I got my Ginault about a year ago and I have been very impressed with the build quality and fit & finish. You will NOT be disappointed with this beauty
I never heard of this company but I must admit they did a good job here. Speaking only for myself, I could see forking out a grand for this watch. I would not, however, spend 1,500 on it. Purely subjective. You perform some of the best watch reviews on CZcams: relaxed and superbly informative. You should do more of these.
Thanks Stephen. I appreciate the nice comments. I had heard of the company for a while but didn't know a lot about the watches they make other than the hearing that the quality was very good. It definitely lived up to the expectations. I do know what you mean about the price. Going over the $1000 price point on a relatively unknown micro-brand, and an homage watch, is going to be too high of a ceiling for a lot of potential customers.
Sometime last year, I emailed Ginault about the proper pronunciation of their name, and they got back to me fairly quickly. They said to use the French pronunciation "Zhin-Oh" as such.
Once again simply outstanding video. I own a Ginault Ocean Rover and I own a Rolex Explorer, and thoroughly enjoy both. Like you was surprised by the precision of the Ocean Rover. They did an outstanding job. If you set up against a Rolex Sub it will hold its own. Put it next a Steinhart and it will blow it away. We should stop Bashing homages and just say is it an aw some watch , one I would like to wear or not. Like I said , I own all three, a Steinhart, Ginault, and a Rolex Explorer. Let’s stop bashing and just enjoy them
Thanks Jack. I also did a side by side video with my Submariner. It holds up to the Sub pretty well. Is it Rolex quality? No not quite. Is it extremely high quality especially at its price point? Absolutely, and it beats all the other homage watches on the market that I've seen.
Best Review of the Ginault I’ve seen imo , enjoyed it and I am considering this as a future purchase though I’m not much on Homage watches this one is exceptional! Good one !
Thanks Robert, glad you liked the video. I am a fan of homage watches, and this is one of the best. I like that they took aspects of several different versions of the Sub to make this, and didn't just do a 1 to 1 copy of a single specific model. Really makes it interesting.
I love my ginault, got the gold sand lume no date. I have a blue gold bezel on the way from ginault and I may try finding a lumed ceramic bezel insert someday It’s been on my wrist the vast majority of the last year and is very sturdy and resilient to go with it’s good looks
Had a Ginault for about a year and while it’s a great watch in more or less every way I just never wore it. Found it a bit too thick and while the “glide-lock” is great for what it is I just found the clasp too narrow at 16mm. I do recommend it if you can get it for what I did (ca 550 USD), for anything close to MSRP....I’m not sure. I mean, for above a grand you can get a lot of good things. Quality wise I’m sure Ginault will match them but the Oris, Hamilton, Certina, Mido or some such will have its own name and character. The Ginault will still be an homage and...well, for a grand I’m pretty sure I want the real deal.
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews Nope, brand new. When they first launched the ocean rovers they were doing 55% off if you did a written review. I did one for a Swedish forum and that was that. My first Ginault came broken but they were great and not only replaced my watch but also refunded me the shipping Sweden -> USA. I have nothing but good things to say about the company. Apart from their lack of original design and the price point. Granted, good after sales costs money. But it does not cost more for Ginault then it does for Oris or Glycine or Hamilton or Certina etcetcetc.
This looks like a great watch. I might get my hands on a used Ginault Ocean Rover next year. right now I am enjoying my Tudor Black Bay Heritage 41 with the black dial and ETA 2824. it reminds me of the rolex explorer and also the new Air King, only at $3150.00 . is the Ginault overpriced at $1200.00 ,I think not .
I like the handset. Mercedes just don't appeal to me. I also like the vintage tea stained effect on the lume . The midnight blue bezel is a definite winner. I predict this watch will do well on the market.
As you probably know I'm not very adventurous when it comes to color variations on my watches. For me, it's mostly black/black/black. That said this does have a nice aesthetic and style and I do like it, but if I had to put my money down for one I'd go with one of the more conservative colorations.
Well the Tudor BB58 is $3575, these Ginault’s are $1299 after discounts that are usually run on the Ginault website. That’s a huge difference. The Tudor is probably a higher quality watch, but the Ginault is a much better value consider how well made they are. I guess it depends on your budget. Me... I bought a Submariner.
Agreed, thinking that i need to be patient and keep saving for the sub. My draw back for the Ginault is I believe even for the quality, the price point is still a tad high, thus looking at the second hand market (no pun intended). I believe they would be a great price at the $800 mark. But again IMHO and lens that's only my view. Keep up your videos, they're great!!
As for value and resale of what Ive seen? They hold up pretty well... According to ebay and such a used one goes for as much as one discounted. Im seriously considering one mostly for the fact of being built in the US. I think for what theyre asking for their lineup is well worth it just in fit, finish and overall quality. As they say on their site (which I found honestly humorous) an A+ in quality and an F in originality.. I personally give it a C- in originality. I love the bright red second hand and the other little different little accents. I can't wait to see original designs from these guys. Steinhart and Squale should be nervous despite the price gap.
Thanks for watching Rich. I've reviewed a Steinhart, it was a good watch, but doesn't come close to this. I haven't had the chance to see a Squale, and while they're a bit less expensive if memory serves they're $900-$1000 MSRP for the 1521 aren't they? I'd love to see how it compares.
In your next video you reveal that it's movement is ETA 2824 based. Squale 1545 has the same. What would be the difference with the Squale then, apart from the 1000 dollars difference in price?
I haven't seen the 1545 in person so I couldn't really say. I asked Squale USA if they would loan me one for a comparison review but they didn't seem too interested. I recommend if you'd like to see me do a review to email them and request on my behalf. If enough potential customers pressure them perhaps they will loan me a watch.
