Ginault Caliber 7275 Ocean Rover

Ginault Caliber 7275

Ginault Caliber 7275 Ocean Rover

Brand Ginault
Caliber Number 7275
Base Caliber
Unknown
Clone Caliber
2824-2
Diameter
26mm
Height
4.65mm thick
Jewels 25
Power Reserve 38 hours
Vibrations Per Hour 28,800 bph
Hairspring Nivarox
Mainspring
Nivarox
Anti-Shock
WJL
Hacking? Yes
Quick Date? Yes
Functions Hours, minutes, central seconds, date at 3:00
Country of Manufacture Unconfirmed
Known Models
Ginault Ocean-Rover

The Ginault caliber 7275 is a 25 jewel automatic movement found in Ginault Ocean-Rover watches. This movement is a clone of the ETA 2824-2.

Specs From Ginault:

“Ginault Caliber 7275. 25 Red Jewels, Rh45 Rhodium-Copper Alloy Main Plate & Bridge, Blue Steel Screws, GC31 Gears, Nivarox Hairspring, Nivarox Mainspring, WJL Shock Absorber, Date, Hour/Minute/Second Hands, 28,800 BPH, 38 Hours Power Reserve. Cut, Machined, Assembled and Fine Tuned in the United States.” –source

Made in USA?

The dials of the newer pieces state that they are Hand Built in America. Older Ocean-Rover models were engraved with Made in USA on the casebacks. While this caliber has sparked controversy in the watch community, what we think we know is this:

  • Mainspring: Swiss made
  • Hairspring: Swiss made
  • Jewels: Swiss made
  • Shock Absorber: Made in China

As quoted above, Ginault states that the caliber 7275 is cut, machined, assembled and fine tuned in USA.

ETA “Clone” or Fake ETA?

ETA “clone” does not mean fake. ETA clone means that the movement design is based on the original designs that ETA used when creating the 2824-2 movement. The 2824-2 was introduced in 1982, so the patents have expired (utility patents expire after 20 years). For this reason, it is possible to produce a movement based on the original design of the ETA 2824-2, and many have done so as it is perfectly legal. If the movement was marked “ETA” then it would be considered to be a fake. Similar to the watch it is cased in, if it were marked as Rolex Submariner, then it would be considered to be a fake watch. Without any reference to Rolex, even though it looks the same, it is considered an homage or clone.

The concept of “clone” movements often causes a mixture of controversy among the watch community. You’re welcome to share your thoughts in the comments below.

BTW: You can buy an ETA 2824 clone here for $59 or an original one here for about $200.

Powertrain Gear Materials:

On the official information page about the caliber 7275, Ginault states that they use their own proprietary alloy for the gears in the movement’s powertrain.

“Simultaneously, the materials used in making gears have to be able to endure decades of wear and tear. While most of our fellow watchmakers in Europe and Asia use copper or brass, we have developed our own copper alloy to make the powertrain gears. We call it GC31. GC31 has strength equal almost to that of steel. It is also antimagnetic. After brushing and polishing, it exhibits a distinctive light, sharing the reflective property of gold.”

Magnetism:

If your caliber 7275 powered watch is not keeping proper time, it’s possible that the movement has become magnetized. You can purchase a demagnetizer here. This is what Ginault says about magnetism:

“Cal.7275 is prone to magnetism. If a movement is magnetized it will run wildly. Try to keep the watch away from magnets. There are many hidden magnets inside electronics such as cell phones, speakers, laptops, and airport scanners.” –source

Chronometer Rating:

The Ginault Ocean-Rover says Precision Chronometer on the dial and watches powered by this caliber 7275 include a movement certificate detailing the results of 6 weeks of testing. The certificate includes a movement serial number, however, no matching numbers can be found on the movement.

From the certificate:

“The goal is to regular every one of our movement’s MDR (mean daily rate) as close to 0 as possible for highest precision and accuracy. To achieve this, each 7275 caliber we made goes through a 6 week journey on an automatic winder to simulate real world use. Our master watchmaker clocks, and regulates the movement once every seven days within this 6 week period. This is a true arduous task but the only way to make sure each movement functions precisely and accurately.”

Ginault 7275 Movement Certificate Cosc

This “Precision Chronometer” rating and testing is not to be confused with being COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) certified, which is not applicable to this movement since it is not Swiss made. This does not mean that the movement does not keep time within Chronometer specs, it just means that it is not officially tested and certified by COSC.

