looks like Rafflesdials has an option that would work. Anyone have any experience with them? What's the lume quality? Will a gen crown fit in the Ginault case and eta movement?
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Ginault owner's comparison to reps?
- Thread starter Carbon Summit
- Start date
- 13/3/16
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A gen crown will fit an ETA stem. If you’re thinking gen parts consider putting in a vr3135 and using gen dial and hands. Might as well stick your nose into the rabbit hole and see where it goes 
A gen crown will fit an ETA stem. If you’re thinking gen parts consider putting in a vr3135 and using gen dial and hands. Might as well stick your nose into the rabbit hole and see where it goes
My only hesitation with that is losing the time keeping quality I have currently. Say what you will about ETA's or Ginault as a whole, this watch has been completely problem free, after 2 years is still holding at +- a few seconds per day.
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I have three Ginault watches and am a huge fan. They are superb. There are lots of good reasons to stick with ETA.
- 13/6/15
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What exactly Is your end game? How much are you looking to spend? Like Triplock had said, it’s a rabbit hole.
I'm open on price. I'm already into this watch for 1200, and i don't wear it. So, the idea is to make something I learn some watch making skills from, that I can travel with more comfortable than my Omega 300m (i love all of my watches and it was a hard long haul for me to afford them. Now I feel kinda precious about the seamaster), and lastly, that I can wear while scuba diving.
That last part is paramount. It needs to keep reliable time, and preserve its current ISO certified 300m water protection.
The end goal is to have a watch the functions like it does currently, but that I feel comfortable about wearing, traveling with, diving with, and generally banging around, but gets it back into my rotation, which currently it's not.
For looks:
I'd like to retain or exceed current quality with the new parts
Dial - I'd like a high quality ink black that has great lume. I do night dives, and would like to be able to see the markers clearly on the dial. Selfishly, I would prefer bgw9 or chromalite esque lume. I'm not going to be selling this watch, and I'm not going to be trying to pass it off on an expert as a genuine, so I don't care about the crystal, or the solid lugs. Nor do I care if it's an amalgamation of a few subs.
My dream sub would have the non maxi case, a ceramic bezel, chromalite lume, and I personally like the larger indices they started to employ on the maxi case models.
Bezel - would prefer ceramic, but aluminum is not something i'm gun ho against
Case back - don't care as long as it doesn't have an effect on the water resistance
Crown - happy to go gen on this.
What I'm kinda hopeful for, and maybe this is just wishful thinking, is for a builder with experience to kinda say "Ok, buy this from this place."
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- 13/6/15
- 2,412
- 1,770
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sell the ginault and order a VSF. that would be my two cents. It would cost you more to build something or turn it to something. Unless you mod watches, you are better off this way.
- 13/3/16
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If only it were that simple. If you mod seiko there are one stop shopping sites where you can get everything you need. This isn’t the case for what you’re wanting to build.
Lume that suits you might be difficult to find, and you might end up doing your own. It’s tricky but doable if you want superluminova. If you can find a replica that is built on ETA and has a dial and hands with lume that pleases you, you might be better off buying it and putting its parts in the Ginault case. You might be able to use the bracelet if it fits.
So far everyone saying sell it, I'm not going to, and that is not my goal. I understand people's positions, but for my money, no one can guarantee that quality match or the water protection on a VSF. It also doesn't make sense to sell a case to buy a case, in my opionion. All I want is a high quality dial that'll fit my ETA movement.
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But when you put on a dial, you open up the case. then you risk that water resistance? Its your watch...just trying to save you time and money. Those cases from VSF is probably just as good as Ginault. Ginault rooted from a rep btw...TC ...hard to source a decent dial. Luckily, I just had one sitting around.
I'm sorry, but I'm not really sure I understand your point. The case can be re-closed, the gaskets re-lubricated and sealed, and pressure tested to ensure proper function of the intended and tested design. Your argument is to buy a case, a movement, a dial, a date wheel, and every other part because that is in some way easier to source than just a dial.