Great review. I was curious what you think about it saying “made in America” instead of “made in USA”. Could it be because here is not enough USA content to be considered USA made? In my opinion America is not the same as USA. I’m from New York by a the way
They don't say made in the USA or Made in America.. specifically they say "Hand built in America" that means the can take parts from any origin and put it together here and call it " built in the USA/America.
With this price honestly I would prefer to have a Longines Hydro Conquest instead of a micro brand like Ginault. Longines would add far more value on my wrist.
Great in depth review! These are really well made watches. I disagree with their prices advertised and there’s been a history of them giving huge discounts as well by simply emailing them. I don’t know if this is still the case, but in the past these watches could be regularly purchased for under $900. At that price they’re a great deal. At $1200+ it’s a bit steep, even with the quality. The replica conversation around these watches has a big back story which regardless of what people claim, nobody truly knows the truth. But taking this watch as what it is, it’s a well made piece that can be found at a great price. Looking forward to the 6 digit comparison.
I've heard that they have had bigger discounts earlier, when the brand was newer. I don't think this specific model was in their catalog yet though. This one in particular has the cyclops magnifier and is a bit more expensive than other models. Their No-Date version with the current 22% discount that's on the website would come in at $1013.22 - I think that's actually a pretty fair price. I've also read a little about the replica conversation and the allegations that they're associated with people that make high quality chinese replica watches. Like you said, no one knows the truth. I guess I'm the type of person that would prefer to believe a lie and find out I'm tricked than to accuse someone of lying and find out they weren't. I'll take their word for the time being until someone can prove otherwise. Thanks for watching and for the feedback I appreciate it.
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews agreed. I'd rather believe it's more legit until proven otherwise. Included in that is a stereotype that just because something is a replica it means it's cheap and has little quality which is not necessarily the case. So even if the brand owner/s had a history in replicas, it does not mean the watchmaking skills and quality aren't there.
Jin' owe... Like Renault (Ren' Owe), the car company...or Jaques Couteau (Koo' Stow). Nice looking watch. Need to know more about the movement before that kind of money is warranted.
Best thing about this watch is they resisted the temptation to use “Mercedes” hands. Otherwise, cut out about 80% of the text on the dial, lose the cyclops (and date wheel), make the Ginault logo 50% smaller and I’ll buy one-just as soon as I get a gob.
Would be interested for you to dive into the bezel comparison in your next video... are the numbers actually gold filled like the platinum filled sub? Is it just painted on numbering that could scratch off?
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews Ah that is really good to know. I would expect at that price point to be proper inserts for that reason alone its a no for me and will stay on the waiting list for submariner no date
It would be nice to have a high quality ceramic bezel insert, but this watch largely is an homage to vintage Submariners which of course didn't have ceramic. If money is no object then getting the Rolex is always going to be a better alternative, but this Ginault is excellent especially considering it's about 8 times less expensive - but it's not quite Rolex levels of quality.
I had one for about six months last year...Was a good watch. Got a 40% discount cost me £650 gbp. But every time I looked at it I felt I had a fake. And people made comments about you have a Folex. So I bit the bullet and bought a Omega Seamaster! With real heritage. But to each his own , to me just felt second best.
Good review. The watch looks good. I like the sword hands. It reminds me of my Steinhart OVM. If I didn't already have a Submariner I'd probably have bought the watch just to see how it felt. The red seconds hand is a nice touch. At $1500 it does seem a bit steep, but you're review does sell me on it. Great close ups and info on the details. I'd go with the black bezel and white numbers, though. One thing that does bother me is the text on the dial. "Kinetic Continuous" just make it seem like they are trying too hard. I'd rather just see the logo and name at the top. And I'd also like to get rid of the "Submersible Maritime". What?! Again, they are trying too hard.
For the most part I'd say yes. I've reviewed the Steinhart Ocean 1 42mm Green bezel version in the past, and this Ginault is without a doubt higher quality. The Ginault bracelet and clasp, for starters, is much nicer. That includes the very crisp clean machined endlinks on the Ginault, which from my research does add quite a bit of cost in production. The Ginault movement is highly regulated, in 5 positions over 6 weeks, and for all intents and purposes is a chronometer grade movement (although not officially certified by COSC since it's not a Swiss Movement). The Ginault has a true triple lock crown, and the the bezel assembly and action is much nicer. The Ginault date cyclops also has a true 2.5x level of magnification, while the Steinhart magnifier was one of my biggest complaints. Don't get me wrong the Steinhart is a nice watch at it's price point but it's not of the same quality level that I am seeing in this Ginault.
Thanks. FWIW my 39mm Ceramic Steinhart keeps better time than my new Rolex EXP II Polar! Agree the bezel is stiff but for the money I am impressed with the Steinhart which I use as a beater.
@motor City Cobra - Haven't handled a Ginault but I was so satisfied with my 39MM Steinhart Ocean Ceramic that I bought a GMT Pepsi too. Interestingly they both keep time better than my Rolex EXP II (2017). Go figure. When it comes down to it, Perhaps the Ginault is better, so is my real Rolex. On the other hand, 500 bucks versus 1495 vs 8,500 ....Bang for the buck Steinhart is hard to beat and they are not a new microbrand.
