# Are Invicta Watches Good Quality Watches?



## newcollector (Jul 8, 2007)

_hey anyone own an Invicta Watch? Are they good watches, worth starting up a collection of them?
whats your opinion?
thanks
newcollector
and how come the italic doesnt shut off? o|
_


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## Dragoon (Feb 17, 2006)

Hi there New Collector and welcome to the forum!

The easy answer on your question is a lot of folks love their designs but the QA and QC are not comparable to a brand like Seiko or Citizen.

On the other hand, their design team does produce some pieces which are within the reach of most everyones budget so they do offer a nice way for the average person to get into the hobby. Many of us here started off with Invicta.

Many folks draw the line between $200-$300 for their upper limits on Invicta purchases as their are other well known high quality watches available above that level. I have purchase Invicta watches above that limit but the below $300 price range seems to be the sweet spot for Invicta in terms of quality, price, and looks.

On the other hand, many folks dislike Invicta for the very reasons stated above and would not take one if it was given for free!! It tends to foster a very black/white response with few shades of gray for many.

If I could suggest using the search function on the WUS forum menu and typing in "Invicta" ; I think you could get a good feeling for the brand and a consensus of sorts.

Happy watch hunting.


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## ALL_ZEN (Feb 26, 2006)

newcollector said:


> _hey anyone own an Invicta Watch? Are they good watches, worth starting up a collection of them?
> whats your opinion?
> thanks
> newcollector
> ...


Wecome to the forum newcollector! You'll get a range of answers on this forum concerning Invicta. I have owned around 9 or 10 of them myself and I've had a pretty good experience all around. :-!


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## obie (Feb 9, 2006)

I'm in the minority here. I never had a bad one. I beat my elite for 4 years until it died from abuse. I still own a few, and just bought a new one about a month ago. and another one 3 weeks ago and............... well you get the point. heres some good ones.


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## cruze1 (Jan 17, 2007)

I've owned two of them with no problems. I find them to be good watches if you stay under the $250 mark. Beyond that pricepoint you can purchase watches from other more reputable brands.


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## leewmeister (Feb 13, 2006)

My personal experience: Four Invictas, three of them duds. 

One popped a sub-dial hand within a month. Returned for a full refund. Two of them died in under a year. Both were repaired under warranty and died again within a few months.

The reliable one has been a version of the 8926. I've had it for nearly 3 years with no problems.

I liked the exterior build quality on all of them, especially the bracelets. Too bad most of them died an early death. These were all automatics, by the way.

Me? I'm done with the brand.


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## manoloyloles (Feb 20, 2006)

Hello there.

I just have 2 Invictas at present and have had 4. All of them have worked OK for me, maybe I have been lucky.

Currently, I own a 9937 (maybe Invicta's most remarkable watch) and an Executive with the Unitas movement, which works and looks great after 2 years. I was lucky I bought it second hand and for a price that would make you :-d :-d :-d :-d as I believe this watch is discontinued now...

I think these are the two better Invictas one can have... I have not seen many others I like...

Here is a -not very good- pic of the Exceutive:


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## Docrwm (Feb 10, 2006)

I just can NOT believe we have not heard from a particular WIS on this subject...:-s


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## newcollector (Jul 8, 2007)

yamahaki said:


> I'm in the minority here. I never had a bad one. I beat my elite for 4 years until it died from abuse. I still own a few, and just bought a new one about a month ago. and another one 3 weeks ago and............... well you get the point. heres some good ones.


Where do you get your watches from? i've found some good cheap places online (i figure i'll buy one and see how it goes) just wondering where you would recommend going to..
the cheapest i found actually happens to be www.diamondshack.com so if you know anything about them please let me know!!!
thanks a-ton


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## obie (Feb 9, 2006)

I just checked out there site. pretty good prices and they carry some of the discontinued models also, like the malaga. I still watch ebay and buy some from private sellers. the elite series can be had new for under 100.00 if you wait for the right seller. the S1 at the bottom of my pics is very hard to find though. if one shows up, buy it.


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## anthony660 (May 5, 2007)

I have only owned Invictas w/the Miyota movement and I must say I have not had any issues with them. All of them have performed flawlessly, with no QC issues.


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## CycloneFever (Apr 19, 2007)

The only problems with my Legendary 8926 were caused by yours truly. Other than that it has been a superb value for under $100.

I shattered the crystal removing the cyclops in case you're wondering. o|


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## autoguy (Jul 5, 2007)

newcollector said:


> _hey anyone own an Invicta Watch? Are they good watches, worth starting up a collection of them?_
> _whats your opinion?_
> _thanks_
> _newcollector_
> _and how come the italic doesnt shut off? o|_


My Invicta 8926 is a nice watch for the price. I paid $89 for it. The only things I really don't like about it is that the cyclops hardly magnifies at all and it runs fast (about +35 seconds per day). Some people are lucky and get one that doesn't run as fast, but +35 is still within the acceptable range for the movement.

I would not have been happy if I spent more than $100 on this watch.


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## xatara (Feb 22, 2011)

What's the opinion on this piece?

YouTube - Invicta Men's 3843, 3845, 3468, 3469, Skeletonized Russian Diver Watch Review

lol i'm not sure if it's the watch or the guy's enthusiasm that sells it. i've seen em from 400-600.


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## plustardi (Jan 22, 2008)

With (most) watches it is like it is with most of the things - you get what you pay for - same goes vor Invicta.


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## Pacient (Jan 15, 2011)

Invicta is a gamble. You will either get a good watch for a small amount of $$ or you'll get a lot of hassle and headache dealing with them.


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## Tzimisces (Apr 22, 2010)

Why are ancient Invicta threads being resurrected? Can't we just scroll down and add on to one of the dozens from this year alone?

And no, they're not.


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## will50569 (Feb 20, 2011)

I had an Invicta 9937 which is very similar in look to the 8926 except it has sapphire crystal and an ETA movement. BUT NOW THE 9937 DOES NOT have either of those things.

My watch was stolen, don't remember where. I have to say though, that the watch was flawless. The see-through caseback was a cool conversation item  

The look was very Submariner-like but I thought it had enough differences, and their logo was prominent enough, where I didn't consider it a blatant copy.

A recent post here had a pair of pic showing how obviously Invicata copies other brands, and that's such a turn off that i'm done with the brand.

Also, their decision to change established models away from Sapphire crystal to "Flame Fusion" is unnacceptable.


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## sixtysix (Nov 19, 2007)

You guys are missing the point of this thread completely, has anybody watched the video?!! I never laughed so hard in my life....just watch it......all of it........


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## watchgolfer (Feb 28, 2010)

I have a few Invicta's and like them very much. I tend to stay in the 40-44mm range. I agree with the guy in the video, the larger watches are good if your a strip club manager or pimp or baller(what ever that is) The quality has become very spotty because they have to pump out so many watches for shop nbc and invictashark that the qc has suffered, happens to a lot of companies that grow very fast. So I won't buy an Invicta anymore I have moved on but still wear the ones I have. So to all you pimps and ballers Invicta is for you...


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## bluloo (Nov 24, 2008)

sixtysix said:


> You guys are missing the point of this thread completely, has anybody watched the video?!! I never laughed so hard in my life....just watch it......all of it........


LOL!, yeah, that's pretty funny.

I wonder if, after projecting so much onto his watch, when it dies, will his dreams die too? ;-)

As for Invicta, they're a discount brand sold with an abundance of hype. Take that for what it is.


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## OnlineReviewer (Mar 16, 2011)

The Invicta brand is unquestionably positioning in a very good place in the retail market, specially with the economy we're living these days. Invicta are definitely nice and affordable watches, manufactured under acceptable quality standards. Considering the price range they sell for, I would say that Invicta watches are worth buying and collecting. Thumbs up Invicta! keep up the good work!!


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## phillycheez (Mar 4, 2011)

Affordable? Yes
Exceptional quality? Yes
Would I buy one? No

Too many other affordable watches in this price range that I rather have.

