Ginault owner's comparison to reps?

[R2L]

These do look great with the green bezel.


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[Burningtyger1]

I have a Ginault ORII. I also have a VSF 126610. The build quality of the Ginault is better and the finishing is nicer, but it’s not hundreds of dollars better.

 

[Kielxx]

Hi guys
I wonder how's yours ginaults performing, usually I wear it for a day or two so it was around +2sec per day , now I had it at my wrist 24/7 for two weeks and it's only gaining +6sec !! after 14 days

 

[MambaMentality60]

Can’t find a TC 5 digit so I may need to go for the Ginault.. then on his site, most of the models seem discontinued LOL

 

[Kielxx]

https://ginault.com/shop/

 

[R2L]

If any of you have modded your Ginaults into a TC would be interested in selling your hands, I’d be interested in buying them off you (in accordance with forum rules). I’ll post a WTB as well.


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[mnkoshka]

Whilst I appreciate your attempt at logic there are way too many "most likelies" and of course this is simple here say by 'you' and not actual fact.

To be honest I like the Ginault myself & would own one. Having said that, I don't tolerate lack of integrity, over charging, misdirects and just plain lying.

I again ask the entire world - where exactly is a Ginault made in America? Where is there a website (specific Ginault url) that is of a standard nature that at least gives you a good understanding of Ginault and its offerings and when they're actually & accurately available to sell? FFS it's 2021 and not 1991.

If a Ginault was a $750 USD watch, which is still very healthy money in 2021 for a homage, I'd 'try' one but as it stands with the shroud of mystery and lies (by omission) surely a reasonable person would be asking these same questions and not be a blind fan boy or better yet, a shill for Ginault.

As the saying goes "if you've got nothing to hide you'd be 100% transparent...........................always"

I’m sure you know this already but for others I’ll mention this again in conjunction with where ginault maybe manufactured. Others may have a different story or more accurate info to add.

Back in the day the story was that Wm9 owned by the Ku’s family and Partnered with someone else had created all the tooling for the first gen construction Rolex reps that were any good. After some family misfortune the company was bought out by this partner of the Ku’s and made the new wm9 and TC watches. I read that the wm9 tooling was purchased by Thomas Cadel ‘TC’ to start his own company ’GINAULT’
I can’t find some of this info anymore and my memory fails me lol but if the original tooling was in Taiwan one could assume the parts are not manufactured in America and just assembled in America. Unless all the tooling including some specific machines setup for production was shipped to the US and then cost effectively finding staff to operate them at a rate that was indicative of the unit sale price.. Not likely but hey I could be wrong.

dealing with TC in the early days I remember him located in the states but always dropped shipped TC watches from Taiwan. I’m assuming it’s still
The same deal with ginault parts and who knows. Although while we are speculating things, SpongeBob is also located in Taiwan so maybe he is doing the platinum plating for the new OR2 inserts.


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[Vvvlllooo]

I’m sure you know this already but for others I’ll mention this again in conjunction with where ginault maybe manufactured. Others may have a different story or more accurate info to add.

Back in the day the story was that Wm9 owned by the Ku’s family and Partnered with someone else had created all the tooling for the first gen construction Rolex reps that were any good. After some family misfortune the company was bought out by this partner of the Ku’s and made the new wm9 and TC watches. I read that the wm9 tooling was purchased by Thomas Cadel ‘TC’ to start his own company ’GINAULT’
I can’t find some of this info anymore and my memory fails me lol but if the original tooling was in Taiwan one could assume the parts are not manufactured in America and just assembled in America. Unless all the tooling including some specific machines setup for production was shipped to the US and then cost effectively finding staff to operate them at a rate that was indicative of the unit sale price.. Not likely but hey I could be wrong.

dealing with TC in the early days I remember him located in the states but always dropped shipped TC watches from Taiwan. I’m assuming it’s still
The same deal with ginault parts and who knows. Although while we are speculating things, SpongeBob is also located in Taiwan so maybe he is doing the platinum plating for the new OR2 inserts.


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I am still looking for this classified watchmaking facility to visit here in the US. Kool aid drinkers from the FB group tend to think he is manufacturing all his parts here, hidden in USA under a shell corporation International Precision, which manufactures airplane parts. My question is, why so secretive, if it's actually made here?

 

[mnkoshka]

I am still looking for this classified watchmaking facility to visit here in the US. Kool aid drinkers from the FB group tend to think he is manufacturing all his parts here, hidden in USA under a shell corporation International Precision, which manufactures airplane parts. My question is, why so secretive, if it's actually made here?

If it’s the company I’m thinking of then Hmmm I can’t imagine that this company that is contracted to Lockheed Martin would have a dedicated watch parts manufacturing line setup. Although if someone involved with TC worked there or he had direct involvement with that business they’d have the capability to make various products. But it’s not likely someone’s pumping out watch parts on their lunch break during highly profitable machining down time from manufacturing parts for Lockheed Martin and other aerospace contracts.