As far as i know Ginault made one of the best Rolex Sub homage watches. Would i buy it? No. I am not big fan of homage watch, especially at around $1000.00 . You could get genuine good (not high end luxury) watch at this price point. Even at $500-600 i would not buy , but this is just me. There are many people who will buy Ginault and wear them proudly, which is totally fine by me. What is really surprises me that the Ginault as a company chose to produce homage watch. Why? The quality is there. Obviously they can manufacture watches. So why do homage? This is just beyond me. They could've came up with their own diver design which will stood out and probably more people would buy it with proper marketing. Even at the price range of $1200-1400 potential customers wouldn't question the price. Because they would be paying for something unique, something that assembled in USA. But now if you buy Ocean Rover, by the end of the day it is still homage. Nothing unique, nothing special, just another homage, another company which decided to use Rolex design as a starting point. When you compare Sub and Ocean Rover, i am pretty sure that Rolex will get more points in all categories, so what's the point? Just to show how close they are? Well, as i said Ginault would be better off with their own design. This way you could say: Look, this is a unique watch with the quality close to Rolex. And now it's just a homage with bunch of nonsense words on the dial
I'm not in the watch industry but I would bet that it's easier for an unknown brand to sell an homage watch then an original design, and that's most likely why Ginault is producing one. The quality is outstanding and I'm excited to see what they do in the future.
I am not in watch industry either, but judging by number of micro brands which offer genuine designs in the last few years i think it is possible. Some of them start as kickstarter brands, and i am sure they watches are not at the same quality level as Ginault.
Why the 2824? It's a proven design now out of patent. I've heard it's even preprogrammed into Swiss made CNC machines now found around the planet. Before I bought my no-date Ginault last year it didn't take much research to find places capable of making the parts for this movement ranging from Texas to Canada (Made in (North) America, eh?). Wouldn't it be interesting if Ginault starts selling movements to Swiss watch brands who can't get movements from Swatch/ETA?
Interesting info and I agree it would be cool to see an American company producing and supplying movements to Swiss brands. How the tables have turned haha.
Your membership would increase rapidly if you cut down the length of time on your reviews. Trust me I own a media company with a few channels here on YT that I won’t name. Limit it to 10mins try it for a week and let me know how you just grew 20%.
Thanks for watching and for the suggestion but I'd say that 5-10 min. videos aren't really reviews, they're just product presentations and demonstrations, which are a style of video that has some merit in their own right but not the type of content I'm looking to deliver. I can't give a full honest assessment and critique of a product in that period of time.
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who have died we should thank God that such men lived” - General George S. Patton...my favorite Patton quote.
Brother, I just opened mine and put it on....And if I hadn't worn my new sub date for the past 12 months, this would be a great watch...But with that said, since I have worn 100% rolex for past 12 months I can definitely tell the difference immediately. I'm only 5 minutes into this new adventure so I'm definitely going to keep giving it a chance :) But my first impression is, I feel like I'm wearing a "fake" rolex. Just so everyone knows, I've worn my rolex sub during all activities, with the exception of at the gym so the bracelet wouldn't get all gunked up sweat and grime (I do competitive shooting and lots of other active things all with watch on). The reason I got this was to give it a "break" and not to continue to get the case so scratched up. Mine has significant gouges/dings (not just scratches) on all 4 lugs of the case and it hurts my soul every time I look at them. The scratches I do not mind and are to be expected, but the deeper marks hurt. So this was meant to divide the time up and help extend the longevity of the Rolex as I'd love to that to be passed down through the generations. Just sharing my experience. I love your videos and the time put into them!
Sounds like you’re dealing with a psychological barrier, and not a real problem with the watch. Now of course it’s not the same quality as a Rokex, but the quality is great. I would ask, would you have reservations if it wasn’t a homage? I suspect you’d really like it if you didn’t feel like you were wearing a fake Rolex?
I think you nailed it! It’s definitely a psychological barrier. My bracelet has some minor issues but nothing big. The real test for me will be the movement. If it stands up to the test of time and is durable and reliable I’ll be a happy camper!
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews No problem. I was impressed with many of the technical aspects of this watch, but ultimately think it would much cooler if it wasn’t an homage. If they’d go ahead and make an original design, the ‘Hand Built in America’ really would makes it worth considering, especially considering the chronometer status. Also, a ceramic bezel at this price would go along way.
That's fair, homage watches aren't for everyone. I actually like them and have reviewed several at many different price points. But I can agree, it would be cool to see what they could create as an original design with this level of quality.
Great Video. I was waiting on a review of that specific model. :-) As far as I know the sword hands pay tripute to the mil spec 5513, the 5517 and 5513/5517 Rolex Mil Sub. This hand set was a requirement by the M.O.D. (UK Ministry of Defence). The Rolex Mil Sub replaced the Mil spec Omega Seamaster that was issued to the Royal Navy Divers until the early 70s. Only approx. 1200 were produced and never directly available to the public. So most of those 1200 pieces must have seen some real action. The 5517 was issued until the lat 70s and then replaced by the Precista PSR-82 and the CWC "Royal Navy Diver Watch" I do own a 181270 GSLN and really like it so far. Probably as close as I can get to a real 5517 without travelling back in time and joining the SAS :-)
Thanks for watching and sharing that info. I was doing a little reading about those milsub models and it’s cool that they choose to bring some of those elements into this watch design. If only we all had a time machine haha.
I know some people will say this is Chinese copy of the Rolex submariner with only Chinese parts nothing Swiss watch but as it is known a watch to be Swiss made 51% of the parts has to be produce in Switzerland and the rest who knows so my point is Rolex is made Switzerland just to put in their watches that it is swiss made but anybody’s question where the other 49% of part use by Rolex came from 🤔
I thought that it was 60% of the cost of the watch had to be Swiss, but regardless yes with Swiss watchings a good percentage of them can have parts made outside of the country. That said in the case of higher end watches like Rolex, as I understand it the overwhelming majority of the components are made in house by Rolex. For other more affordable or entry level brands though I doubt very much that is the case.
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews For years, I had these homage watches and was never satisfied . I never wanted to spend the money on a Rolex . In retrospect , I should have put all the money I spent on these pretenders towards the Sub . Long story short , two years ago, I purchased the 116610 and havnt looked back. To me it’s perfection , I don’t even look at other dive watches anymore.