I just think invicta ruined their image by being a discount brand. Who in their right mind buys them for their "MSRP"? Its like they are trying to scam people into thinking they got a good deal because it was 80% off.

I've heard good things about them... as long as you know that price you bought it for is not a "steal" but its true market value.


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## aladin_sane (Mar 22, 2008)

Online, have you worked for invicta long?


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## Caruso (Sep 25, 2010)

Not a big Invicta fan myself..


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## jlow28 (Feb 27, 2010)

And the Invicta thread awakens from it's slumber. 
I think the quality of the watches they sell are closer to the price you actually pay. There is nothing wrong with this and the pro diver they make seems to get some good reviews here. The main problem I have is having the general public think that the deal you got on the watch based on their MSRP is a no brain decision. Who makes up the MSRP's on the watches at Invicta?
Example...This watch was on a DOD site had an MSRP of $575









Did Luminox and Traser miss something? Not even their MSRP's come close to a + $500 price tag. Yes I understand the MSRP's on a watch or car is higher than most of us pay, but theirs isn't even close and almost laughable. We all like getting a deal on a watch, but 80% off , "value pays" and every DOD site ruin it for me. Just me opinion.


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## dualtime (Apr 29, 2008)

OnlineReviewer said:


> The Invicta brand is unquestionably positioning in a very good place in the retail market, specially with the economy we're living these days. Invicta are definitely nice and affordable watches, manufactured under acceptable quality standards. Considering the price range they sell for, I would say that Invicta watches are worth buying and collecting. Thumbs up Invicta! keep up the good work!!


Speaking from experience, I couldn't possibly disagree more...


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## cottontop (Oct 8, 2009)

Invictas are good. I have quite a few of them and you can't beat them for the money. I'm talking about the ones that are less than $100. In fact, I'm wearing a Lupah right now. Great looking watch, can hardly take my eves off of it.
cottontop


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## theinterchange (May 29, 2010)

xatara said:


> What's the opinion on this piece?
> 
> YouTube - Invicta Men's 3843, 3845, 3468, 3469, Skeletonized Russian Diver Watch Review
> 
> lol i'm not sure if it's the watch or the guy's enthusiasm that sells it. i've seen em from 400-600.


LOOK AT IT! You can't find a more beautiful watch than that... LOOK AT IT! BAM! My gosh, this guy throws everything at you, including his love life in this review... and a plug for Tony Robbins!

[I hope he doesn't sit around and wind the watch all day long...]

Can't believe I'm still watching the video... this guy is SOLD on his watch. "They're in sock and awe."


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## IanC (Jul 3, 2010)

jlow28 said:


> And the Invicta thread awakens from it's slumber.
> I think the quality of the watches they sell are closer to the price you actually pay. There is nothing wrong with this and the pro diver they make seems to get some good reviews here. The main problem I have is having the general public think that the deal you got on the watch based on their MSRP is a no brain decision. Who makes up the MSRP's on the watches at Invicta?
> Example...This watch was on a DOD site had an MSRP of $575
> 
> ...


Hmm lets say Invicta had, from the very beginning, sold their watches at close to their MSRP, like normal brands did.

Would there be any complaints about the "fake MSRP" then?


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## Sean779 (Jul 23, 2007)

phillycheez said:


> I've heard good things about them... as long as you know that price you bought it for is not a "steal" but its true market value.


right, and the truth is that realization doesn't take an Einstein.


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## phillycheez (Mar 4, 2011)

IanC said:


> Would there be any complaints about the "fake MSRP" then?


Yes. People would never buy them as they would be overpriced.


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## IanC (Jul 3, 2010)

phillycheez said:


> Yes. People would never buy them as they would be overpriced.


But people currently buy plenty of fashion watches in the $500+ range that are simple quartz pieces.


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## jlow28 (Feb 27, 2010)

IanC said:


> Hmm lets say Invicta had, from the very beginning, sold their watches at close to their MSRP, like normal brands did.
> 
> Would there be any complaints about the "fake MSRP" then?


My point in this example was to show that even the suggested MSRP's are misleading. If Invicta makes a homage of a watch, then marks their MSRP close to the watch it's a copy of and sells for 80% off. It looks like a PO or submariner so suggested retail is a little over a thousand, but today it's $85.


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## phillycheez (Mar 4, 2011)

IanC said:


> But people currently buy plenty of fashion watches in the $500+ range that are simple quartz pieces.


I have more respect for a invicta auto then a quartz tag if that means anything...

When it comes to "fashion watches" price seem to irrelevant as that audience doesn't care if its an auto or a swiss. Hell, they probably don't even know what a movement is! They are simply paying for the fashion.

Unless they are women that's fine as they tend to not care as much as we do for an automatic movement in our watch. They also change jewelry quiet often in which a quartz is just more convenient as they never have to set.


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## Buddha Jones (Aug 18, 2010)

No, they are not good. I have two and they both need to go in for repair. I have an S1 Racer that turns into a rain forest when it's been on my wrist for 5 minutes and I have a Lupah with a 'Flame Fusion' crystal that has more scratches on it than a Def Jam record!


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## Elkabong (Jan 5, 2011)

xatara said:


> What's the opinion on this piece?
> 
> YouTube - Invicta Men's 3843, 3845, 3468, 3469, Skeletonized Russian Diver Watch Review
> 
> lol i'm not sure if it's the watch or the guy's enthusiasm that sells it. i've seen em from 400-600.


Now that's funny; I don't care who you are! I don't know what's in that guy's koolaid, but I think he could take JS' place on ShopNBC anyday - he's almost that dillusional. LOL


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## theinterchange (May 29, 2010)

Elkabong said:


> Now that's funny; I don't care who you are! I don't know what's in that guy's koolaid, but I think he could take JS' place on ShopNBC anyday - he's almost that dillusional. LOL


I was thinking is this guy for real, then felt sorry for him, projecting THAT much symbolism onto an Invicta.

The fact that he kept bringing the strip clubs into the review was hilarious... as if they're dens of high class people and watches. Just out of curiosity, do they actually _make_ $20,000 Breitlings?

Randy


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## Tzimisces (Apr 22, 2010)

OnlineReviewer said:


> The Invicta brand is unquestionably positioning in a very good place in the retail market, specially with the economy we're living these days. Invicta are definitely nice and affordable watches, *manufactured under acceptable quality standards*. Considering the price range they sell for, I would say that Invicta watches are worth buying and collecting. Thumbs up Invicta! keep up the good work!!


I guess it depends on your definition of "acceptable".

Regardless, I prefer my watches to be manufactured under *exceptional* quality standards. When it comes to quality control, "good enough", isn't.


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## cottontop (Oct 8, 2009)

Here is one of my Invictas from the 50's. It runs like new. Yes they are good watches. If you want to collect them, then collect away. For such an all around hated watch, they probably get more free advertising on this forum than any other brand.
cottontop


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## dualtime (Apr 29, 2008)

cottontop said:


> Here is one of my Invictas from the 50's. It runs like new. Yes they are good watches. If you want to collect them, then collect away. For such an all around hated watch, they probably get more free advertising on this forum than any other brand.
> cottontop


I don't think the watches produced in the 50's have much comparison to the ones produced now. I once owned 5 Invictas. Three of them were complete junk. I got rid of all of them and I personally will never put another one on my wrist. Got totally screwed by this company. Nobody will ever convince me that what they produce now is of any quality, I'll take a ten dollar Walmart watch over an Invicta any day.


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## hunter73135 (Dec 30, 2010)

They are a decent watch for what you spend. I've purchased around 14 Invicta's for myself ,wife ,son and friend. In 3 1/2 years all are still running fine with no issues at all. Many on Invicta's movements are the same as Citizen and Seiko or even from them those two. I wouldn't spend more than $300 max though on the Invicta brand watch but IMHO they are as good as any other brand at that price point.