- 13/6/15
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Your money, you do what's best for you. Good luck with it.
- 18/12/09
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You are basically trying to turn a Ginault into a TC Rolex, if you think about it. Given that, maybe you could just start a hunt for a 16610LV as it has both a 2824 and maxi dial & hands already.
Option B:
Dial: As an alternative, BP makes quite decent dials and they make both the 16610LV and the 16610LN. If you want maxi dial then go for the 16610LV. The only problem here is that as far as I remember they don't make the ETA2824 versions anymore so you will have to order a 3135 dial, which might not work on the 2824 movement of the Ginault, as has been mentioned in the thread. You could still make it work, though, if you clip the feet of the dial and use very thin double sided tape to attach it to the dial spacer.
Hands: If you go for maxi dial, you can use any 116610 hands, so look for any "new" submariner that has a 2824 and uses those hands and talk to a TD to sell them to you. I have a pair of ARF 116610LN hands on my Ginault that I relumed to gold sand colour myself. Remember they have to be for a 2824 movement, not for a 3135 clone. I'd say ARF and ZZF both make the ceramic sub with 2824 movement, but it's worth checking with your TD first.
Crown: go gen
Now on crystal and bezel I'd leave the Ginault one as they are very good. Maybe you can source a genuine of both but a genuine LV bezel insert might be quite expensive. Up to you.
With that being said, I don't know how are your watchsmith skills, but we are talking here about some decent work on a watch that is valued at minimum $1000 right now. Maybe you want to find a professional to do all that work for you.
- 18/12/09
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Bonus track!
You could always buy one of these: https://forum.replica-watch.info/fo...ge-rolex-1680-5512-5513-5514-5517-1665-series on their ETA clone versions
Get the 5517 Milsub, take the dial and crown out and it would be a direct transplant to the Ginault case. Not sure about the bezel, but you can get a very decent milsub insert from here: http://www.tiger-concept.com/5513V2-insert.html
Take the bracelet off, pop in a nice NATO or RAF strap (I prefer RAF straps as I don't like the look of the metal rings on my wrist), and voilà, you have one of the most iconic combat dive watches ever.
You could always buy one of these: https://forum.replica-watch.info/fo...ge-rolex-1680-5512-5513-5514-5517-1665-series on their ETA clone versions
Get the 5517 Milsub, take the dial and crown out and it would be a direct transplant to the Ginault case. Not sure about the bezel, but you can get a very decent milsub insert from here: http://www.tiger-concept.com/5513V2-insert.html
Take the bracelet off, pop in a nice NATO or RAF strap (I prefer RAF straps as I don't like the look of the metal rings on my wrist), and voilà, you have one of the most iconic combat dive watches ever.
Apologies if this has already been answered, but does anyone know if the pre-orders for the OR2 are available to purchase as shown on this page https://ginault.com/shop/
It's just that this page is not linked from the main website and there are no pictures of a lot of the pre-orders for the OC2 so I'm a bit skeptical to place an order
It's just that this page is not linked from the main website and there are no pictures of a lot of the pre-orders for the OC2 so I'm a bit skeptical to place an order
They have stopped OR2 orders completely now, as production has switched to the new Silent Service model (pre-orders for that are now open). OR2 orders my start again at some point, but might be a long time, as Silent Service will probably be the focus for the next few years and there are more plans for future models. If you want to get a OR2 then join the Facebook group, as they come up for sale there.
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This started life as a ginault. The case has been re shaped adding chamfer and a rebrush. A Vr 3135 was added. Also Gen dial, crystal,click spring, crown, DW, and a brand new blistered insert. The hands are ST and have been relumed to match the dial. I plan to add gen hands. The one thing I’m not crazy about is the sell fitment. I feel that it’s not
recessed enough. Any tips to make it better I’m all ears.
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recessed enough. Any tips to make it better I’m all ears.
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- 13/3/16
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- 1,966
- 113
It’s complicated but doable.
https://forum.replica-watch.info/forum/rolex-tudor-replicas/9943729-sel-mod-for-vsf-126610