So, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Rolex GMT-Master II for a while now, you know, the lefty version. I finally decided to take the plunge and try to make my own version. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy, but I was up for the challenge.
First things first, I had to do some serious research. I mean, I’m not a watchmaker or anything, so I had to learn everything from scratch. I started by looking up pictures of the actual Rolex GMT-Master II “Sprite”. You know the black-and-green one that dropped on March 30, 2022? That’s the one. I noticed the crown was on the left side which is kind of a big deal for this model. So I needed to make sure I got that detail right.
Here’s what I did step by step:
- Gathering Parts: This was the trickiest part. I had to source parts that looked as close to the real deal as possible. I searched and searched, comparing parts. I even checked out some discussion forums where people were talking about building their own homage watches. It was a bit overwhelming, but I managed to find what I needed.
- Checking the Case: One of the big things I learned is that real Rolexes have a unique serial number on the case. I made sure the case I got had a serial number, even though it wasn’t a real Rolex one, it just needed to look legit.
- The Bezel: The bezel on the GMT-Master II is pretty iconic. It rotates, and the color is super important. I got a black-and-green bezel that looked pretty spot on. I spent hours making sure it rotated smoothly and looked right.
- Crown Position: Since I was going for the left-handed version, getting the crown on the left side was crucial. I made sure the case I got had the crown position on the left.
- Putting It Together: Once I had all the parts, it was time to assemble it. I’m not gonna lie, it was nerve-wracking. I followed some guides I found online, and with a lot of patience, I managed to put it all together.
- The Bracelet and Clasp: The bracelet and clasp also needed to look right. I made sure these parts had detailed engravings to mimic the real Rolex. It’s all about the details, right?
- Testing It Out: After assembling everything, I had to test it out. I checked the movement, made sure the hour hand “jumped” when adjusted, just like the real one.
Final Touches
After all that work, I finally had my own homage Rolex GMT-Master II left-handed version. It wasn’t perfect, but I was pretty proud of what I accomplished. It looked surprisingly good, and I learned a ton in the process.
The whole experience was a wild ride. From researching and sourcing parts to actually building the watch, it was a lot of work. But hey, now I have a cool watch that looks like a Rolex, and I made it myself. Not bad for a beginner, right?
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