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## aladin_sane (Mar 22, 2008)

The invictas of that era have nothing to do with the modern incarnation of invicta. The company shut it's doors in the 70's when the quartz revolution killed most of the swiss watch industry. The Lalo bought the name and started what i consider a fundamentally dishonest watch company.


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## zippofan (Feb 11, 2006)

cottontop said:


> Here is one of my Invictas from the 50's. It runs like new. Yes they are good watches. If you want to collect them, then collect away. For such an all around hated watch, they probably get more free advertising on this forum than any other brand.
> cottontop


Now that's an Invicta!
As you said, they are probably the most hated brand in all of WISdom, yet get more free advertising here and anywhere else WIS congregate to talk watches. As I've said before, I have 3, 2 ProDivers and a skeleton, and no problems here with the PD's in regular rotation.

I wouldn't buy one of Invicta's higher end pieces (and I've been tempted by the Sea Vulture chrono for one), for me it's gotta be <$100, there are way too many choices out there to focus solely on one watch brand regardless of who they are.


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## Sean779 (Jul 23, 2007)

zippofan said:


> ...for me it's gotta be <$100, there are way too many choices out there to focus solely on one watch brand regardless of who they are.


and actually the more you spend the more garish the Invicta. IMO, their best looking watches <$125.


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## kramer5150 (Nov 15, 2007)

I wouldn't spend too much more than ~$250 on any Invicta. I think they offer decent value and decent quality below that point, but thats only IF you happen to get good one. If I need a solid, reliable, dependable high quality tool around $250, I look to Seiko, Citizen, Android and Swiss Army / Victorinox. If I want something flashy and eye catching I look at Invicta. Spending more than that on an Invicta is a gamble.

I _almost always_ limit my Invicta purchases to local B&M and BST pre-owned sales. That way either I can do my own QC inspection, or rely on other forum members to honestly describe the condition of the item. The advantage of buying a used watch is that its been pre-tested to some degree by someone else.

Some of the reported defects that pass through Invicta QC (and the high occurrence on every message board) leave me scratching my head. This (and their poor post-sale CS) is the reason I almost never openly recommend Invicta to friends. I enjoy collecting the brand for myself and have 9 in my collection. My biggest complaint is that 2 of the crystals were poorly cleaned during assembly.


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## Sean779 (Jul 23, 2007)

kramer5150 said:


> My biggest complaint is that 2 of the crystals were poorly cleaned during assembly.


that's because the crystal wipers/cleaners subcontracted by Invicta must clean 1000 crystals per minute (or cpm) to meet Invicta quantity standards.


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## will50569 (Feb 20, 2011)

I just got this model and swapped the bracelet for a strap and I prefer this watch over others coating 5x as much.


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## watchman19 (Dec 16, 2010)

I have an F0066 and a 5942s which is a larger scale of the 8926 auto with the NH25A movt, it has been good to me no complaints here.

View attachment 406114
View attachment 406115


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## bluloo (Nov 24, 2008)

Glad some like their watches. 

Though they probably have the worst reputation of any mainstream watch company around.


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## cottontop (Oct 8, 2009)

dualtime said:


> I don't think the watches produced in the 50's have much comparison to the ones produced now. I once owned 5 Invictas. Three of them were complete junk. I got rid of all of them and I personally will never put another one on my wrist. Got totally screwed by this company. Nobody will ever convince me that what they produce now is of any quality, I'll take a ten dollar Walmart watch over an Invicta any day.


I'm not suggesting that they do. I wondered how many would fall for that and several sure did. This made my day and shows how people will read things into topics that are not there. Did I say anything in this post about the current Invictas? No I did not. I was only suggesting vintages. Gotcha!


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## watchman19 (Dec 16, 2010)

zippofan said:


> Now that's an Invicta!
> As you said, they are probably the most hated brand in all of WISdom, yet get more free advertising here and anywhere else WIS congregate to talk watches. As I've said before, I have 3, 2 ProDivers and a skeleton, and no problems here with the PD's in regular rotation.
> 
> I wouldn't buy one of Invicta's higher end pieces (and I've been tempted by the Sea Vulture chrono for one), for me it's gotta be <$100, there are way too many choices out there to focus solely on one watch brand regardless of who they are.


I agree the older Invictas were real "Invictas" the only reason that I am not too sold on Invictas today is the fact that most of them do not have serial numbers, that bothers me a bit. If you like collect them because of the appeal they have to you. I actually like the 2 that I own. Based on their reviews, even though my 5249S really didn't get that great of a review I got it because it appealed to me. To the OP if you want to start a nice collection start with Seikos they do hold their value and many Seiko out there do give Rolex, Omega and Zenith a run for their money IMHO. Some seikos are priced above the 10k mark and are precise some say better than the 3 listed above but thats just here say. Try to get Invictas that have great reviews and stay away from their models with complex movements and such.

If they were to stop producing the 8926C yes it would be a collectors piece because of it's rep. As for everything else for the price of 3 of them you can have an Orange monster which are highly collected and should be in every watch collectors collection.

I happen to collect Seikos, Citizen, Casio and other brands I am looking to acquire a Seiko SKX007 soon. If you are collecting the Older Styled Invictas you may have a strong collection because of their history and they were really made Swiss and were not a Marketing company.

You could also look at citizen Eco Drives, I happen to own a Eco Drive BL5315-50E which turn out they are getting harder to find because they were discontinued and with very few "brand new" ones are out there. Supply and Demand its what it is all about.

View attachment 406236


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## watchman19 (Dec 16, 2010)

will50569 said:


> I just got this model and swapped the bracelet for a strap and I prefer this watch over others coating 5x as much.


Will I like your piece, question your bezel like mine is 84 clicks, do you often have a slight play in your bezel or is it mine?


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## watchman19 (Dec 16, 2010)

theinterchange said:


> LOOK AT IT! You can't find a more beautiful watch than that... LOOK AT IT! BAM! My gosh, this guy throws everything at you, including his love life in this review... and a plug for Tony Robbins!
> 
> [I hope he doesn't sit around and wind the watch all day long...]
> 
> Can't believe I'm still watching the video... this guy is SOLD on his watch. "They're in sock and awe."


-Real Gold/ Rose Gold- with GOLD commodities prices that watch should be worth in the 1-2k mark he paid some what of 300.00 - 500.00 ?????
-Mechanical Engineering inside, there is a little engineer inside moving all of the parts
- The watch to end all watches, Seiko, Citizen, Rolex, Zenith pack in guys your done!
- Tony Robbins just sold 4 more books
-Everybody is signing up for Martial Arts
- Gun Metal, the watch props a gun out and shoots
- The chain, man that chain is a pull to start
BAM this is the watch to get!!!!

All in all I hope he enjoys it, happy for him. I think he should edit his 14 min video and leave it at 2 or 3 mins


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## watchman19 (Dec 16, 2010)

theinterchange said:


> I was thinking is this guy for real, then felt sorry for him, projecting THAT much symbolism onto an Invicta.
> 
> The fact that he kept bringing the strip clubs into the review was hilarious... as if they're dens of high class people and watches. Just out of curiosity, do they actually _make_ $20,000 Breitlings?
> 
> Randy


Yes


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## theinterchange (May 29, 2010)

watchman19 said:


> Yes


Thanks, I really know _very _little about Breitling as they just don't do much for me. Much like Rolex in that respect.


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## Tzimisces (Apr 22, 2010)

cottontop said:


> I'm not suggesting that they do. I wondered how many would fall for that and several sure did. This made my day and shows how people will read things into topics that are not there. Did I say anything in this post about the current Invictas? No I did not. I was only suggesting vintages. Gotcha!


Gotcha? The OP asked "Are Invicta watches good quality watches". You answered


> Yes they are good watches. If you want to collect them, then collect away.


Under the circumstances, this reply is not only reasonable, but necessary, lest someone be misled.


> The invictas of that era have nothing to do with the modern incarnation of invicta. The company shut it's doors in the 70's when the quartz revolution killed most of the swiss watch industry. The Lalo bought the name and started what i consider a fundamentally dishonest watch company.