Ah, yeah I hear ya. If I was given my preference I'd have chosen a standard black bezel with white lume. But I'm not very adventurous when it comes to lots of color variations on my watches.
love this watch pretty reasonable price good quality stunning finish case awesome review thank you my friend.please check 18504 from Invicta you'll be surprise ,let me know if is possible to review, Thank you again see ya until tell next review looking forward.
The guy behind the brand started by building replica rolex 16610. He got so good that i think he got scared and had to go legit. All of the parts in this watch is identical to the replicas he build a couple lf years back(except for dial and hands). And i can guarantee its 90% chinese assembled in US. The only thing made in US that i know of would be the bezel. The amount of detail put into this is astonishing. I really like this watch and its fun to see the guy does what he does best in a legit way.
Sal Matos Jr wrong. There is no North America continent just like there is no north Asian continent or south African continent. America is a all connected single mass from Alaska to the Patagonia. It appears only Canadian and us citizens make that distinction. Why do you think that is?
Fernando Sbert I was instructed that both North America and South America ride pn individual tectonic plates which in my day signified them as individual continents. Now its very possible that my info is dated and someone somewhere was feeling left out and decided to amend the existing foundations of my Earth Science educational experience.
North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere; it is also considered by some to be a northern subcontinent of the Americas.Wikipedia
Always watch your videos with great pleasure. Very in depth and informative. Saying this I don't like advertising this kind of watches tho, stealing design is not acceptable in my book.
I understand and respect that opinion. I do like homage watches and especially in this case I think it’s cool that they choose to take aspects of several different generations of watches and didn’t make a 1 to 1 copy of any specific watch.
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews It is homage to Rolex Submariner. You can buy Seiko 5 model SNZF17K1 for about $150 or MercerMountainTime MMT for $135. They look very simalr to Rolex.
It has been stated over and over on the forums these are made in china and by no way american made. He is lying just like Shinola because nobody will look into such a small no name brand. Its a replica and a disgrace to the USA, I have family and friends who lost their lives defending this country and this is sad. Dont buy this replica Junk!
I've read some of the suspicions that you're talking about, but unfortunately unless there is some sort of proof I think you have to take their word. For me personally, I'd feel a lot worse calling someone a liar and being wrong than I would believing them and finding out later that they did lie.
This is not a "homage" to a Rolex submariner. IT IS A COUNTERFEIT. Plain and simple copy. If the bezel is like the old submariners, i.e. not ceramic, then in my experience, even careful usage will result in a seriously scratched bezel within a couple of years.
I got my Ginault about a year ago and I have been very impressed with the build quality and fit & finish.
You will NOT be disappointed with this beauty
Thanks for watching and sharing your experience.
You are definitively my favorite watch reviewer. Very in dept and professional presentation.
Thanks buddy I appreciate it.
I never heard of this company but I must admit they did a good job here. Speaking only for myself, I could see forking out a grand for this watch. I would not, however, spend 1,500 on it. Purely subjective. You perform some of the best watch reviews on CZcams: relaxed and superbly informative. You should do more of these.
Thanks Stephen. I appreciate the nice comments. I had heard of the company for a while but didn't know a lot about the watches they make other than the hearing that the quality was very good. It definitely lived up to the expectations. I do know what you mean about the price. Going over the $1000 price point on a relatively unknown micro-brand, and an homage watch, is going to be too high of a ceiling for a lot of potential customers.
This is a really nice looking watch. I really like that they made it an homage and not a copy by not using Mercedes Hands.
The dead serious "pun intended" with the raised eyebrows cracked me up. I like your reviews man, keep it up.
haha, thanks. I don't think many people appreciate my rarely used flavor of deadpan humor. But I try!
Sometime last year, I emailed Ginault about the proper pronunciation of their name, and they got back to me fairly quickly. They said to use the French pronunciation "Zhin-Oh" as such.
I would have never guessed that. Thanks for sharing.
Once again simply outstanding video.
I own a Ginault Ocean Rover and I own a Rolex Explorer, and thoroughly enjoy both. Like you was surprised by the precision of the Ocean Rover.
They did an outstanding job. If you set up against a Rolex Sub it will hold its own. Put it next a Steinhart and it will blow it away. We should stop
Bashing homages and just say is it an aw some watch , one I would like to wear or not. Like I said , I own all three, a Steinhart, Ginault, and a Rolex Explorer. Let’s stop bashing and just enjoy them
Thanks Jack. I also did a side by side video with my Submariner. It holds up to the Sub pretty well. Is it Rolex quality? No not quite. Is it extremely high quality especially at its price point? Absolutely, and it beats all the other homage watches on the market that I've seen.
Best Review of the Ginault I’ve seen imo , enjoyed it and I am considering this as a future purchase though I’m not much on Homage watches this one is exceptional! Good one !
Thanks Robert, glad you liked the video. I am a fan of homage watches, and this is one of the best. I like that they took aspects of several different versions of the Sub to make this, and didn't just do a 1 to 1 copy of a single specific model. Really makes it interesting.
I bought a used Ginault last year and I love it. I have nothing else to say.
Thanks for watching Sal, I appreciate it.
Tudor rose? I just bought one 😂 The owner got a hold of me and gave me all the options. I love the colors of this one right here on the video.
Thorough revioew... but try do a wrist shot and mention the wrist size, appreciated! its a critical component when assessing an online purchase!
Great video! Thanks.
I’m with Pete: same $ for a MONTA ....which one is better built/value for the money? That would be a cool comparison.
Reach out to them and ask them to send me a sample watch to review and we can find out!
Thanks for the review Guy...well done. I'm looking forward to the comparison video next week!
