Alright, so check it out, I recently got into this whole Rolex GMT-Master II thing, specifically the “Root Beer” bezel version. I wanted to see if I could pull off a decent replica, so I decided to take the plunge and try my hand at building one from the ground up, using some original order parts I managed to snag. Here’s how it all went down, step by step.
First off, I started hunting for those parts. It wasn’t easy, I tell ya. I spent hours scouring online forums, and shady back-alley websites, just to find a few reliable sources. Finally, after a lot of digging, I managed to order all the bits and pieces I needed. The anticipation was killing me while I waited for everything to arrive.
The Arrival
When the packages finally showed up, it was like Christmas morning. I ripped those boxes open and started laying out all the parts. The bezel insert, the dial, the hands, the case, the bracelet – seeing it all spread out on my table was pretty exciting. I won’t lie, I felt a little like a watchmaker, even though I totally wasn’t.
Assembly Time
Next came the tricky part – putting it all together. I started with the dial and the hands. Carefully, I placed the dial onto the movement and then, with even more care, I pressed those tiny hands into place. It was nerve-wracking, but I managed to get them all aligned perfectly. Phew!
Then I moved on to the case. I placed the movement inside, making sure it was seated just right. Then came the bezel insert. This was a bit of a pain, to be honest. Getting it to snap in perfectly took some patience and a few tries, but eventually, I got it. The click sound when it finally fit was so satisfying.
- Place the dial on the movement.
- Attach the hands.
- Insert the movement into the case.
- Snap in the bezel insert.
- Attach the bracelet.
Finally, I attached the bracelet to the case. This was relatively easy compared to the other steps. After a few minutes of fiddling with the spring bars, the bracelet was on, and the watch was complete.
The Result
Stepping back to admire my work, I gotta say, I was pretty impressed with myself. The watch looked amazing! It wasn’t perfect, of course, but for a first attempt, it was damn good. It felt solid, the bezel rotated smoothly, and the hands moved like they were supposed to. Honestly, it looked pretty darn close to the real deal.
So, there you have it – my adventure in building a Rolex GMT-Master II “Root Beer” replica. It was a fun, challenging, and ultimately rewarding experience. Would I do it again? Maybe. It’s definitely a lot of work, but the satisfaction of creating something with your own hands is hard to beat. Plus, now I have a pretty sweet-looking watch to show for it!
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