But then the modern Invicta relies on misleading people.


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## ed46464 (Mar 19, 2011)

I have an Invicta 8926 Pro Diver. I have been wearing this watch everyday for the past year and half and I could not be happier with it. I spent a lot of time reading about this watch before I bought it. The watch keeps good time and I have had no problems with it.


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## zippofan (Feb 11, 2006)

I recently got digital cable and have been able to chuckle at SNBC again. What I'll never understand from Invicta is the focus on humungous watches. In the last 2 nights, with the exception of a couple Lupah models, every single one has been 50mm or bigger. My sweet spot on my 7.25" wrist is 36-44mm depending on style. Yes, I have a couple ABC's that are bigger but I wear them exclusively for hiking and camping. I think anything bigger than 44mm on my wrist is stretching it, and sets me up for comments like "that watch is a big one, huh?" etc. I know oversize watches are in fashion, and also many members enjoy and prefer them which is cool, but I just can't wear anything that big in a 'regular' watch, diver or otherwise. 

If Invicta wants to reach me they better show 40mm pieces as well as 50mm pieces or I won't even think of buying, even after coming home from a night out ;-)


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## Berrnard (Feb 8, 2011)

i dont mind invicta. ive had no problems out of the 11 or 12 that ive had. know the hatred for them but i live with it. but nvr plan to pay greater than 150 for one. mainly i think of a daily work watch, and keep a good place for my grand diver


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## Y4BBZY (Jan 30, 2011)

IMO there watches are okay $200 and under but wouldn't pay more than that. I just don't like the company as a whole, inflated MRSP, zombie brand history, shoddy QC, worthless customer service. Plus I just don't like there watch commercials, IMO, they are a marketing company that happens to sell watches.


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## Sean779 (Jul 23, 2007)

Y4BBZY said:


> IMO, they are a marketing company that happens to sell watches.


once you know that, what's the problem? Use them before they use you. Once you know their game, you know their little rules. Einstein is over-qualified.


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## cottontop (Oct 8, 2009)

But youn have to admit that their ShopNBC shows are very entertaining. Some of the ladies are nice to look at and Jim w/ his boarder line off color comments should be a stand up comic.
cottontop

BTW,
Invicta should congratulate WUS for all of its free advertising. Don't you know that a newbie will investigate them to see what all the anti-hype is about and then possibly buy one?


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## theinterchange (May 29, 2010)

cottontop said:


> BTW,
> Invicta should congratulate WUS for all of its free advertising. Don't you know that a newbie will investigate them to see what all the anti-hype is about and then possibly buy one?


I have to agree. I've never owned one, so the thought of buying one "just to see" intrigues me.

Randy


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## Toolman12345 (Nov 29, 2010)

Oh they ARE intriguing, in spite of the negative reviews. While thinking how-much-could-they-screw-up-with-a-quartz I came THIS close to pulling the trigger on the watch below for $94, just before my trip that resulted in a TX for $150 instead. Obviously the TX is a MUCH MUCH better value, but those Invicta's just keep catching my eye, over and over. And the one below got good reviews from buyers. If I could have found one called 'Subaqua' at the same price I'm sure I would have bought it. But my trip to two Fossil stores taught me that you really can screw up a quartz - watch after watch that I asked to look at just had some cheap flaw that marred the experience - like a hand with a central pivot, where one end of the hand was lower than the other. Engaging the chrono made the little spinning hand look SO bad.


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## dadofelliott (Mar 29, 2011)

Newegg.com has big spring sale on Invicta right now.

Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!


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## roch68 (Mar 17, 2011)

I have had more problems with my Citizen Knighthawk than any Invicta i own. Buy the 8926c and you will be fine, then look in to some other watches like the Seiko Orange Monster, Orient's are nice even Skagen has some fun watches


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## phillycheez (Mar 4, 2011)

You know its a quality watch when you can buy it at an computer electronic website....


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## armoredpig (Mar 20, 2011)

I can't speak for longevity as I've only just received my 8926OB today but I can say that it was very nicely put together! No lint under the crystal or any of the other horror stories I've heard about Invicta (so far).


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## Lester Burnham (May 9, 2008)

theinterchange said:


> I have to agree. I've never owned one, so the thought of buying one "just to see" intrigues me.
> 
> Randy


+1

I caught myself thinking the same thing. 
If I run into one with a reasonable size (42mm or less), an interesting design and a friendly price tag, I might just go for it to see what all the fuzz is about.


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## Tzimisces (Apr 22, 2010)

cottontop said:


> But youn have to admit that their ShopNBC shows are very entertaining.


I tried watching that show once. Lasted about 15 minutes before I changed it in disgust. Boring, amateurish salespeople selling ugly, freakish watches at fake discounts.

Not for me.


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## bluloo (Nov 24, 2008)

With Invicta, it's not that any one or two particular watches will necessarily be 'good' or 'bad'. It's the overall level of deception/smoke and mirrors with which the company continually promotes their products.

In the past, I've owned many Invictas. None were bad watches _per se_ (save one DOA and one that died later on but was properly repaired by them) but the build and component quality has declined noticeably while the company has, during the same period, extolled their product's virtues as if the product had actually improved.

I understand 'invisible' cost cutting a relatively common, but hyping either downscaled or otherwise mundane features isn't.

It is, in part, the reason I was eventually turned off to the brand.


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## MarkChicago (Dec 8, 2010)

phillycheez said:


> You know its a quality watch when you can buy it at an computer electronic website....


Hey, last October I bought a Semdu with Seagull movement and sapphire crystal from NewEggMall for just $38!

They also sell Omega, Rolex, Breitling, Tag Heuer, and others. It might not be the best place to buy a luxury watch, though.

Back to the topic: My Invicta 8927 ($60 with free watch sizing tool from Amazon) arrived in early January. Lately it has bumped the Seiko 5 as the everyday watch. DOA? Nope. Hands falling off? Not yet.

Nonetheless, someone at Invicta ought to read the customer comments at Amazon. Seiko and Orient don't seem to have as many quality control issues.


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## zippofan (Feb 11, 2006)

MarkChicago said:


> Hey, last October I bought a Semdu with Seagull movement and sapphire crystal from NewEggMall for just $38!
> 
> They also sell Omega, Rolex, Breitling, Tag Heuer, and others. It might not be the best place to buy a luxury watch, though.


Yep, I bought a Sector and a Highgear through NewEgg. The Sector has gone to another owner but the Highgear remains, one of the most accurate ABC watches I've ever owned.

And I still think SNBC is perfectly mindless entertainment, better than the dreck my wife wants to watch on TV :-d Of course she can't figure out why I am laughing so hard during the Invicta shows when she hasn't heard any jokes...


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## Oilers Fan (Jan 19, 2011)

I think Invicta is a decent watch. I have 4 Invictas and one I by Invicta and have had no problems. I completely agree with others in not paying more than about $150 for one of their watches


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## willie12354 (Mar 31, 2011)

They are good watches if you spend $200 or DOWN. Anything above that you are overpaying and probably have no idea at all what you are getting. To many reported problems and horrible customer service is enough to push me to spend my money on other brands. No issues with how others spend their money but I wont spend on the big I.


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## mjbernier (Sep 30, 2007)

I just received an 8926OB today... curiosity finally got to me and WoW had them on sale...

First impressions are that it's actually a pretty solid-feeling watch. Everything looks like it should - no lint, no loose hands, etc. It seems to wind and run just fine too. I'll give it some wrist time and see if any of that changes. It'll probably be the only Invicta I'll ever own anyway; I'm not much interested in the very... uhh... diverse styles they have.