Thank you sir.
I love my ginault, got the gold sand lume no date. I have a blue gold bezel on the way from ginault and I may try finding a lumed ceramic bezel insert someday
It’s been on my wrist the vast majority of the last year and is very sturdy and resilient to go with it’s good looks
Thanks for watching I appreciate it.
Do you have a rolex
Craig Sekowski no I do not
Cant wait to see the full Submariner VS Ginaultvlog, great review, keep up the good work. Summer regards from Denmark
Thanks Jaeger, appreciate it.
Had a Ginault for about a year and while it’s a great watch in more or less every way I just never wore it. Found it a bit too thick and while the “glide-lock” is great for what it is I just found the clasp too narrow at 16mm. I do recommend it if you can get it for what I did (ca 550 USD), for anything close to MSRP....I’m not sure.
I mean, for above a grand you can get a lot of good things. Quality wise I’m sure Ginault will match them but the Oris, Hamilton, Certina, Mido or some such will have its own name and character. The Ginault will still be an homage and...well, for a grand I’m pretty sure I want the real deal.
Thanks for watching and for the comments I appreciate it. $550 is a great price, was that pre-owned I'm guessing?
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews Nope, brand new. When they first launched the ocean rovers they were doing 55% off if you did a written review. I did one for a Swedish forum and that was that. My first Ginault came broken but they were great and not only replaced my watch but also refunded me the shipping Sweden -> USA. I have nothing but good things to say about the company.
Apart from their lack of original design and the price point. Granted, good after sales costs money. But it does not cost more for Ginault then it does for Oris or Glycine or Hamilton or Certina etcetcetc.
Considering the Ginault, but leaning towards the Monta Oceanking in Black Gilt. Great video, thank you for posting.
Thanks for watching Pete. I haven't seen a Monta in person but I have heard some good things. Good luck with your decision.
Man those Ocean Kings look great!! The Triumph too.
I have watched several of your videos Guy and you are trustworthy.
This looks like a great watch. I might get my hands on a used Ginault Ocean Rover next year. right now I am enjoying my Tudor Black Bay Heritage 41 with the black dial and ETA 2824. it reminds me of the rolex explorer and also the new Air King, only at $3150.00 . is the Ginault overpriced at $1200.00 ,I think not .
I reviewed the 36mm Black Bay. Nice watch, but a few small things I didn’t love.
Hi Guy, in your opinion, would you take a domed crystal with no AR, or a flat crystal with AR on a Ginault?
Flat AR, I think.
I like the handset. Mercedes just don't appeal to me. I also like the vintage tea stained effect on the lume . The midnight blue bezel is a definite winner. I predict this watch will do well on the market.
As you probably know I'm not very adventurous when it comes to color variations on my watches. For me, it's mostly black/black/black. That said this does have a nice aesthetic and style and I do like it, but if I had to put my money down for one I'd go with one of the more conservative colorations.
Great review. I watched your video and then ordered one. It’s a very nice looking watch.
Would you purchase one of these? I'm thinking if going a tad extra mile, looking at Tudor 58, thoughts?
Well the Tudor BB58 is $3575, these Ginault’s are $1299 after discounts that are usually run on the Ginault website. That’s a huge difference. The Tudor is probably a higher quality watch, but the Ginault is a much better value consider how well made they are. I guess it depends on your budget. Me... I bought a Submariner.
Agreed, thinking that i need to be patient and keep saving for the sub. My draw back for the Ginault is I believe even for the quality, the price point is still a tad high, thus looking at the second hand market (no pun intended). I believe they would be a great price at the $800 mark. But again IMHO and lens that's only my view. Keep up your videos, they're great!!
As for value and resale of what Ive seen? They hold up pretty well... According to ebay and such a used one goes for as much as one discounted. Im seriously considering one mostly for the fact of being built in the US. I think for what theyre asking for their lineup is well worth it just in fit, finish and overall quality. As they say on their site (which I found honestly humorous) an A+ in quality and an F in originality.. I personally give it a C- in originality. I love the bright red second hand and the other little different little accents. I can't wait to see original designs from these guys. Steinhart and Squale should be nervous despite the price gap.
Thanks for watching Rich. I've reviewed a Steinhart, it was a good watch, but doesn't come close to this. I haven't had the chance to see a Squale, and while they're a bit less expensive if memory serves they're $900-$1000 MSRP for the 1521 aren't they? I'd love to see how it compares.
In your next video you reveal that it's movement is ETA 2824 based. Squale 1545 has the same. What would be the difference with the Squale then, apart from the 1000 dollars difference in price?
I haven't seen the 1545 in person so I couldn't really say. I asked Squale USA if they would loan me one for a comparison review but they didn't seem too interested. I recommend if you'd like to see me do a review to email them and request on my behalf. If enough potential customers pressure them perhaps they will loan me a watch.
Great review. I was curious what you think about it saying “made in America” instead of “made in USA”. Could it be because here is not enough USA content to be considered USA made? In my opinion America is not the same as USA. I’m from New York by a the way
According to what I've read the phrase Made in America and Made in the USA are treated the same way as far as the FTC is concerned.
Thank you. I didn’t know they were considered the same. I personally think USA is more specific.
They don't say made in the USA or Made in America.. specifically they say "Hand built in America" that means the can take parts from any origin and put it together here and call it " built in the USA/America.
With this price honestly I would prefer to have a Longines Hydro Conquest instead of a micro brand like Ginault. Longines would add far more value on my wrist.
That’s fair, I get the reluctance people will have spending over $1000 on a microbrand homage watch. The Longines looks like a great option.
