hoppyjr wrote: ↑Fri Jul 27, 2018 9:57 am
If we are being honest with ourselves this is the case with every micro/boutique watch brand. Sure they are around today and have spares, but the future is uncertain. Kobold is a good example and when we think of them 3-5 years ago they were pretty well regarded. If they can take such a hard fall then it can happen to anyone.
It’s largely why I’ll be avoiding any small brand watch that is over $1k or so. Figure those under a grand are potentially “disposable” and it’s all good. For long term service & parts availability we really need to stick to the big boys. I’d say Sinn goes with the established brands based on their size, history, and continued popularity.
I agree with you on this Hop. Ironically, this is one of the things that makes a brand like Ginault "interesting" (note: I didn't say "good" or "admirable" - "interesting" covers a pretty broad spectrum of activities).
The Ginault Ocean Rover is a direct replication of a 5 digit Rolex Submariner case. The only difference is the click spring is mounted 180* off from a Sub (so you lever from the opposite side to remove the bezel). As far as I can tell, all potential wear items related to the case (seals, crown tube, click spring, crystal, bezel insert, bezel retention spring, etc.) are replaceable with aftermarket (or authentic) Rolex parts.
The movement is an ETA 2824-2 copy with the only deviation being the pinion height and shock resistance.
I guess if you flooded the watch and pooched the dial and handset you would be a bit hosed, but even then there are enough dial vendors out there and handset vendors I think you could find a decent replacement.
So on one hand, we disdain Ginault for replicating a case design, but when looked at from a maintainability perspective, it actually makes sense to do this given the absolute wealth of spare parts available in the market.