Mike


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## jvdesigns (Mar 30, 2011)

I feel like I'm in the minority here with this answer. I manage a fine jewelry store in Southern California where we both sell and repair watches. We sell many extremely high end brands in our shop and I truly believe the answer to this question lies in what your expectations are for the watch you are looking to get. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of Invicta watches are extremely affordable. Not only that, I don't think I'm reaching too far by saying that Invicta probably "pushes the envelope" just as much as any other brand (high end or not) on the styling/designs of their watches. I read tons of posts on various blog sites that feature numerous rants and opinions on how horrible Invicta watches are in regards to both quality and customer service. However, I don't know if I can name another brand that offers more aggressively/progressive style watches of decent quality (stainless steel and sapphire crystals-isa/ronda/miyota movements) for prices that are amazingly affordable. It truly does shock me when people rant about how most of their production being outsourced to other factories and how their quality control is so poor. Let's not forget that the vast majority of high end watches feature pre-manufactured movements. The vast majority of Breitlings/Tag's/Ball watches feature ETA/Valjoux movements-which basically means that these brands are purchasing movements and dropping them into cases and bracelets that they design-but yet nobody seems to have an issue with that. In regards to poor customer service-I can't comment first hand-but I read numerous posts from people complaining that their watch repairs took 2-3 months to complete. I hate to be real-but try sending a Rolex in for a basic servicing. Try sending a Patek or an Audemars in for an overhaul--you will find that even these elite brands take time in getting these repairs done. Trust me- I deal with all of these companies on a weekly basis. In any case, I'm not an Invicta defender by any means-but I can tell you that I size/replace batteries/pressure test many Invicta's at my job. In my opinion if you are looking to spend a couple hundred dollars or less on a watch- I think they are a fine option. I agree that both Seiko and citizen are also fine options-but they are brands that I consider to be more reliable but far more bland in their styling. In any case, great luck with your watch search. Sorry for the length of my reply.


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## Sean779 (Jul 23, 2007)

Tzimisces said:


> Boring, amateurish salespeople selling ugly, freakish watches at fake discounts.


:-!


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## Sean779 (Jul 23, 2007)

jvdesigns said:


> I feel like I'm in the minority here with this answer. I manage a fine jewelry store in Southern California where we both sell and repair watches. We sell many extremely high end brands in our shop and I truly believe the answer to this question lies in what your expectations are for the watch you are looking to get. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of Invicta watches are extremely affordable. Not only that, I don't think I'm reaching too far by saying that Invicta probably "pushes the envelope" just as much as any other brand (high end or not) on the styling/designs of their watches. I read tons of posts on various blog sites that feature numerous rants and opinions on how horrible Invicta watches are in regards to both quality and customer service. However, I don't know if I can name another brand that offers more aggressively/progressive style watches of decent quality (stainless steel and sapphire crystals-isa/ronda/miyota movements) for prices that are amazingly affordable. It truly does shock me when people rant about how most of their production being outsourced to other factories and how their quality control is so poor. Let's not forget that the vast majority of high end watches feature pre-manufactured movements. The vast majority of Breitlings/Tag's/Ball watches feature ETA/Valjoux movements-which basically means that these brands are purchasing movements and dropping them into cases and bracelets that they design-but yet nobody seems to have an issue with that. In regards to poor customer service-I can't comment first hand-but I read numerous posts from people complaining that their watch repairs took 2-3 months to complete. I hate to be real-but try sending a Rolex in for a basic servicing. Try sending a Patek or an Audemars in for an overhaul--you will find that even these elite brands take time in getting these repairs done. Trust me- I deal with all of these companies on a weekly basis. In any case, I'm not an Invicta defender by any means-but I can tell you that I size/replace batteries/pressure test many Invicta's at my job. In my opinion if you are looking to spend a couple hundred dollars or less on a watch- I think they are a fine option. I agree that both Seiko and citizen are also fine options-but they are brands that I consider to be more reliable but far more bland in their styling. In any case, great luck with your watch search. Sorry for the length of my reply.


:-!


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## urbrainwashed (Jan 23, 2011)

just ordered a 8926c from amazon, I am curious about the movement.


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## armoredpig (Mar 20, 2011)

Just chiming in with an update to my week old 8926OB..

The polished center links are a scratch magnet! 

The watch is averaging +7s per day, considering this is my first and only auto, I am impressed with the accuracy. No problems with power reserve so far even though I've only had if off of my wrist for 12hr periods or less. 

The bezel really loosens up after being washed with lukewarm soapy water a few times--this is very good because they come from the factory feeling as though they were welded on; mine has no free-play and lines up perfectly. Its a nice smooth 120 click bezel.

As far as Miyota stutter, I don't think mine has it, but if it does, I am unable to perceive it. I still can't speak for the whole Invicta line, but I'd say at least my watch is of great quality!


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## bedroomeyes (Mar 21, 2011)

I own 3. no major problems.


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## Time Passages (Aug 3, 2007)

dadofelliott said:


> Newegg.com has big spring sale on Invicta right now.
> 
> Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!





phillycheez said:


> You know its a quality watch when you can buy it at an computer electronic website....


:think: When did Newegg start selling wrist watches?


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## CLEANS-HIGH (Feb 26, 2009)

I have 6 Invicta and am quite pleased with them, I read about all the issues but have not seen them in my experience


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## kaffakid (Aug 13, 2010)

OFF THE SUBJECT 

going along in the same vein of a pretty basic question by a new collector here goes:

Aside from the family Rolex my Grandma gave me, I have only ever owner quartz movement watches...
why would anyone want to own a mechanical or automatic movement watch if it doesn't keep accurate time? (or at least isnt as accurate as quartz)?? :-s


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## IanC (Jul 3, 2010)

kaffakid said:


> OFF THE SUBJECT
> 
> going along in the same vein of a pretty basic question by a new collector here goes:
> 
> ...


Database error, forum ate my post. Trying again.

For the average person, not many reasons. While it's true that automatics can go longer without servicing, a servicing is also more expensive than multiple battery changes, and battery changes are free in the warranty period while general servicing isn't. The average person doesn't care(and probably has never seen or know) about a sweeping second hand, nor any other myriad of reasons often posted here(history, movement, etc). And your average person balks at the idea of adjusting time in anything less than once a year.

The only reason a average person would buy a automatic over a quartz is probably if they really liked the look of the automatic. Then again, if there was a quartz version of that exact same watch, they would probably buy it over the auto. Most high end watches are automatics as well, so some people would buy them for that reason(sucessfull businessmen/executives/etc).

On the other hand you have skeletons like in this pic, that no quartz can look like.


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## zippofan (Feb 11, 2006)

kaffakid said:


> OFF THE SUBJECT
> 
> going along in the same vein of a pretty basic question by a new collector here goes:
> 
> ...


I won't get into the "soul" of a miniature machine ticking away on your wrist because the main reason I bought my first mechanical (Vostok Komandirskie, $25 on eBay) was because I was fed up taking watches to the jeweler for battery changes. What spurred the original purchase was my favorite watch at the time fogged up after a battery change, I don't think the jeweler installed the snap back correctly. When I went searching I was absolutely amazed at the number of inexpensive mechanical watches on eBay. I figured since they were an anachronism except for the very wealthy I was wasting my time searching for watches instead of Zippos. The first Russian piqued my interest, I did research and found WatchUSeek, specifically the Russian forum. While searching around here I found Affordables, the Invicta 8926 and the rest is too much money spent and too many watches, plus the neglect of my Zippo collection! :-d

I have to add that I knew about mechanical watches because that is what I had growing up, the first LED digital came out right as I was becoming a teenager and I had been wearing a hand winding watch since I was in 1st grade.


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## MarkChicago (Dec 8, 2010)

There are two questions hanging here:

1) Are Invicta watches good quality watches?

2) Why would anyone want to own a mechanical or automatic movement watch if it doesn't keep accurate time?


A one sentence answer:

My Invicta 8927A has lost forty-five seconds in ninety-four days.


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## patricia (Jul 18, 2011)

Hello everyone,

I`m planning to buy womens invicta square angel diamond watch 5378 off ebay,I have never owned an invicta watch,I came across this one while browsing through ebay and I really liked the design , so I was wondering if someone could tell me about the quality of this particular watch and if the price is good,because the seller on ebay sells it for 155$ (allegedly it retails around 650$) or is it just a fake watch and I can`t tell the difference&#8230;

Appreciate the help.

