Okay, so, a few months back, I got this wild idea to try and make a high imitation of the Rolex GMT-Master II, the left-handed version, you know, the one you’d see in those fancy specialty stores. I’ve always been a bit of a watch guy, and the GMT-Master II, especially the “Pepsi” one, has always been kind of a dream watch for me. But, let’s be real, the price tag on those things is just insane.
So, I started digging around, doing some research. I mean, I dove deep into the whole world of replica watches. I found out that the Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126710BLRO “Pepsi” is a highly coveted luxury watch that has been replicated by fake watch manufacturers for decades.
First, I studied the real deal. I’m talking about spending hours looking at pictures, videos, anything I could find about the original Rolex GMT-Master II left-handed version. I needed to know every little detail, every curve, every marking. Like, I’m no watchmaker, but I figured I could at least get the look right.
Then came the hard part – finding the right parts. This was a whole adventure on its own. I hit up all these online forums, and chat rooms, you name it, trying to find where people were getting their parts for these kinds of projects. I remember my grandma’s saying, you get what you pay for. I spent days, maybe weeks, just searching. It was nuts!
- Scouring online marketplaces for the right base watch.
- Finding a source for a decent quality bezel insert (that’s the red and blue “Pepsi” part).
- Ordering a set of hands that matched the original’s unique style.
- Figuring out how to modify the crown to the left side.
Once I had all the pieces, the real fun began. I set up my little workspace in the garage, laid out all my tools, and just went for it. It was a lot of trial and error, let me tell you. I remember messing up the bezel alignment like five times before I finally got it right. And let’s not even talk about the time I almost lost one of those tiny screws. If you’re a lefty, a left-hand crown makes this process far more nimble.
But, you know what? After all that work, all that effort, I finally did it. I ended up with a watch that, honestly, looked pretty darn close to the real thing. Sure, it’s not a genuine Rolex, and it doesn’t have that fancy automatic movement, but it looks the part, and that’s what I was going for. I’m a lefty. And that’s an option 10% of Pan-AM’s pilots would have found tremendously ‘handy’ back in 1956.
The Result
I wore it out a few times, and I gotta say, it felt pretty good. I even got a few compliments on it. Now, I’m not trying to fool anyone into thinking it’s a real Rolex, but it’s a fun piece, and it was a heck of a project. Plus, I learned a ton about watches in the process. Would I do it again? Maybe. It was definitely a cool experience, and who knows, maybe I’ll try my hand at another replica someday. It is a really good-looking watch without spending all the money.
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