According to COSC:

“Compliance with the definition of a chronometer is approved by a neutral official body, which carries out the checks on the watch or movement, and issues an official certificate. In Switzerland, each chronometer is unique, identified by a number engraved on its movement and a certificate number issued by the COSC.” –source

Movement Markings:

The movement is not signed Ginault, nor are there any stamps to be found from any known manufacturers. There are no markings whatsoever: no jewel count, no caliber number, no origin reference, no movement serial number.

Actual Power Reserve:

Although the Ginault 7275 automatic movement is rated at 38 hours power reserve, the movement certificate mentioned above stated that this movement’s actual power reserve tested at 43 hours. This may be higher or lower depending on the movement itself.

Noisy Rotor:

As with many automatic watch movements, from affordable microbrand watches to Rolex, there have been reports of the rotor of the 7275 being loud. The rotor is a ball-bearing style, and rotor noise is not uncommon. Here is what Ginault says about this:

“Some members have also reported to us that they tend to hear the rotor noise when the power reserve is low. This is because when the power reserve is low, the mainspring is loose, the rotor in the back turns more easily. When the power reserve is healthy or full, the rotor in the back also turns less due to a tighter mainspring.” –source

Ginault Caliber 7275 Ball Bearing Rotor

 

Additional Images:

Ginault Caliber 7275 Movement

Ginault 7275 Microbrand Movement

Video Review:

Additional Resources:

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Pip
Pip
4 years ago

Great write up! Can anyone tell me what WLJ stands for in terms of the shock absorber? Why wouldn’t they just use Incabloc?

Scottie Dippin
Scottie Dippin
4 years ago
Reply to  Pip

It’s Chinese. I think I read somewhere that Ginault said Incabloc wouldn’t sell wholesale, but I am not positive.

Tsung Chi
Tsung Chi
4 years ago
Reply to  Pip

Wang Jia Ling. Chinese shock-absorber.

R. Tores
R. Tores
4 years ago

There are alot of doubts about this movement being made in USA. I wish these new brands would just make a great watch and stop with the marketing about being from USA. The brands that started doing it first thought that they were going to make a fortune by putting USA on the dial or back but turns out no one cares.

By the way…HAND BUILT IN AMERICA could mean Mexico couldnt it?

Jacques Rougeau
Jacques Rougeau
4 years ago
Reply to  R. Tores

Or Canada 😀

Chase
Chase
4 years ago
Reply to  R. Tores

In your entire life, have you ever once been referring to Mexico when you said America?

memfizz
memfizz
3 years ago
Reply to  Chase

my friend from Brazil regularly reminds me that he is from America, South America, but he is right , he is from America.

Bill
Bill
2 years ago
Reply to  memfizz

That makes as much sense as saying you are Mexican because you were born in New Mexico.

Xeno Santos
Xeno Santos
8 months ago
Reply to  R. Tores

could also be esambled in Greenland by an inuit.

Timothy
Timothy
4 years ago

This is the first time I ever saw a movement described as having ‘red’ jewels opposed to just jewels. I am an amateur, but I always thought jewels are based on rubies and ruby is red/pink. Are there other colored jewels?

Dante
Dante
4 years ago
Reply to  Timothy

Marketing bull. No different than half the crap rolex comes up with in their literature.

Paul
Paul
4 years ago

I think it’s far fetched of this brand to say made in USA or hand built in America on the dial. This movement looks an awful lot like other Chinese E.T.A. movements I’ve seen in good replica watches. If it’s proudly made in America then would it not be marked USA on the inside.

Dante
Dante
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul

There are a lot of brands that put USA or America in their marketing and even on the watches. 9.9 times out of 10 it’s a stretch.

Hand Built Anywhere But USA
Hand Built Anywhere But USA
2 years ago
Reply to  Paul

Not only are they hand built in America but they even say they machined the parts in America and made their own alloy metals for the parts. Hallelujah watches are coming back to America and being made like the good old days! Thanks to Ginault and their knockoff Submariner! That’s right they did all that work for a fake Rolex, not for their own watch design!

trackback
Is Ginault legitimate? Let's discuss. - Page 36
4 years ago

[…] This quite informative and there's a good hi-rez vid of the movement in action at the endGinault Caliber 7275 Watch Movement | CaliberCorner.com Reply With […]

mark goulde
mark goulde
4 years ago

i think this movement is made in usa as ginault claims. did you see the screw heads? they are atrocious!