Womens Invicta Square Angel Diamond Watch 5378 New | eBay


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## bluloo (Nov 24, 2008)

patricia said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> I`m planning to buy womens invicta square angel diamond watch 5378 off ebay,I have never owned an invicta watch,I came across this one while browsing through ebay and I really liked the design , so I was wondering if someone could tell me about the quality of this particular watch and if the price is good,because the seller on ebay sells it for 155$ (allegedly it retails around 650$) or is it just a fake watch and I can`t tell the difference&#8230;
> 
> ...


That looks like an older model, which is good because they generally used better quality parts, like the sapphire crystal instead of the Flame Fusion junk.

The movement is a far-east/Chinese assembly part. The Swiss version runs ~ $25, so that would have been priced somewhat lower.

Their quality is hit or miss and you should absolutely ignore the MSRPs. They're almost pure fiction.

I'd say it's probably worth ~ $100, but the price isn't horrible. If you like the watch, pick it up. :-!

Cheers


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## mariyaaks (Aug 25, 2011)

Hi All! I am looking to buy this watch and I have never dealt with Invicta brand watches before. Could you please let me know your opinions and whether this watch is worth over $300? I love the look of it but would love to have something that's going to last longer than a year. Thank you! Amazon.com: Invicta Women's 6824 Lupah Revolution Collection Chronograph Diamond Accented Orange Leather Watch: Watches


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## Seiko5Fan (May 21, 2011)

I've never owned an Invicta and know of only one co-worker who bought one. He showed it to me proudly once it arrived because he knew I liked watches. It was one of the lower priced models (under $100) . It was very large, very heavy and had lots of garish, shiney, bright colors. He liked it and he is the one wearing it so to each his own. I will admit that I love watching the used car salespeople on late night/evening TV who speak without hesitation yet never discuss the most important factors. Observations: A lot of their watches have quartz movements which doesn't impress me much. Regardless of the watch's movement they repeat ad nauseum that they are Swiss watches. I'll shut-up now. My impression of Invicta is that they are not so much makers of good quality watches. They focus instead on making 12,000 different case design & color variations with whatever movement works. Most of us buy products because we like the quality, features and/or finish. Invicta watches appeal to people who like the way they look...colorful, bright, attention grabbing. The actual quality of the movement is a secondary factor.
My advice is to look on eBay. Decide the basic style and functions you really want. Then pick a brand (I strongly suggest Seiko) and start looking at the grey market watches on offer. I promise you that the most for your money will be a gray market timepiece.


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## Seele (Jan 9, 2010)

Seiko5Fan,

I think you have scored a home run (or a "try" as we say in Australia) here. Prospective customer would make the first round of shortlisting by including or rejecting products by appearance, and some of them might even go further by looking deeper into their engineering merits, functionality, etc.

Of course, those who do not look deeper, or think they have looked deeper without really doing so, constitute the vast majority. That is the reason why Invicta is commercially successful. Anecdotally a good friend's own circle of friends have boasted about their "Swiss" $400 watches bearing fashion brands too, but when the backs were taken off, bang in the middle of their cases are often basic ETA quartz movements, unit retail price less than $4 each.


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## Horo Monger (May 18, 2011)

Get an 8926 and pretend you bought some of the other models. Save yourself the time and money of buying different Invictas, then either selling or giving them away when you come to the conclusion that they are the Walmart or Kmart of watches.

Or better yet, start off with a Seiko and you will be ahead of the Noob curve.


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## zonk (Aug 16, 2011)

One of the best places to look for Invicta wathces is Sam's Club . Super cheap for the value at least here in Minnesota but every store has a different variety of watches.


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## Aerofish (Aug 10, 2011)

I think Invicta's look pretty nice and run great, my watches anyways. I had one prior to really gettin "into" watches and thought they were highly regarded (my own sample is an excellent time keeper) Then I after reading the forums it appeared to have quite a mixed following/reviews to say the least. This is a benefit to pro Invicta people though, as great deals can be had. I recently bought a NIB watch for the cost of just it's ETA movement:-!


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## srmdalt (Feb 20, 2008)

Invicta FTW! lol.


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## Gary Haggard (Aug 29, 2011)

It is a shame when a company floods the market with so many different watches. That hurt Invicta in my opinion. I own several of them and I have to say I never had a bad on in the lot. My first Elite Chronometer (below excuse the smudges my fault) was purchased in 2004-05. It is old school, Swiss made, sapphire crystal, with a scalloped Bezel. In the years that followed that piece has never failed in any way. Yearly cleanings and two battery changes later it still is as good as the day I bought it for a sale price of $285.00. They don't make em like they used to(some of them anyway). You will find that there are exceptions to any rule. They have several specialty watches in their lineup that are very fine time pieces. Many of their Reserve, COSC certified pieces and limited editions would make a nice addition to anyone's collection. The fact that they have made watches that resemble many of the other high end brands have made them a target for bashing and otherwise bad press. When you add a poor customer service base, it gives them a black eye. You have to know what to look for in that line, if you want to really come out on top. If you find a model they have continually produced year after year there is something to said for that, but then you have to know what to look for as well. For myself, I own other brands, but I wont spend $1000 plus just so I can justify in my mind I have "The Best Made" or that I own a status symbol and I can afford any piece I choose or all the little idiosyncratic nuances that sometimes are part of the makeup of the ownership of the high dollar brands(it escapes me why anyone would pay in excess of 10k for a watch, just doesn't make sense to me). All the bickering back and forth is such rubbish IMHO. Its all about how you feel about your purchase. weather it be 25 dollars or 2500 dollars. I confined my purchases into the $300 to $700 range and those watches give me just as much pleasure as any of the brands that start in excess of $1000 and up. *It boils down to this*. Buy what YOU like, what YOU can afford and what YOU are happy with. As long as you are happy it really doesn't matter does it.Oh, and most of all wear it in good health.

http://


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## kmangino47 (Sep 18, 2010)

My friend has one and it's very nice he loves it. But I just can't do it. I would spend my money on seiko. But thats just me.
My wife has one and she is not a WIS it has been solid for years. It comes down to what u like. 


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## Seiko5Fan (May 21, 2011)

*The true nitty-gritty...please don't hate me.

Invicta Watch Group* is a United States-based fashion watch company, trading on the name, but a distinct entity from the company founded in 1837 by Raphael Picard in La Chaux-de-fonds, Switzerland. The Picard family owned and operated the company until 1991, when the company was purchased by a United States-based investment company. The corporate headquarters were relocated to Hollywood, Florida, where the company also operates its service call center.

*Invicta Watch Group* is a Florida-based watch company, not the same company founded in 1837 by Raphael Picard in La Chaux-de-fonds, Switzerland. The Picard family owned and operated the company until 1991, when the company was purchased by a United States-based investment company. The corporate headquarters were relocated to Hollywood, Florida, where the company also operates its service call center and repair facilities. Eyal Lalo, a third-generation watchmaker, is the CEO of the company and frequently appears on televised ShopNBC programs, (see below).

Invicta meaning "invincible" in Latin, was designed to bring common people Swiss watches at affordable prices. The company began its history in La Chaux-de-fonds, Switzerland - a land well-known for its watch making endeavors.

Swiss watches have been highly prized in many parts of the world, and Invicta watches capitalized in that popularity. The name was lessor known than well established Swiss watch makers for more than a century.

Electronic watches like Casio and Timex known as the "quartz invasion" of the 1970s pushed Invicta watches out of popularity. Invicta watches all but disappeared.

In 1991 new management took over manufacturing and continued to market watches under the Invicta banner. Apart from the Invicta brand, the Invicta Watch Group is also responsible for the *S. Coifman*, *Potger-Pietri*, *Activa*, *Brizo*, *Cacciato & Joss*, *Pastorelli* and *Technica* lines.

