Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi Bezel for a while now. But, man, those prices are insane! We’re talking at least 11 grand, and sometimes way, way more. So, I thought, why not try making a decent imitation myself? It’s a fun project, and hey, I might save some serious cash.
First thing I did was a ton of research. I mean, hours and hours of looking at pictures of real and fake Pepsi bezels, reading forum posts, and basically trying to become a mini-expert on the subject. The main things I needed to pay attention to were the bezel, the hands, the markers, and the overall weight of the watch. The bezel colors seemed to be a real point of contention. The paint and the font can vary a lot, even on the real ones, from what I gathered.
Next up, finding the parts. I spent a good chunk of time scouring online marketplaces for a base watch that looked the part. I managed to get a decent watch that fit the bill without breaking the bank. The movement is not the same, I mean, you can’t get everything, but it’s not bad at all.
Then came the tricky part – the bezel. I learned that the real Rolex Pepsi bezel is made of this special ceramic called Cerachrom. No way I was getting my hands on that! But I did find a pretty good-looking ceramic bezel insert online. The colors weren’t perfect, but they were close enough. I also noticed that NOOB seemed to have a good reputation for their Pepsi bezels. Theirs have this “bezel lip” thing that’s supposed to be like the real deal. But then there’s CF, which a lot of people seem to like too. I found a bezel insert at a decent price.
- Disassembly: This was nerve-wracking! I watched a bunch of videos on how to take apart a watch. It takes time and you need to be super careful. Thankfully, I had a basic watch repair kit that I got online a while back.
- Bezel Swap: Getting the old bezel off was a pain. I finally managed to do it and then carefully put on the new one.
- Reassembly: Putting everything back together was the reverse of taking it apart, but somehow it felt even more complicated. I was so scared of breaking something or losing a tiny screw. But after struggling for a while, I managed it.
The final result? Not too bad, if I do say so myself! It’s definitely not a perfect replica, but it captures the vibe of the Rolex Pepsi. It’s got a good weight to it, the bezel looks pretty sharp, and the colors, while not exact, are definitely in the ballpark. And the best part? It didn’t cost me anywhere near as much as a real Rolex.
This whole project was a lot of work, but it was also a ton of fun. I learned a lot about watches, and I ended up with a cool timepiece that I’m proud to wear. If you’re thinking about doing something similar, I’d say go for it! Just be prepared to put in the time and effort. It’s definitely a rewarding experience. You might not fool a Rolex expert, but you’ll have a great conversation starter, and a watch that you basically built yourself. How cool is that?
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