Alright, let’s talk about this whole Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi Bezel thing. So, I’ve been wanting to get a decent replica of this watch for a while now. I finally decided to go for it, and man, it was a bit of a journey. I’m going to share with you how I managed to pull it off.
First off, I had to find the right parts. This was tricky. I started by looking for a good base watch. I ended up going with a pretty standard automatic movement, the kind you see in a lot of these replicas. It wasn’t anything special, but it got the job done. Had to make sure the case size and shape matched the real deal. This took some digging around and comparing measurements, but I eventually found one that was close enough.
Sourcing the Parts
- Movement: So, after finding the base, I needed the heart of the watch, which is the movement. I found a movement that worked.
- Case: Matching the case to the original was important. I looked everywhere, compared sizes, and finally found one that looked right. It wasn’t perfect, but it was close enough.
- Bezel: The Pepsi bezel is iconic, so I had to find a good quality ceramic one. I saw a bunch online, and after reading some reviews, I picked one that seemed reliable.
- Dial and Hands: I wanted the dial and hands to look as close to the original as possible. This was harder than I thought. I ordered a few sets before I found ones that I was satisfied with.
Then came the famous Pepsi bezel. This is the red and blue ceramic bezel that everyone recognizes. I searched all over the place for a good quality one. There were a lot of cheap, low-quality ones out there, but I didn’t want that. I finally found a seller who seemed legit, and I ordered it. It took forever to arrive, but it was worth the wait.
Next up, I had to get the dial and hands right. This was probably the most challenging part. I ordered a few different sets, but none of them were quite right. They either looked too cheap or just didn’t match the original design well enough. I spent way too much time comparing them to pictures of real Rolexes. Finally, I found a set that I was happy with. They weren’t perfect, but they were pretty damn close.
Once I had all the parts, it was time to put everything together. Assembling the watch was not easy. This was where things got interesting. I took the whole watch apart. Then I started to switch out the parts. I started with the dial and hands. This was the most nerve-wracking part. I was so afraid of breaking something. I watched a bunch of videos and read some guides online, but it was still pretty difficult. I had to be super careful and patient. I had to use some small tools and a magnifying glass to see what I was doing.
Then came the bezel. I took out the old one and put in the new Pepsi one. It fit perfectly, which was a huge relief. After that, I put the movement back in and closed up the case. I had to make sure everything was aligned properly and that the watch was running smoothly.
After hours of work, it was finally done. I wound it up, set the time, and put it on my wrist. It felt amazing to finally have it finished. It looked great, and it kept time pretty well. It wasn’t perfect, of course. There were some small imperfections here and there, but overall, I was really happy with how it turned out. I learned a lot from this experience. It was definitely a challenge, but it was also a lot of fun. And now I have a pretty cool replica of a Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi Bezel. Not bad for a DIY project, right?
Click to consult