Upon moving primary operations from Switzerland, Invicta has continued to design watches, but has outsourced manufacturing to third parties in Switzerland and the Far East. Recently the company also began assembling from facilities at the company's Florida headquarters.

Watches made and assembled on several continents: Parts labeled today as "Swiss", is one major reason for concerns about the company (see below). Many of the watches made by Invicta today are of Swiss parts and assembled in whatever location brings back the best return on their investment dollar.

Timepieces manufactured in the United States are part of the "Made in the USA" collection. Some 100% Swiss-made watches are still available, but marketing has a tendency to confuse people what watches are made in Swiss factories and which watches are assembled by lessor skilled laborers in far eastern countries. Far East watches are labeled with the country of origin of their movement, as Invicta utilizes ETA (Swiss), Sellita (Swiss), RONDA (Swiss),ISA (Swiss) and Citizen/Miyota (Japanese) movements in their product lines. Invicta is developing its own proprietary movements upon the purchase of *Technica Swiss Ebauche Microtenique*.

Many Invicta watches, including the company's more popular Pro Diver series, borrow heavily from design cues from seminal watches like the Rolex Submariner and Omega Seamaster.[SUP][_citation needed_][/SUP] The Lupah is one of Invicta's new models of tank (rectangular shaped) chronographs that is targeted towards younger buyers and so available in 196,560 optional variations of dial color and strap types.[SUP][1][/SUP]

The Invicta Watch Group also markets products besides watches including hats and bags. Invicta uses as a principle outlet for their watches, hour long blocks of programing, sometimes played back to back on ShopNBC television, and also on their web site at www.shopnbc.com.

The company currently holds an unfavorable rating of over 30% or a grade of D+ from the Better Business Bureau.[SUP][2][/SUP] and averages hundreds of complaints each week at the Internet forum and over 86 formal complaints at the BBB over the past 36 months.[SUP][_citation needed_][/SUP]


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## SSingh1975 (Jul 4, 2009)

While they do oversized trendy watches for the most part, the old school
autos (when they were using sapphire front/back) are very solid pieces.

The ones with Miyota/Seiko autos are also very good, simply cos of the choice of movement.

For me, this older subaqua ii (valjoux movement) is the best I ever 
picked up. Best $4XX I ever spend on a preowned watch that averaged for 
$800-$1k market price in the days, regardless of brand and I've had for a
while now and haven't had any issues to this day. This gets a lot of 
wrist time along with my Citizen chronos:


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## Valis (Mar 5, 2011)

I myself started my collection with Invictas. As time went on and I got more and more into the watch world, I began to move away from them. I had a couple of problems with one or two of them and its nearly impossible to get these issues taken care of through their CS. Also, if its out of warrenty, the repair cost is so that you could basically just buy another. 
The negative stigma and horrid business practices finally got to me and I currently only own two. The 8927 my dad gave me (that I converted to coin bezel) and a 9938 my wife bought me. The rest are gone. 
The sub homage pro divers seem to run pretty well.. but outside of that, the others I had seemed a bit rickity. I began to put my money into Seikos and even a few Orients, and I've been much happier since.

Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk


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## Txemizo (Apr 25, 2010)

They certainly are surrounded by a lot of controversy, and for that reason I wouldn't risk having one


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## frtorres87 (Jun 11, 2011)

i only own one Invicta, and maybe im just lucky, but its been super solid and keeps great time. Not sure what kind of movement it has but it is a Swiss Quartz.
I am highly interested in more details and maybe even a link to where i can purchase this watch:


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## YogiOz (Feb 11, 2009)

I have a NOMA III #5511...very happy. Didn't pay RRP.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


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## hot rod al (Mar 25, 2011)

Having dealt with their customer service I would never purchase one. It is beyond horrendous.


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## YogiOz (Feb 11, 2009)

hot rod al said:


> Having dealt with their customer service I would never purchase one. It is beyond horrendous.


M'eh - it's a toy (for me).


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## Duder (Aug 18, 2011)

I have a sub homage Grand Diver with the Miyota mvt that a purchased a couple of years ago as my first automatic. Never had a problem, solid, good looking watch. I think the Pro/Grand diver series puts out pretty solid watches, it's just that there is so much other crap that the company puts out there it makes your head spin.


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## Seiko5Fan (May 21, 2011)

Ummmmm. I think it would have been better if you had been "curious about thr movement" BEFORE you bought.
I wish you luck and hope it works out for you.


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## Seiko5Fan (May 21, 2011)

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I think most here would agree that Invicta builds watches that look "unique" and the movement inside is of secondary importance. For the most part the buyers of Invicta watches are making their purchases based upon the cosmetics and the movement inside is of secondary importance.
The company operates under the Invicta name which it bought from the old Swiss company. The current Invicta Watch company shares nothing incommon with the original. In fact... it's headquartered in Florida, not Switzerland. It loves to throw around hefty MSRP's that have no basis in reality although they are often humorous. Lets be real, the watches are sold on TV by the same type of slick willies that sell rare and immensely sought after Statehood Quarters on the same network. When you watch these guys talk like auctioneers all they babble about is the size, the color, the style and the cool features of the watch being sold...not the movement. That's because it's probably a $5 quartz that's no better than a $20 Casio from Wal-Mart. Invicta...brought to you by The Sham Wow!, Snuggies, upside down tomato plants and the above ground swimming pool for $99.
If you really want to answer the question of "Invictas being good quality?" don't just accept & believe what we say. Spend a few minutes online and google to find your own answers. There's plenty of info out there.


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## ShockMister (Mar 22, 2008)

"I hate the brand. I bought 5 of them, so I should know."

Do people realize how they sound when they say these things? Apparently not.


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## Txemizo (Apr 25, 2010)

ShockMister said:


> "I hate the brand. I bought 5 of them, so I should know."
> 
> Do people realize how they sound when they say these things? Apparently not.


Sometimes it takes even more...

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## zippofan (Feb 11, 2006)

I think the best advice given in this thread can be summed up by:

1. Do your homework. If you are already here at Watchuseek in the Affordablesn forum there are plenty of posts on which Invictas are decent watches and others to avoid.
2. Buy what you like. Purchasing a Pro Diver with a Miyota or Seiko movement new is relatively risk free. Buying a Reserve or other expensive model new may or may not be without risk. If you want one of Invicta's more expensive watches, check the sales corners first, you will usually find a good price as Invictas do not hold their resale value (good for a buyer, bad for a seller), plus the watch has been tested. I believe the vast majority of sellers post the true condition of their for-sale watches. If there are issues, be prepared to take the watch to a watchmaker, Invicta's CS isn't good.


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## ShockMister (Mar 22, 2008)

I have seen anti-Invicta postings for many years online. Originally, it seemed like Invicta's quick success at the time rubbed some people the wrong way. Invicta made a lot of styles copying other higher end brands, back at the time. From what I have heard, they use the same type of ETA movements as some of the higher end brands, anyway. But they priced them at a more affordable range.

Now I personally do not own an Invicta. But I have heard from Invicta enthusiasts (in real life) who are collectors, and who I tend to trust a lot more than the online attackers.

I'm also not a "brand conscious" person, so that also affects my opinion of the brand.

I suspect anyone who claims to have had multiple and overwhelming bad experiences with the brand to be a TROLL, like the ones from several years ago, who have an "issue" with the company's success. I have heard of bad experience with Seiko as well. But I don't hear much online about that. (Interesting, isn't it?) I would tend to trust Seiko over Invicta, however.


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## Mike Cooley (Apr 10, 2011)

Invicta is a good brand


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## Seiko5Fan (May 21, 2011)

Welcome to my rant...lol.
I'm gonna get ripped to pieces for this.
Obviously a forum dedicated to all aspects of watches, watch manufacturers and collecting will have a huge assortment of posts based upon personal experiences and preferences. Like anywhere the reader must evaluate what he reads and draw an informed conclusion.

By the way, I happen to admire *Trolls *and have several living under my house in the crawl space. We talk often as we work in the yard but they have never mentioned any negative experiences with Invicta watches.

