UPDATE:
Boy oh boy, I sure feel like a total dope. After previously having spent weeks and weeks on trying to figure out how to get the RTC to function properly, get it to run with some semblance of what a clock typically does. Granted, I am pretty much the noob with STM32, and this GIGA board is a big board with lots of stuff on it, I never took a close look a the board itself.
In my previous posts I posed questions for which I think I have the answer.
NO, the RTC on the GIGA R1 WiFi will not function properly -- EVER.
Let's take a close look at this board.
Notice something? That's right. Both the 32.768kHz and 16MHz oscillators are missing the load capacitors. The load capacitors for the RTC are spec'd in ST's App Note 2867.
There is an open ticket with Arduino on this matter. They offered to refund the cost of board. However, as seen below, I have more invested in this than just the cost of the board. And, by their offer, I am inclined to think that this is not just a one-off thing. Perhaps all the GIGA R1 WiFi's suffer this hardware bug?
So, now my question is...should I attempt to hand solder in the 1005 size caps? I thought of testing with some 12pF THTs, but even that sounds kinda messy, given my level of skill.
I would check off this topic as SOLVED, but is this really solved given the buggy board?