[Repost -> to the archives]
New watch? Nope. So why am I posting pics of my old watch again? Because I'm a repetitive jerkoff? Or in dire need of some kind of treatment for my TRC/RWG addiction? Probably a bit of both...
Well, I had tons of pictures of my Pepsi GMT Master in my hard drive so I decided to make some kind of review / tutorial of this watch to get the pictures in good use. Also, the crispy, cool colors make this one of my favourite watches to photograph and everyone likes to see pics of watches, right?
I have some kind of weird love/hate relationship with Rolex. While I utterly despise the dress, diamond and extreme bling models I absolutely love vintage Submariner/SeaDweller line... and GMT Master. Rolex is originally just a stainless steel "tool watch" and these two models have always "spoken" to me. Actually I'd love to own rep of the vintage Master too (Eunomians owns a beautiful genuine) but we all know there's not even half-decent one available.
Explorer I and II leave me cold, DateJust is too small and wimpy, Yachtmaster is gay (hey, Dr. Phil wears one) :lol:, Cellini is for girls and Daytona is too "overboard" for a young guy like me. I'd feel myself like an idiot wearing a rep of a $10K watch... or rep of a $100K watch like the Paul Newman model! :bash:
My dad owns a genuine Master with red and black bezel from the late 70'S (or early 80's) and I've always admired his watch. He's also responsible of making me a watch addict. I got a genuine automatic Longines for my 7th birthday. Thanks Dad, I still have the watch!!! Needless to say he was speechless when I showed him my GMT and told it's a fake. Actually he didn't even believe me at first although he's quite a watch guy and knows quite a lot about them. People in my country aren't aware of the high end replicas that our fantastic dealers bring us... for great prices. :boxing:
Red/black is my personal favourite - but I like the Pepsi version too. It's "sporty" and cool. For many Rolex hardcores Red/Blue is synonymous with GMT Master (although according to Rolex official catalog and numbering Red/Black is the original model!!!). I have only one watch but two whole bezels which are kinda easy to pop up and install back and forth when I need some variation. Bezel exchange makes the watch look surprisingly different.
Picture of the red/black version:
Both of my bezel inserts were milled and modded by Palpatine and they fit perfectly. This is the *essential* mod for GMT Master. Most (if not all) replica inserts are complete junk. RedBigJoe does these insert mods as well. Palp and Joe are both trusted RWG/TRC watchsmiths. Just send them a PM (and some green) and you're gonna get your bezel fixed.
There are three ETA-powered rep models of the Master, one with old TW case (that Randy photoshooted) and the new one with good looking case and correct hand stack. Unfortunately the new version is flawed in so many other ways, it's not even funny. I have the improved CN version of the rep which is still the best in my eyes. The hand stack is wrong and the bezel diameter is a bit too small (same problem in almost all Rolly replicas) - but it has perfect dial, date font, virtually invisible etched crown, almost perfect case & crown guards and excellent bracelet.
Here you can see the comparison between the genuine. As you can see the genuine Master has wider bezel and a bit smaller!!! date magnification. Otherwise the rep is pretty much "spot on".
As you can see this genuine uses "Sans Serif" font on the bezel insert. Many people claim that all GMT's come with this font but it's simply not true. Most of the new Masters are supplied with the same font with reps. Here's the newest Basel picture:
Like I said, the hand stack is wrong in this rep model. The GMT hand should be above the hour hand in Master II. This rep actually has the hand stack of the vintage model (i.e GMT hand under the hour hand). For some people it seems to be "the issue". Personally it doesn't bother me much at all. It's only visible when the hour hand and GMT hand "meet". Otherwise it's almost impossible to see it with naked eye.
Some people don't care about boxes and manuals but I enjoy collecting watch boxes and merchandise. If nothing else they make a nice presentation for the pictures.
The hollow link Oyster bracelet is one of the best parts of this watch. After polishing, oiling and giving it a new brushed finish it's virtually indistinguishable from the genuine. In some reps you have to file the edges smoother, too. The "treated" bracelet feels silky, light, flimsy and cheap. i.e exactly like the real one. GMT band is even lighter than Submariner's because it has short clasp (ala Explorer) - and because GMT is designed to be a pilot watch it lacks the diver's extension clasp. So don't be surprised when you receive your first replica Rolex. Just remember that the genuine Oyster band is just as pathetic and light. A side note: Genuine Master II (with all links intact) weighs 127 grams. The rep weight is exact +/- 2 grams.
Short "Explorer" style clasp and bracelet:
Brushed finish that I created myself & the hollow middle links.
How to use & set the GMT hand in ETA 2836-2 version:
You unscrew the crown to the date set position and TURN THE CROWN ANTI-CLOCKWISE to adjust the GMT hand into desired position. It's not absolutely necessary to tweak the GMT hand. You can also turn the bezel and set the 24 hour markers into desired "timezone" position to match your GMT hand. Then click the crown back to "winding position" and screw it back in (properly).
The GMT hand moves 2 times slower than the hour hand. So it makes full circle in 24 hours, instead of 12 hours. Many newbies buy the watch and complain that GMT hand isn't following. IT IS FOLLOWING, IT'S JUST TWICE AS SLOW. GMT hand hour markers ARE ON THE BEZEL INSERT, NOT ON THE DIAL!!! That's the whole idea of this watch, Einsteins. :lol:
ETA 2836-2 is very reliable movement (according to dealers) and members have rarely ran into problems with it. While it's not a "real" GMT movement like genuine Rolex Caliber 3185 or ETA 2893-2 it functions and serves its purpose perfectly and is much cheaper to purchase.
The screwdown crown is small, tiny and bitch in the GMT master. It's replicated very well. The crown also has a straight line (instead of three dots) under the Rolex coronet which is repped correctly, too. The functionality of the screwdown crown is similar as in Submariner (save the GMT hand setup of course).
After you install & glue the aftermarket insert in (yes you can do it yourself too, you don't have to send your watch to the modders... be careful that you don't glue the whole bezel to the case or you'll get a "fixed" motionless bezel ala ExpII) you'll notice that the crystal doesn't "raise" quite enough from the bezel (as you can see from the picture). That's because high quality aftermarket inserts (that Palp and Joe supply) are designed for the genuine Master which has larger diameter and deeper bezel "hole". That's another minor flaw that the watch has. But on the other hand rep inserts sit below the bezel edges which is inaccurate as well. It's a tradeoff, really. But then again, this is stuff for real nitpickers, imho.
The dreaded "rehaut" issue (what an utterly stupid word) isn't a problem in GMT but the hardcore rep nerds will see that the metallic inner ring should merge better with the crystal. Now you can barely see the small whiteish "crystal ring" in certain light but the problem isn't as bad as in CN Submariners.
Conclusion: I find this replica visually excellent, despite small flaws. For me the good things (excellent case, bracelet, crown guards) easily outweigh the problems. Also... no "heavy" mods are needed. Just the insert and the usual polishing/oiling. This watch has found a permanent place in my collection. It doesn't see as much wrist time as my Omegas but it's a great watch for certain occasions and traveling.
Perfect? Nope, it's a replica. You can, of course, wait for the next generation GMT Master... which, of course, will have flaws too. You know, business as usual...
Hope you liked the review. Thanks for looking.