Hey everyone, it’s your boy back again, here to share another one of my little projects. This time I wanted to try my hand at replicating that classic Rolex GMT-Master II “Root Beer” bezel. You know, the one that has that cool brown and black color scheme? Yeah, that’s the one.
So, I started by doing some research. I mean, I’m not a watch expert or anything, but I needed to get a feel for what I was dealing with. Turns out, this “Root Beer” thing is a pretty big deal in the watch world. Rolex first introduced it way back when, and then they brought it back in 2018 with the ref. 126711CHNR. Fancy name, right?
I dug around a bit more and found out that “Root Beer” is just a nickname that collectors gave to any Rolex GMT-Master with a brown or half-brown bezel. People seem to call these older watches “nipple dial” models, sounds funny. And I guess the newer ones have this special “Everose” gold that Rolex came up with. I also read that new ones appeared in 1989 with a shiny look. Well, I wasn’t about to mess with real gold, so I had to figure out how to get that look without breaking the bank.
First thing I did was get my hands on a decent GMT-Master II replica. I’m not made of money, so a real Rolex was out of the question. Once I had the watch, I carefully removed the original bezel. Let me tell you, that was a bit nerve-wracking. I felt like a surgeon operating on a tiny, expensive patient.
Next, I needed to find the right materials to create that “Root Beer” look. I spent hours browsing online stores, looking for the perfect shades of brown and black. Eventually, I found some high-quality ceramic inserts that seemed like they would do the trick. They weren’t exactly cheap, but definitely cheaper than a real Rolex bezel.
With the new inserts in hand, I carefully installed them onto the watch. This was the trickiest part. I had to make sure they were perfectly aligned and that the colors transitioned smoothly. It took a few tries, and a lot of patience, but I finally got it right. Then, the big moment. I put the finished bezel back onto the watch, and it clicked into place. A sigh of relief escaped me, I have to admit.
- Get a GMT-Master II replica
- Remove the original bezel
- Find brown and black ceramic inserts
- Install the new inserts
- Put the finished bezel back onto the watch
And there it was, my very own “high imitation” Rolex GMT-Master II “Root Beer” bezel. It wasn’t perfect, of course, but I was pretty damn proud of it. It looked surprisingly close to the real deal, and it gave my replica watch a whole new level of coolness. It’s not the real thing, but it’s close enough for me, and it was a fun project to tackle. Maybe I’ll try another watch project soon. What do you guys think I should try next?
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