Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with watches lately, and I got this idea to try and make a fake Rolex. Not to sell or anything, just for kicks. I was particularly interested in the GMT-Master II, the left-handed version, also called the ‘Sprite’. It’s the only lefty model Rolex makes right now, which I thought was pretty cool.
I started by looking up what makes a GMT watch, you know? Turns out, besides the regular hour and minute hands, it’s got this extra hand, the GMT hand. On the real Rolex Ref. 1675, it’s like this bright red color. This GMT hand goes around the whole dial once every 24 hours. I figured that was the main thing I needed to get right.
Then, I started researching these “first copy” Rolex watches. People call them replicas or imitations, but they’re basically high-quality fakes that look almost exactly like the real deal. They even copy the tiny details on the logo and the dial. I realized these were the kind of watches I should be studying to make my own high imitation version.
After that, I looked at some other watches that are kind of like the Rolex GMT Master but way cheaper. Found this list, had some interesting models:
- Tudor Black Bay GMT
- Tissot Seastar 1000 GMT
- Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Co-Axial GMT
I spent some time taking apart these watches, just trying to understand how they worked. I was particularly interested in how the GMT hand was set up. It took a lot of trial and error, let me tell you.
My Process
First, I tried to find a watch case that looked similar to the Rolex ‘Sprite’. This was harder than I thought. I went through a bunch of different ones before I found one that was close enough. Then came the hard part – the movement. I messed up a few times here, let me tell you. I ruined a couple of perfectly good watch movements trying to add that extra GMT hand. Eventually, I figured out a way to modify a standard movement to include it. I even managed to get a red hand for it, just like the real Rolex 1675!
The dial was another challenge. I had to print a custom one, which was a whole other adventure. I ended up using a local print shop. The first few attempts were pretty bad, but finally, I got one that looked decent. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough for my little project. I even got the little details, like the Rolex crown logo, printed on it.
Putting it all together was the most nerve-wracking part. I was so scared I’d mess something up after all that work. But, I took it slow, used the right tools, and somehow, I managed to assemble the whole thing. It actually worked! I set the time, set the GMT hand, and it all worked just like it should.
I gotta say, the end result isn’t perfect. If you put it next to a real Rolex, you’d probably see some differences. But for a homemade fake, I think it’s pretty darn good. It’s got the look, the feel, and it even functions like a real GMT watch. I was pretty proud of myself, not gonna lie.
So yeah, that’s my little adventure in making a high imitation Rolex GMT-Master II ‘Sprite’. It was a fun project, and I learned a lot about watches along the way. Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a lot of work, but it was definitely a rewarding experience. Plus, now I have a cool, unique watch that I made myself. How many people can say that?