Great in depth review! These are really well made watches. I disagree with their prices advertised and there’s been a history of them giving huge discounts as well by simply emailing them. I don’t know if this is still the case, but in the past these watches could be regularly purchased for under $900. At that price they’re a great deal. At $1200+ it’s a bit steep, even with the quality.
The replica conversation around these watches has a big back story which regardless of what people claim, nobody truly knows the truth. But taking this watch as what it is, it’s a well made piece that can be found at a great price. Looking forward to the 6 digit comparison.
I've heard that they have had bigger discounts earlier, when the brand was newer. I don't think this specific model was in their catalog yet though. This one in particular has the cyclops magnifier and is a bit more expensive than other models. Their No-Date version with the current 22% discount that's on the website would come in at $1013.22 - I think that's actually a pretty fair price.
I've also read a little about the replica conversation and the allegations that they're associated with people that make high quality chinese replica watches. Like you said, no one knows the truth. I guess I'm the type of person that would prefer to believe a lie and find out I'm tricked than to accuse someone of lying and find out they weren't. I'll take their word for the time being until someone can prove otherwise.
Thanks for watching and for the feedback I appreciate it.
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews agreed. I'd rather believe it's more legit until proven otherwise. Included in that is a stereotype that just because something is a replica it means it's cheap and has little quality which is not necessarily the case. So even if the brand owner/s had a history in replicas, it does not mean the watchmaking skills and quality aren't there.
Jin' owe... Like Renault (Ren' Owe), the car company...or Jaques Couteau (Koo' Stow). Nice looking watch. Need to know more about the movement before that kind of money is warranted.
Best thing about this watch is they resisted the temptation to use “Mercedes” hands. Otherwise, cut out about 80% of the text on the dial, lose the cyclops (and date wheel), make the Ginault logo 50% smaller and I’ll buy one-just as soon as I get a gob.
Agreed, I like the use of the sword hands here. I think they made a lot of really good design decisions on this watch.
Nice video
Thanks!
Dang! Now I'm going to have to put off my plans for a new watch purchase until next week when you show us the side by side comparison.
What was your new watch purchase going to be?
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews I was going to buy the Seiko Padi Turtle. I'm in the market for a blue dialed dive watch.
Good choice.
Would be interested for you to dive into the bezel comparison in your next video... are the numbers actually gold filled like the platinum filled sub? Is it just painted on numbering that could scratch off?
I’ll cover everything in detail, both similarities and differences, in the next video. On the Ginault the aluminum bezel has painted numerals.
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews Ah that is really good to know. I would expect at that price point to be proper inserts for that reason alone its a no for me and will stay on the waiting list for submariner no date
It would be nice to have a high quality ceramic bezel insert, but this watch largely is an homage to vintage Submariners which of course didn't have ceramic. If money is no object then getting the Rolex is always going to be a better alternative, but this Ginault is excellent especially considering it's about 8 times less expensive - but it's not quite Rolex levels of quality.
Gold filled? Platinum sub! LOL. It's a 1400 dollar watch. A homage, not a dead on replica.
Sal Matos Jr not paying 1400 for shitty painted on bezel imo
I had one for about six months last year...Was a good watch. Got a 40% discount cost me £650 gbp. But every time I looked at it I felt I had a fake. And people made comments about you have a Folex. So I bit the bullet and bought a Omega Seamaster! With real heritage. But to each his own , to me just felt second best.
Who cares what what people comment. If you like it that's all that matters. That said of course you can't go wrong with a Seamaster.
Hello Guy, when is Part 2 on this review going to be released? THX and take care
Working on it today. Hopefully soon!
Awesome thx Guy! Keep up the good work!
Great review thank you.........
What’s movement is that? Miyota, ETA?
Did you watch the video? I explained that pretty clearly.
Good review. The watch looks good. I like the sword hands. It reminds me of my Steinhart OVM. If I didn't already have a Submariner I'd probably have bought the watch just to see how it felt. The red seconds hand is a nice touch. At $1500 it does seem a bit steep, but you're review does sell me on it. Great close ups and info on the details. I'd go with the black bezel and white numbers, though. One thing that does bother me is the text on the dial. "Kinetic Continuous" just make it seem like they are trying too hard. I'd rather just see the logo and name at the top. And I'd also like to get rid of the "Submersible Maritime". What?! Again, they are trying too hard.
Yeah I can agree that the dial text doesn’t add much to the design, but overall the watch is impressive.
double the cost of a Steinhart - is it worth it? If yes, why?
For the most part I'd say yes. I've reviewed the Steinhart Ocean 1 42mm Green bezel version in the past, and this Ginault is without a doubt higher quality. The Ginault bracelet and clasp, for starters, is much nicer. That includes the very crisp clean machined endlinks on the Ginault, which from my research does add quite a bit of cost in production. The Ginault movement is highly regulated, in 5 positions over 6 weeks, and for all intents and purposes is a chronometer grade movement (although not officially certified by COSC since it's not a Swiss Movement). The Ginault has a true triple lock crown, and the the bezel assembly and action is much nicer. The Ginault date cyclops also has a true 2.5x level of magnification, while the Steinhart magnifier was one of my biggest complaints. Don't get me wrong the Steinhart is a nice watch at it's price point but it's not of the same quality level that I am seeing in this Ginault.
Thanks. FWIW my 39mm Ceramic Steinhart keeps better time than my new Rolex EXP II Polar! Agree the bezel is stiff but for the money I am impressed with the Steinhart which I use as a beater.