The kind of manufacturing and tooling needed for even intermediate watch parts is quite specific although not extremely complicated… this is coming from me as a toolmaker and advanced machinist who has made my own cases from scratch it’s definitely feasible but cost wise in the states it is unlikely.
The parts supplied by ginault are all
To the same as what’s already out there made in China and Taiwan so It just doesn’t make sense.
It’s definitely possible to get better QC and a more customised product with better finishes and build quality from most of these Asian factories / vendors as long as you pay for it.

I can’t comment on any connection ginault has to an aerospace company but it is possible a specific part or process could be done by them for example PVD coating or sputter coating for ceramic inserts or anodising for aluminium custom inserts post manufacturing for parts received from Asia. The list goes on for all the different processes that are involved in producing parts. I would highly doubt the bracelet and case is made in the states but that’s my personal opinion and I could be proven wrong.


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[WatchSmith.US]

I am still looking for this classified watchmaking facility to visit here in the US. Kool aid drinkers from the FB group tend to think he is manufacturing all his parts here, hidden in USA under a shell corporation International Precision, which manufactures airplane parts. My question is, why so secretive, if it's actually made here?

99% of Ginault owners don’t care where the parts are machined or assembled, including those in the Facebook group. They simply like the watches.

 

[NFleischer]

I just checked the website and it appears most watches are sold out. I was looking at the Blue Ceramic OR2.
If anyone is interested in the back story (which is quite convoluted) there's a person 'Deepdweller' who posted on Reddit and lexic.co. He ties together the whole package including International Precision. I too like the quality and own a TC/WM9 /Sean whatever YM. I'm turned off by the secretive nature but it is at the end of the day an illegal business. I think many of us, myself included, lose sight of that.
The Ginault box clearly says made in USA. I have my doubts TBH. That bothers me if it's not true.

 

[WatchSmith.US]

I just checked the website and it appears most watches are sold out. I was looking at the Blue Ceramic OR2.
If anyone is interested in the back story (which is quite convoluted) there's a person 'Deepdweller' who posted on Reddit and lexic.co. He ties together the whole package including International Precision. I too like the quality and own a TC/WM9 /Sean whatever YM. I'm turned off by the secretive nature but it is at the end of the day an illegal business. I think many of us, myself included, lose sight of that.
The Ginault box clearly says made in USA. I have my doubts TBH. That bothers me if it's not true.

They say built in America not made in America. But I believe early on the did say that. Seems like I read that somewhere.

 

[Vvvlllooo]

99% of Ginault owners don’t care where the parts are machined or assembled, including those in the Facebook group. They simply like the watches.

I don’t care personally…but there are people who think he makes his own parts…can’t fathom the idea that the parts could be made in China or Taiwan. Lol

 

[Mass action]

Personally, my OR2 is the best watch I’ve ever held. It’s just amazing, and due to the experience I pre-ordered the silent service when the order page was leaked (probably on purpose, but I didn’t care). Amazing watches, the OR lines. I expect the Silent Service will be equally amazing.

 

[Mcqueen5513]

Hey gang, this is my first post. Need some help!

Like many of us, I have always loved watches, but in my 20's, I just didn't have the money for a really nice one. I spent my money on adventures and travel, like a lot of us do. I love to scuba dive, and i've always been enamored with the history of the submariner with diving. For diving, I have had a dive computer failure occur at 98 ft down, so I always ALWAYS wear a mechanical redundancy. Plus, to be honest, wearing a dive watch is so much easier for timing your safety stops at the end of the dive. Go up to your stop depth, set your bezel, hang out for a few minutes, surface. So, I bought a Ginault Ocean Rover II as a dive watch because it was on sale, and I was a bit submariner obsessed.

As my income grew, I got more into watches, started buying and wearing other pieces, and my Ginault has completely fallen by the wayside. I don't want to sell it, because it represents the first time I ever had any money to buy myself something.

So, I started thinking about what I could do to rekindle my interest in this watch, and as a very handy and technically minded person, figured I could knock out two birds with one stone. Let's disassemble it, put a new dial, bezel, hands, crown, and caseback on it. That way I can not only make it a watch I am more likely to put back into my rotation, but also learn about watch making.

I would like to make it my beater, I don't care what happens to it, travel diver. I go to a lot of places where, quite frankly, you don't want to be wearing a several thousand dollar piece, and although I have a seamaster 300m (which I love), I don't know that I want to take that into the water to dive. Unlike a sub, I don't really think the Seamaster looks good with patina.

So, here's what I need help with (i'm sure you can see where this is going)
I'd like to convert it. I need help with sourcing quality parts. I would prefer to put a ceramic bezel, and have bgw9 lume.
I would like to retain the depth rating protection, so if I need to keep the og caseback, no problem.

