Alright, so, I’ve been messing around with watches lately, and let me tell you, it’s a wild world out there. I’ve always been fascinated by the Rolex GMT-Master II, especially that “Pepsi” bezel one. You know, the one with the red and blue? It’s iconic!
So, I got this idea – why not try to make a high imitation one myself? I mean, I’m not trying to fool anyone, just see if I could get close. It’s like a personal challenge, you know?
First, I started digging around, reading forums, watching videos, anything I could find about the GMT-Master II. I learned that the real deal, like the ref. 126710BLRO, is super expensive and hard to get. That’s why there is a lot of fakes being made for it, and that’s not even to mention how hard it is to tell whether the thing is real or fake.
Then I needed the parts. I found some online, and let me tell you, this is where things got tricky. There are so many different qualities of parts out there. I ordered a few different bezels, some hands, a couple of dials, just to compare. I figured I’d mix and match to see what looked best.
The assembly process… oh boy. It was a lot harder than I thought. Tiny screws, delicate hands, it was nerve-wracking! I messed up a couple of times, scratched a case, bent a hand, it was a whole thing. But I kept at it, learning as I went.
- The bezel: Getting the right shade of red and blue was tough. I ended up using one that had a decent color, but it wasn’t a perfect match. The numbers weren’t quite right either.
- The dial: I found a dial that had the Rolex crown and the “GMT-Master II” text, but the font was a little off.
- The hands: The second hand was the hardest. Getting that smooth sweep was almost impossible.
After many, many hours of trial and error, I finally had something that resembled a Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. I even heard some people say that the Rolex Daytona 116500 and the Rolex Submariner 116610 are one of the hottest Rolexes out there right now, not to mention the GMT-Master II 116710BLNR. But I did notice that those who knew about the UV light details on a real Rolex could tell mine wasn’t authentic. I mean, it’s a project of passion, right? It was something I built myself, and I was pretty proud of it, even if I have to say so myself.
It was a fun, frustrating, and ultimately rewarding experience. I learned a lot about watches, about craftsmanship, and about my own patience. Would I do it again? Maybe. But next time, I might try a different model. There are so many other cool watches out there, it’s hard to choose!
So yeah, that’s my story of trying to build a high imitation Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi. It’s not something everyone would understand, but for me, it was a fun little adventure. And for that, it was all worth it.
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