@motor City Cobra - Haven't handled a Ginault but I was so satisfied with my 39MM Steinhart Ocean Ceramic that I bought a GMT Pepsi too. Interestingly they both keep time better than my Rolex EXP II (2017). Go figure. When it comes down to it, Perhaps the Ginault is better, so is my real Rolex. On the other hand, 500 bucks versus 1495 vs 8,500 ....Bang for the buck Steinhart is hard to beat and they are not a new microbrand.
bezel not being ceramic though... I think it's otherwise absolutely superb
As far as i know Ginault made one of the best Rolex Sub homage watches. Would i buy it? No. I am not big fan of homage watch, especially at around $1000.00 . You could get genuine good (not high end luxury) watch at this price point. Even at $500-600 i would not buy , but this is just me. There are many people who will buy Ginault and wear them proudly, which is totally fine by me.
What is really surprises me that the Ginault as a company chose to produce homage watch. Why? The quality is there. Obviously they can manufacture watches. So why do homage? This is just beyond me. They could've came up with their own diver design which will stood out and probably more people would buy it with proper marketing. Even at the price range of $1200-1400 potential customers wouldn't question the price. Because they would be paying for something unique, something that assembled in USA. But now if you buy Ocean Rover, by the end of the day it is still homage. Nothing unique, nothing special, just another homage, another company which decided to use Rolex design as a starting point.
When you compare Sub and Ocean Rover, i am pretty sure that Rolex will get more points in all categories, so what's the point? Just to show how close they are? Well, as i said Ginault would be better off with their own design. This way you could say: Look, this is a unique watch with the quality close to Rolex. And now it's just a homage with bunch of nonsense words on the dial
I'm not in the watch industry but I would bet that it's easier for an unknown brand to sell an homage watch then an original design, and that's most likely why Ginault is producing one. The quality is outstanding and I'm excited to see what they do in the future.
I am not in watch industry either, but judging by number of micro brands which offer genuine designs in the last few years i think it is possible. Some of them start as kickstarter brands, and i am sure they watches are not at the same quality level as Ginault.
Where can I buy the watch? I live in Italy
Why the 2824? It's a proven design now out of patent. I've heard it's even preprogrammed into Swiss made CNC machines now found around the planet. Before I bought my no-date Ginault last year it didn't take much research to find places capable of making the parts for this movement ranging from Texas to Canada (Made in (North) America, eh?). Wouldn't it be interesting if Ginault starts selling movements to Swiss watch brands who can't get movements from Swatch/ETA?
Interesting info and I agree it would be cool to see an American company producing and supplying movements to Swiss brands. How the tables have turned haha.
Your membership would increase rapidly if you cut down the length of time on your reviews. Trust me I own a media company with a few channels here on YT that I won’t name. Limit it to 10mins try it for a week and let me know how you just grew 20%.
Thanks for watching and for the suggestion but I'd say that 5-10 min. videos aren't really reviews, they're just product presentations and demonstrations, which are a style of video that has some merit in their own right but not the type of content I'm looking to deliver. I can't give a full honest assessment and critique of a product in that period of time.
Who is that flag in the background for?
My grandfather, from his funeral, he was a WWII veteran.
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who have died we should thank God that such men lived” - General George S. Patton...my favorite Patton quote.
Brother, I just opened mine and put it on....And if I hadn't worn my new sub date for the past 12 months, this would be a great watch...But with that said, since I have worn 100% rolex for past 12 months I can definitely tell the difference immediately. I'm only 5 minutes into this new adventure so I'm definitely going to keep giving it a chance :) But my first impression is, I feel like I'm wearing a "fake" rolex. Just so everyone knows, I've worn my rolex sub during all activities, with the exception of at the gym so the bracelet wouldn't get all gunked up sweat and grime (I do competitive shooting and lots of other active things all with watch on). The reason I got this was to give it a "break" and not to continue to get the case so scratched up. Mine has significant gouges/dings (not just scratches) on all 4 lugs of the case and it hurts my soul every time I look at them. The scratches I do not mind and are to be expected, but the deeper marks hurt. So this was meant to divide the time up and help extend the longevity of the Rolex as I'd love to that to be passed down through the generations. Just sharing my experience. I love your videos and the time put into them!
Sounds like you’re dealing with a psychological barrier, and not a real problem with the watch. Now of course it’s not the same quality as a Rokex, but the quality is great. I would ask, would you have reservations if it wasn’t a homage? I suspect you’d really like it if you didn’t feel like you were wearing a fake Rolex?
I think you nailed it! It’s definitely a psychological barrier. My bracelet has some minor issues but nothing big. The real test for me will be the movement. If it stands up to the test of time and is durable and reliable I’ll be a happy camper!
This channel is amazing.
Thank you sir, I appreciate the support.
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews No problem. I was impressed with many of the technical aspects of this watch, but ultimately think it would much cooler if it wasn’t an homage.
If they’d go ahead and make an original design, the ‘Hand Built in America’ really would makes it worth considering, especially considering the chronometer status. Also, a ceramic bezel at this price would go along way.
That's fair, homage watches aren't for everyone. I actually like them and have reviewed several at many different price points. But I can agree, it would be cool to see what they could create as an original design with this level of quality.
I would pay full retail value if I can see the Americans making this watch like we see the Swiss make theirs
You should contact them and let them know, if you really mean it. If customers demand more transparency they will probably give it.
This watch needed a ceramic bezel to get my money. If I'm spending $1k+ for a Rolex homage I demand a ceramic bezel
Thanks for watching I appreciate it.
Its a 5 digit submariner homage, which had a aluminum bezel. Check your facts before whining and demanding from a microbrand.
Funny how a big replica maker goes "legit"! This is basically a TC Submariner, but he swapped out the fake Rolex dial for a Ginault one....
Thanks for watching.
What a great story, guy decides to use his obvious talents for good!
Great Video. I was waiting on a review of that specific model. :-)
As far as I know the sword hands pay tripute to the mil spec 5513, the 5517 and 5513/5517 Rolex Mil Sub.
This hand set was a requirement by the M.O.D. (UK Ministry of Defence).
