Speed: Another fancy boat.

Just a pic of a boat and a bit of skyline in downtown Vancouver.

Time: My projects.

So, adventures in case-making. I just got an email indicating that some case castings I ordered from the USA have shipped. Now, why would I order castings instead of having them done locally? Well, I'm waiting for some bronze blanks that I was intending to mill and file by hand into cases, to be cast in Vancouver. I talked to the guy in person in mid-December, was told it was the busy time as local jewelers swamp him with rush work at that time. Fair enough, but it's nearing the end of January now with no sign or communication.

In the meantime I've designed a set of case, caseback, and bezel blanks in 3d (the pic), uploaded the 3 models to a service in NYC that has 3D-printed them in high-resolution 'digital wax', sent them to have molds made, lost-wax cast them in bronze, trim the sprues, polish them, package them, and ship them to Canada. I'm anticipating getting them and have them all evaluated and measured out for finish machining before the 6 identical bronze donuts I ordered from the local guy show up.

Sheesh.

Time: Part 2 of American Horology

Well some interesting things have come about in the American-Made circle of watchmaking.

First, is that the previously discussed Weiss has changed his description of what he previously claimed was an FTC compliant Made-In-America caliber 1003 movement.

His website now states: 'Caliber 1003 movements are manufactured and assembled from US and Swiss parts'. So with the qualifier involved, that would indicate that FTC requirements were not met. I continue to suspect that this is fundamentally just a complete Swiss 6497 movement internals (gear train, power, jewel, and timing assortment) sandwiched between just a USA-MADE plate, balance cock, and bridge. Possibly even just the more visible top 3/4 plate and balance cock.

But their description is now more appropriate, so good for them.

Which brings me to a new company:

Ginault.

Jesus Christ what a train wreck. Currently offering a tacky rebranded (barely legal) vintage Rolex knockoff, but the claims made... Again, Jesus Christ.

An American-Made 2824 clone. OK... With a self-developed copper-rhodium alloy for the plates and bridges. Right... And their own proprietary different alloy for the wheels. Um... All machined and hand finished in America, yet the edges show marks from shitty stamping. Err... And topped off by an admittedly Chinese anti-shock system that is a knockoff of not the superior Swiss Incabloc, but the cheaper Swiss Novodiac. What. The. Fuck?

Their website is full of retarded shit like this. And their claims of researching the best lume reads like some Lord of The Rings quest.

But we have the internet and can travel into the past with it, looking for a younger Charles Ginault. And we find him being introduced on counterfeit watch forums. Not a great start. Then we can search some of his very distinct, flowery description and find the same descriptions being used to pitch counterfeit Rolex watches a couple years ago on replica/counterfeit forums. Uh-oh...

But now this clown is sponsoring a major 'legitimate' watch forum, and said forum is using their 'no-fake' rule to remove and suppress discussion of the relationship of the company to past and possibly current illegal counterfeit production. As well as shut down talk about the dubious American Made claims.

This major forum is being sponsored by a (Former? Current?) manufacturer of counterfeit Rolex watches and defending them from criticism and reasonable investigation through aggressive censorship.

Jesus fucking Christ...

If a couple people get on the FTC's case about this Ginault clown, he will probably go down hard. For both the deceitful use of American-Made, and maybe catch him with his pants down with counterfeit Rolex inventory as well.

One can only hope...