epicure
epicure
4 years ago

I bought this watch. a total load of crap.
it gained 5 minutes every hour. on the watchmakers timegrapher it was completely wild. 33’000 bph, and all the rest was totally off. demagnatising made no difference.
I sent it back and had to request a charge back via my credit card . upon further research this company ginault, has no office address. they work out of a postage type center in a california shopping mall!!!
it’s all “smoke and mirrors.
stay clear

Gina Ult
Gina Ult
4 years ago
Reply to  epicure

This comment sounds like a total load of crap (in my humble opinion). There’s a lot that could cause your watch to gain or lose time, it doesn’t mean the watch is bad or the company sold a bad watch. It says above it is a 28800bph el movement so it can’t beat at 33000bph as you claim. Then you said you sent it back and filed a claim on your credit card, that’s no sense and why didn’t you give them a chance to fix it under the manufacturer’s warranty? That’s real shady. It’s 2019 and you’re complaining about… Read more »

epicure
epicure
4 years ago
Reply to  Gina Ult

hey you sound extremely defensive! in the words of Shakespeare, ” the lady doth protest too much”
all is true and what’s more, this was all verified by the swiss technical watch centre.

Garrison
Garrison
4 years ago
Reply to  Gina Ult

I’m with you. The comment sounds phony. There is a lot of Ginault hate going around in comment sections and forums lately. Similar language being used in just about all of them- “smoke and mirrors” “stay clear”. Rolex fanboy’s hate it sight unseen. Yes, it’s a super-homage that’s very nearly an exact clone of the Submariner (a mashup of a few Subs really) but so what? It’s still a great watch. I know it galls Submariner owners that a watch costing about a 10th of a Sub is 95% of the way there. It puts a fine point on how… Read more »

Dash
Dash
2 years ago
Reply to  Gina Ult

Yes get the refund

Osman Abdullah
Osman Abdullah
4 years ago

The watch is certainly one of the best homages I have come across. The claims of the movement are questionable though. My definition of a Precise movement would be +/- 2 seconds per day consistently across most users actual experience. I have had two reports from authentic sources where one had a positive experience of a very accurate watch keeping daily time to within the +/- 2 seconds per day. The second was a report of an average of +10 seconds per day. The second problem is the attached certificate has a report associated with a particular serial number watch… Read more »

Ric
Ric
3 years ago

I might actually consider buying one of these if the guy was just straight about who’s actually making these movements. I can’t wear a watch with a dial that lies to me.

Hand Built Anywhere But USA
Hand Built Anywhere But USA
2 years ago

How can they possibly get away with saying these are hand built in USA? Where? By who? Question for anyone who bought this watch from Ginault directly, did it ship from USA? If it ships from anywhere outside of USA then why would a watch get hand built in USA then get sent outside of USA, then back to USA when they get an order? If they are making this movement in USA then why aren’t there more brands using this made in USA movement? Why didn’t they put any markings on the movement? I guess this is why they… Read more »

trackback
13 Best Homage Watch Brands [Affordable]
1 year ago

[…] claims to use their own movement, the Ginault 7275. However, upon inspection, the Ginault 7275 is a clone of ETA 2824-2. This ETA 2824-2 is used in many Swiss watches, such as Tissot to Hamilton. Ginault made the right […]

rob
rob
10 months ago

Great article and information. I am not a watch collector, but did purchase the Ocean Rover in 2020, using it as my daily watch, which typically gets in the salt water 2-4 times per week. Its been pounded through the ski slopes. The accuracy is just incredible, as I have long ago stopped by bi-weekly re-check on U.S. Dept. of Commerce / National Institute of Standards & Technology official internet time clock. Wherever it is made, I find it an incredible time piece and well worth the affordable price.

unAmerican
unAmerican
10 months ago

America is back to making watch movements again… NOT! How can they get away with calling this machined in USA? My opinion is the movement is as China as it gets! Where is the proof Ginault? Made in America but too scared to show the factory that cuts and finishes your movements? Any factory capable of doing that here would be wanting to sell to all the GENUINELY AMERICAN microbrands. I’m not a gambling man but I’d put my bet on not a single part was made in America. I don’t even believe they are hand built here. Anyone buys… Read more »

Mako
Mako
8 months ago
Reply to  unAmerican

Cope and seeth murican fanboy. The facts are all there and you’re just refusing to accept it

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