Today, I’m going to talk about my little project of putting together a Rolex GMT-Master II, the original order version. I’ve always been a watch guy, and the GMT-Master II is just iconic, you know? So, I thought, why not try to make one myself? It sounded like a fun challenge, and I was up for it.
First off, I needed to get my hands on the parts. This wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. I spent hours online, scrolling through forums and websites. I ended up finding most of the stuff I needed from various suppliers, but I learned pretty quickly that getting original parts is like finding a needle in a haystack. I settled for some high-quality imitation parts – they looked pretty darn close to the real deal, at least to my untrained eye.
Once I had all the parts laid out in front of me, the real fun began. Putting it together was like doing a really complicated puzzle. I started with the case. The case size is 39mm and I got this from a supplier who claimed it was the exact dimensions as the original. I tried to fit it but found it is a little bit larger than the original.
Then came the movement, a Swiss automatic. Let me tell you, this thing is tiny and delicate. I had to be super careful not to mess it up. I managed to get it into the case without any major mishaps, which was a relief.
- Movement: I carefully placed the Swiss automatic movement inside the case. It was a delicate operation, but I got it in there.
- Hands: Next up were the hands. I learned that the order of the hands is crucial. It goes hour, GMT, and then minutes. Getting them aligned perfectly was a bit of a pain, but I eventually got there.
- Bezel: The bezel was a two-color rotatable one with 24-hour graduations. This part was actually pretty cool to put on. It gives the watch that classic GMT-Master II look.
The trickiest part was getting the hands right. Apparently, there’s a specific order: hour hand first, then the GMT hand, and finally the minute hand. I messed this up a couple of times, but after some trial and error, I finally got it right. It was a good feeling, seeing those hands tick in the right order.
The bezel was another story. I got a two-color rotatable one, just like the original, with those 24-hour graduations. Fitting it onto the case was actually kind of satisfying. It snapped right into place, and suddenly, the whole thing started to look like a proper GMT-Master II.
In the end, did it turn out exactly like a real Rolex GMT-Master II? Probably not. But, it looked pretty similar, and it worked! I wore it around for a few days, and it kept time just fine. It was a great learning experience, and I got a cool watch out of it. Plus, I can now say I sort of built a Rolex, which is pretty neat, right?
Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. If you’re into watches and like a good DIY project, I’d say give it a shot. Just be prepared for some challenges along the way, and remember, patience is key!
Alright, that’s my little adventure with the Rolex GMT-Master II. Hope you enjoyed the story!
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