Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with watches lately, and let me tell you, it’s a rabbit hole. I wanted to get my hands on a Rolex GMT-Master II, specifically the “Root Beer” version. You know, the one with the black and brown bezel? Looks classy, right? But the price tag? Ouch. It’s like, over ten grand, and who has that kind of money lying around? Not me, for sure. And then there’s the waiting list, maybe like two years? Ain’t nobody got time for that.
So, I started looking into, um, “alternatives.” You know, the ones that look almost the same but don’t cost an arm and a leg. First, I tried to find some decent watches that at least had the same vibe. I stumbled upon a few brands, like Stuhrling, Mathey-Tissot, Meccaniche Veneziane, and Squale.
- Stuhrling: They’ve got a GMT watch, the Meridian 3968, which is okay. It’s a quartz, not automatic, and around 42mm. It’s a bit of a lookalike.
- Mathey-Tissot: This one’s a Swiss brand, been around forever. They have a vintage-looking GMT, two-tone, with a “Root Beer” dial. It’s not bad, actually.
- Meccaniche Veneziane: An Italian brand. Their Nereide GMT is supposed to be a tribute to some old submarine. It’s got a two-tone bezel, but it’s not really the same colors.
- Squale: This is another Swiss one, known for dive watches. They’ve got one with a brown ceramic bezel, but it’s not really a GMT.
But none of these really scratched that itch, you know? They just weren’t close enough to the real deal.
Then I went down the, ahem, “replica” route. Yeah, I know, it’s a controversial topic. But I was curious. I heard from some folks online that the best “Root Beer” GMT2 replica comes from a factory called GMF. Apparently, they do a pretty good job with the wrapped rose gold and all the gold parts.
I did a ton of digging, searching all over the place, but I couldn’t find the exact version I wanted. The closest I got was one with a 3186 movement, but it wasn’t quite right. My supplier, this guy I found online, he kept telling me “Don’t worry, it’s good, it’s good.”
It was a real headache. I mean, I was never a big fan of the two-tone yellow gold GMT Master IIs, but the “Root Beer” is just something else, it has that special something. I found a few people online who actually got their hands on a real one, and they said it’s amazing, the weight is nice, and all that. It just made me want one even more.
Finally, after all this back and forth, I decided to just go for it. I placed an order for a replica, the 126711CHNR. I’m still not 100% sure about the factory, but I’m hoping for the best. It’s a bit of a gamble, but hey, at least I’ll finally have something that looks like a “Root Beer” on my wrist. I’ll keep you guys updated on how it goes!
The waiting game begins.
I hope it’s worth all the hassle. Fingers crossed.
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