Rosaries are not all that difficult to make. Different styles can take more or less time. My guesses (I have not made each style yet), is that cable rosaries are the quickest. They are probably pretty durable because they only have 4 points that can come undone (plus in theory beads, center and crucifix may break). I think that chain rosaries are probably quicker than rope rosaries, and do have plenty of points of failure. Rope rosaries are probably quite durable, if less ornate.
I started off making beaded rope rosaries (aka combat rosaries). I have made quite a few of those, and while I still have my first - they are terribly not durable. Pony beads break frequently. I now make wire wrapped rosaries almost exclusively. They combine great durability with rather simple repairablity. Their downside is simple - they take a lot of work to make (I can not make one in a sitting - my hands can only do a decade or two a day), but I think I can easily do one in a little less than 6 hrs (an hour a day watching TV, so one per week is possible if I wanted to).
I am not going to suggest that you go out and buy one (and I don’t sell the ones I make). They tend to be rather pricey. Most people who sell wire wrapped rosaries want some return for their time, and it is fairly common to charge cost x3 (or more). As such you rarely see wire wrapped rosaries that are not sterling silver. With current silver prices, that is about $50 (wholesale - more retail) just in the silver, plus your beads (lots of price range there, but some are even inexpensive retail). That said, if you are making your own you probably already have a graveyard full of centers and crucifixes (and perhaps even beads) to build with. When it is done, you will have something unique and special.
I sometimes donate mine to my local church’s auctions and raffles. The last one that was auctioned was a Job’s Tears rosary with nickle silver wire, crucifix, and center (about as cheep as I could have made one without using plastic). Total cost on it was something less than $10 - but at auction it still brought in $100 for my Church. Funny because the sterling one before it (which cost between $60-70 to make), auctioned for just about the same price. Next auction will probably be antiqued brass… Have not picked out the beads for it yet.
I just thought to add, while I have had very poor experiance with the durability of paracord/pony bead rosaries - one of my primary go to rosaries is simply string and beads (it is a very small rosary, so it tends to be hanging in my car within reach). It is holding up incredibly well (I have had it 20 years). I tend to have 2 pocket rosaries (the para cord one that looses beads routinely) , and a heavy wire wrapped. My wife gave me a small bag for that one, still it suffers routine “damage” The only serious damage was managing to all but stab myself in the thigh with the Cruxifix (poor choice of design on my part), which ultimately snapped the Crucifix in half. It will take me less than 5 minutes to replace it, but… That rosary tends to be a work in process. I have redesigned it several times, and have another series of changes waiting for it.