The Rolex Mil Sub replaced the Mil spec Omega Seamaster that was issued to the Royal Navy Divers until the early 70s.
Only approx. 1200 were produced and never directly available to the public. So most of those 1200 pieces must have seen some real action.
The 5517 was issued until the lat 70s and then replaced by the Precista PSR-82 and the CWC "Royal Navy Diver Watch"
I do own a 181270 GSLN and really like it so far. Probably as close as I can get to a real 5517 without travelling back in time and joining the SAS :-)
Thanks for watching and sharing that info. I was doing a little reading about those milsub models and it’s cool that they choose to bring some of those elements into this watch design. If only we all had a time machine haha.
I know some people will say this is Chinese copy of the Rolex submariner with only Chinese parts nothing Swiss watch but as it is known a watch to be Swiss made 51% of the parts has to be produce in Switzerland and the rest who knows so my point is Rolex is made Switzerland just to put in their watches that it is swiss made but anybody’s question where the other 49% of part use by Rolex came from 🤔
I thought that it was 60% of the cost of the watch had to be Swiss, but regardless yes with Swiss watchings a good percentage of them can have parts made outside of the country. That said in the case of higher end watches like Rolex, as I understand it the overwhelming majority of the components are made in house by Rolex. For other more affordable or entry level brands though I doubt very much that is the case.
For me , I would always want the genuine article . I would not spend $1,500 on this . I would rather put that money, toward a Rolex Sub.
If you can swing $8500 that’s the way to go. Most people probably can’t though.
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews For years, I had these homage watches and was never satisfied . I never wanted to spend the money on a Rolex . In retrospect , I should have put all the money I spent on these pretenders towards the Sub . Long story short , two years ago, I purchased the 116610
and havnt looked back. To me it’s perfection , I don’t even look at other dive watches anymore.
very comprehensive not sure about the lume though
Thanks Robert. What about the lume are you not sure about, the golden coloration or the actual glow/functionality?
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews the color
I'm sure the lume will glow long enough but just not sure about the gold thingie
Ah, yeah I hear ya. If I was given my preference I'd have chosen a standard black bezel with white lume. But I'm not very adventurous when it comes to lots of color variations on my watches.
I've seen white , blue, and various other colors but I tend to like the white or pale blue for night time clarity
WTF for 1.500 $, not ceramic bezel???
love this watch pretty reasonable price good quality stunning finish case awesome review thank you my friend.please check 18504 from Invicta you'll be surprise ,let me know if is possible to review, Thank you again see ya until tell next review looking forward.
Thanks for watching I appreciate it.
to expansive it's just a ter 1 chinese Rolex clone with new branding its not worth more than 300$
Thanks for watching. I explained it in the video, but in case you missed it, It's not Chinese.
Oh not at all. This one is obviously a flag waver.
i think hes trying to say you can get a top tier Rolex replica for around 300 more closely 500 that almost falls in this category.
The guy behind the brand started by building replica rolex 16610. He got so good that i think he got scared and had to go legit. All of the parts in this watch is identical to the replicas he build a couple lf years back(except for dial and hands). And i can guarantee its 90% chinese assembled in US. The only thing made in US that i know of would be the bezel. The amount of detail put into this is astonishing. I really like this watch and its fun to see the guy does what he does best in a legit way.
This guy sounds like someone really interesting. It's practically movie material for watch fanatics.
Which country in America was it built? America is a continent.
I would say technically North America is a continent, while referring to America is generally seen as talking about the United States of America.
Correct. The continent is North America. There are a few good geography channels on You Tube, you should link them for your next episode😉
Sal Matos Jr wrong. There is no North America continent just like there is no north Asian continent or south African continent. America is a all connected single mass from Alaska to the Patagonia. It appears only Canadian and us citizens make that distinction. Why do you think that is?
Fernando Sbert I was instructed that both North America and South America ride pn individual tectonic plates which in my day signified them as individual continents. Now its very possible that my info is dated and someone somewhere was feeling left out and decided to amend the existing foundations of my Earth Science educational experience.
North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere; it is also considered by some to be a northern subcontinent of the Americas.Wikipedia
Just a 'franken replica' watch, would never buy such a watch.
Thanks for watching Tom.
Always watch your videos with great pleasure. Very in depth and informative. Saying this I don't like advertising this kind of watches tho, stealing design is not acceptable in my book.
I understand and respect that opinion. I do like homage watches and especially in this case I think it’s cool that they choose to take aspects of several different generations of watches and didn’t make a 1 to 1 copy of any specific watch.
$200 top
If you find them at that price let me know I’ll buy one!
JustBlueFish Watch Reviews It is homage to Rolex Submariner. You can buy Seiko 5 model SNZF17K1 for about $150 or MercerMountainTime MMT for $135. They look very simalr to Rolex.
It has been stated over and over on the forums these are made in china and by no way american made. He is lying just like Shinola because nobody will look into such a small no name brand. Its a replica and a disgrace to the USA, I have family and friends who lost their lives defending this country and this is sad. Dont buy this replica Junk!
I've read some of the suspicions that you're talking about, but unfortunately unless there is some sort of proof I think you have to take their word. For me personally, I'd feel a lot worse calling someone a liar and being wrong than I would believing them and finding out later that they did lie.
Ginault is pronounced "Rolex counterfeiters".
This is not a "homage" to a Rolex submariner. IT IS A COUNTERFEIT.
Plain and simple copy.
If the bezel is like the old submariners, i.e. not ceramic, then in my experience, even careful usage will result in a seriously scratched bezel within a couple of years.
Everyone is entitled to like or dislike something, but let's be fair, it isn't a counterfeit.
Get 2, A point!
ADHD?
haha, fail.