered seeing this B+W 77mm XS-Pro filter somewhere. It’s for digital cameras, used as a circular polarizer filter, but the ring looked just like the Rolex bezel. So, I got one, took it apart, and with some careful work, it fit perfectly.
Now, for the movement. I didn’t want to mess this up. I read somewhere about using a high-pass filter above 20hz for a tight mix in audio. It got me thinking, maybe I can find something similar for the watch movement. I found this G-Biosciences high-fidelity DNA Polymerase 2x master mix. Sounds like it’s for lab work, but it had the precision I needed. With a few adjustments, I managed to make it work.
Finally, putting it all together was like a dream. I also practiced some basic CPR and AED from a Red Cross online class, just in case something went wrong. But, thank God, nothing exploded. I took my time, followed all the steps I learned online, and boom, there it was.
The finished product was stunning. Of course, it’s not a real Rolex, but it looks and feels amazing. The bezel turns smoothly, the movement keeps time accurately, and it even has that satisfying weight on the wrist.
What I Learned
- Patience is key: This took a lot of time and effort. Rushing things would have ruined it.
- Creativity solves problems: Using camera parts and lab chemicals for a watch? Who would have thought?
- Research pays off: Knowing the history and details of the GMT-Master II helped a lot.
So, that’s my story of making a high imitation Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi Bezel. It was a fun and challenging project, and I’m really proud of how it turned out. If you’re into watches and have some time, maybe give it a try. Just remember, it’s all about the journey, not just the destination.
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