Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Rolex GMT-Master II for a while now, but let’s be real, the price tag is way out of my league. Then I thought, why not try to make one myself? Or at least something that looks like one. I’m not trying to pass it off as the real deal, just want that “Root Beer” aesthetic on my wrist. So, I started this little project.
First, I needed a base watch. Something cheap, but with a similar shape and size to the GMT-Master II. After looking around, I found this generic diver-style watch online. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it had the right kind of vibe, you know? Black dial, rotating bezel, and a stainless steel bracelet. It was a good starting point.
Then came the fun part – finding the “Root Beer” bezel. I knew I couldn’t get a real ceramic one, those are expensive as hell. So I searched for alternatives, and I stumbled upon these aluminum bezel inserts. They had the brown and black color scheme I was going for. It wasn’t the exact same shade, but it was close enough.
Getting the old bezel off was a bit of a pain. I used a small, flathead screwdriver and carefully pried it off. I was worried about scratching the watch case, but thankfully, I managed to do it without any damage.
- Pried off the old bezel with a small, flathead screwdriver.
- Took my time to avoid scratching the watch case.
Next, I had to attach the new bezel insert. It came with some adhesive on the back, so I just lined it up and pressed it down firmly. I made sure it was centered and properly aligned before the adhesive set.
The Final Touch
The last thing I did was swap out the watch hands. The original ones were pretty plain, and I wanted something that looked a bit more like the GMT-Master II’s hands. I found a set of aftermarket hands online that were similar in style. They weren’t perfect, but they definitely looked better than the old ones.
Changing the hands was the trickiest part. I used a watch hand remover tool, which is basically like a tiny crowbar for watch hands. You have to be really careful not to bend or break the hands when you’re removing them. Then, you use a hand setting tool to press the new hands onto the watch movement. It’s a delicate process, and I messed up a couple of times, but eventually, I got it.
And that’s it! My very own “Root Beer” homage. It’s not a Rolex, obviously, but it looks pretty good, right? I’m happy with how it turned out. It was a fun project, and I learned a lot about watches in the process. Plus, now I have a unique timepiece that I can wear without breaking the bank. It’s not perfect, the bezel is a little off, and the hands are not as refined as a real Rolex, but hey, I made it, and it’s good enough for me. Just don’t try to fool anyone with this, it’s for the fun, not the show.
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