Where do I get the dial, the bezel, the mercedes hands, and the crown? Don't worry too much about budget. I've already spent a decent amount on this watch in the first place

 

[Vvvlllooo]

Hey gang, this is my first post. Need some help!

Like many of us, I have always loved watches, but in my 20's, I just didn't have the money for a really nice one. I spent my money on adventures and travel, like a lot of us do. I love to scuba dive, and i've always been enamored with the history of the submariner with diving. For diving, I have had a dive computer failure occur at 98 ft down, so I always ALWAYS wear a mechanical redundancy. Plus, to be honest, wearing a dive watch is so much easier for timing your safety stops at the end of the dive. Go up to your stop depth, set your bezel, hang out for a few minutes, surface. So, I bought a Ginault Ocean Rover II as a dive watch because it was on sale, and I was a bit submariner obsessed.

As my income grew, I got more into watches, started buying and wearing other pieces, and my Ginault has completely fallen by the wayside. I don't want to sell it, because it represents the first time I ever had any money to buy myself something.

So, I started thinking about what I could do to rekindle my interest in this watch, and as a very handy and technically minded person, figured I could knock out two birds with one stone. Let's disassemble it, put a new dial, bezel, hands, crown, and caseback on it. That way I can not only make it a watch I am more likely to put back into my rotation, but also learn about watch making.

I would like to make it my beater, I don't care what happens to it, travel diver. I go to a lot of places where, quite frankly, you don't want to be wearing a several thousand dollar piece, and although I have a seamaster 300m (which I love), I don't know that I want to take that into the water to dive. Unlike a sub, I don't really think the Seamaster looks good with patina.

So, here's what I need help with (i'm sure you can see where this is going)
I'd like to convert it. I need help with sourcing quality parts. I would prefer to put a ceramic bezel, and have bgw9 lume.
I would like to retain the depth rating protection, so if I need to keep the og caseback, no problem.

Where do I get the dial, the bezel, the mercedes hands, and the crown? Don't worry too much about budget. I've already spent a decent amount on this watch in the first place

page 25 will answer part of this topic

https://forum.replica-watch.info/for...to-reps/page25

if you search watch mods kj2020 also has a few awesome tips. Good luck. I converted mine from aluminum to ceramic. Converted dial,hands, and water tested it. If you search in the for sale parts you may find parts..but they only come in time

 

[Mcqueen5513]

page 25 will answer part of this topic

https://forum.replica-watch.info/for...to-reps/page25

if you search watch mods kj2020 also has a few awesome tips. Good luck. I converted mine from aluminum to ceramic. Converted dial,hands, and water tested it. If you search in the for sale parts you may find parts..but they only come in time

Where did you get your parts from? I'd like to keep the ETA-2824 that's in it currently, because it is keeping excellent time. Will a Gen dial fit on an ETA? I've been reading through several of the forums posts about Ginault franken's, but to be honest, they usually spill out into debates about the quality vs other reps. I'm not interested in getting into a verbal sparring match with anyone, and it's a little difficult to sift through these posts as a result. I'm really just hoping someone can take a noob like me, that is completely new to this, and give me some advice on where and what to source so that I can accomplish my goal.

Thanks in advance!

 

[WatchSmith.US]

Where did you get your parts from? I'd like to keep the ETA-2824 that's in it currently, because it is keeping excellent time. Will a Gen dial fit on an ETA? I've been reading through several of the forums posts about Ginault franken's, but to be honest, they usually spill out into debates about the quality vs other reps. I'm not interested in getting into a verbal sparring match with anyone, and it's a little difficult to sift through these posts as a result. I'm really just hoping someone can take a noob like me, that is completely new to this, and give me some advice on where and what to source so that I can accomplish my goal.

Thanks in advance!

Dials have dial feet that are in different locations depending on what movement you’re using. A gen dial will not fit an ETA movement without clipping its feet and attaching it with sticky dial dots. This ruins the value of the gen dial if you ever sell it to someone who has a clone movement that accepts gen dials.

 

[Mcqueen5513]

Dials have dial feet that are in different locations depending on what movement you’re using. A gen dial will not fit an ETA movement without clipping its feet and attaching it with sticky dial dots. This ruins the value of the gen dial if you ever sell it to someone who has a clone movement that accepts gen dials.

That is really great info. Thank you! I don't want to clip the feet. I would rather get a great quality aftermarket dial that will fit. Does anyone have tips on where to source one?

 

[WatchSmith.US]

That is really great info. Thank you! I don't want to clip the feet. I would rather get a great quality aftermarket dial that will fit. Does anyone have tips on where to source one?

You might try rafflesdials and see what they have. Also yukiwatch.