I can appreciate that most collectors and many customers become passionate about certain brands or styles. I think however that it's kind of funny to declare ones self to *NOT *be "brand counscious" and then write a sizeable post that devotes itself to defending a particular brand.
My member name makes it very obvious that I am a big fan of Seiko's least expensive line of watches..the Automatic Series 5's. I'm not a collector but I have bought nothing but grey market Seiko 5 watches for the last 28 years. Some were bought online, some were bought in Germany where I lived for 18 years. Others were bought in duty-free ports like Dubai. The point is that I still have everyone of them and they all still keep excellent time. I replaced each of them only because I found another Seiko that I found irresistable. I can't tell you about any bad experirences with Seikos because I have never had one...in 28 years. Of course that doesn't mean there aren't some lemons out there. 
I don't have any issues with Invictas "success" and they do appear to be very sucessful. I do however have problems with any manufacturer that aims its marketing & sales efforts at the not so knowledgable segment of the public. Invicta should win a prize for its "inferences" about the pedigree & quality of their products. It's Swiss despite being built in China. It's Swiss despite Invicta's Corp. HQ's being in Florida. Their strategy is to offer literally thousands of variants, because one of them is bound to appeal to someone in their TV audience. Invicta is a fashion brand that employs fast talking sales people who babble on and on about color combinations and pretty watch bands, ludicrous MSRP's and limited quantities that are selling fast!. They may not mention a damned thing about the movement in the watch being sold but it has a Vipers face on the dial and they do offer installment plans to cinch the deal. A quality brand doesn't sell itself on a regularly scheduled shop-at-home TV segment squeezed in between Statehood Quarters and The Sham-wow.
In the end all consumers choose to buy whatever they buy and no one can be a knowledgable about everything. We all know that a GeoMetro is not a Mercedes but outside of this forum, who really knows how to evaluate a watch? Most Invicta buyers probably don't know the difference between a $3 quartz movement and a 23 jeweled automatic and they they really don't care. They are happy with what they got and the price they paid for it. At the end of the day the point thing is...that everyone is happy.


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## brokenblinker (Jul 2, 2011)

Eh, call it a fashion brand if you want. 

It doesn't change the fact that some of their watches are great values. The 9937 I got keeps great time, has a Sellita SW200 Movement, which is pretty much the ETA2824-2 with an extra jewel, and has an extremely high quality bracelet which I have heard from many double owners is much nicer than the Rolex bracelet on which the watch is based. I think it does alright for 250 bucks considering the many happy customers you can read about and the complaints being few and far between on those models.

It really comes down to buying what they offer that has a good repuation vs. the bad stuff.


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## Seiko5Fan (May 21, 2011)

Hi Brokenblinker, haha, I love the name!
I just wanted to ssay that I agree with your last post about Invictas. There are definately some that are quite good. The problem is that the vast majority are overpriced not particularly good. What I think is a definate red flag for the brand is the fact that, as you mentioned: 
"It really comes down to buying what they offer that has a good repuation vs. the bad stuff"
 If I'm going to spend a hundred dollars or more on a watch I'd personally prefer to buy one from a maker that doesn't make "bad stuff" to begin with.


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## Valis (Mar 5, 2011)

brokenblinker said:


> and has an extremely high quality bracelet which I have heard from many double owners is much nicer than the Rolex bracelet on which the watch is based.


I'll agree here. I actually bought just the 9937 bracelet used on eBay, cleaned it up, and modified it to fit my Orient sub watch.


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## brokenblinker (Jul 2, 2011)

Seiko5Fan said:


> Hi Brokenblinker, haha, I love the name!
> I just wanted to ssay that I agree with your last post about Invictas. There are definately some that are quite good. The problem is that the vast majority are overpriced not particularly good. What I think is a definate red flag for the brand is the fact that, as you mentioned:
> "It really comes down to buying what they offer that has a good repuation vs. the bad stuff"
> If I'm going to spend a hundred dollars or more on a watch I'd personally prefer to buy one from a maker that doesn't make "bad stuff" to begin with.


I can totally understand what you're saying. I do wish that somehow you could drop all of the poor offerings they make from their line and only get the good ones.

Also @Seiko5Fan: I'm glad it worked for you! It's great isn't it!


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## bluloo (Nov 24, 2008)

Seiko5Fan said:


> Hi Brokenblinker, haha, I love the name!
> I just wanted to ssay that I agree with your last post about Invictas. There are definately some that are quite good. The problem is that the vast majority are overpriced not particularly good. What I think is a definate red flag for the brand is the fact that, as you mentioned:
> "It really comes down to buying what they offer that has a good repuation vs. the bad stuff"
> If I'm going to spend a hundred dollars or more on a watch I'd personally prefer to buy one from a maker that doesn't make "bad stuff" to begin with.


For watches generally, a higher quality alternative from a more reputable maker exists at _nearly_ every price point, compared to Invicta's offerings.

Of course, if you're primarily drawn to their typical BLINGBLING large designs, there aren't many other comparable choices, at discount price points.

In a way, they're smart to exploit their particular niches, including those inclined to respond to (appearances of) deep discounts, deal hunters, TV buyers etc.

The do produce a product that gives you a lot of visual bang, for the buck. That was also true of the past, when their "premium" models/lines were of much higher quality and were less flashy. I always thought many of their older-model dials were nicely done.
Whether or not most WISs appreciate their current design direction and business practices, is another matter.

That they've chosen to go primarily downmarket and trendy is, IMO, a reflection of the stiff competition otherwise. They wouldn't do nearly as well in the more traditional niches. As such, they've made a smart business decision to sell what and where they do. IMO.

They remain a good vehicle to get more n00bs, who might not otherwise do so, to wear a watch. 
If even a small percentage expand their collections to other makers, it helps keep our beloved hobby alive.


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## dreamerman (Dec 13, 2010)

G'day to all. I am not a collector per say but do love (oversized) watches. I have always been a fan of Citizen/Seiko/Casio, they are a bit boring in the looks department but reliable as hell. That's Japanese I guess. Recently I discovered Invicta Men's 0190/1/2/3/4 Force Collection but can't find enough info on its build/reliability. Very affordable at about US$100. A good Casio Edifice EF-558D goes for about the same price, slightly higher.

Any input is appreciated.


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## bluloo (Nov 24, 2008)

dreamerman said:


> G'day to all. I am not a collector per say but do love (oversized) watches. I have always been a fan of Citizen/Seiko/Casio, they are a bit boring in the looks department but reliable as hell. That's Japanese I guess. Recently I discovered Invicta Men's 0190/1/2/3/4 Force Collection but can't find enough info on its build/reliability. Very affordable at about US$100. A good Casio Edifice EF-558D goes for about the same price, slightly higher.
> 
> Any input is appreciated.


IIRC, that's a quartz GMT movement (Rhonda).

The shot blasted finish is nice too. If you get it at a solid discount, you should be golden.


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## NormanF (Jun 17, 2006)

The general consensus is their quartz watches are a solid value. Their automatic watches are hit and miss. Invicta produces homage watches and I think their marketing practices have given their watches a bad reputation. If they were honest about the fact they are basically selling discount watches, no one would be offended. Timex and Casio don't pretend to be more than they are. Eyal Lalo could stand to take a lesson from them in how to play in that market segment.


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## YogiOz (Feb 11, 2009)

Got mine for $200, all hands line up and hasn't lost a second. I like it for what it is.
Sub Aqua Noma III #5511

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


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## dreamerman (Dec 13, 2010)

I gave it a miss, decided to buy Casio Edifice instead.


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## Txemizo (Apr 25, 2010)

dreamerman said:


> I gave it a miss, decided to buy Casio Edifice instead.


Great choice, congratulations, they are very well designed tough watches, enjoy it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## YogiOz (Feb 11, 2009)

And there I was thinking you liked the SA NOMA III!

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


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## stanc (Sep 24, 2012)

Hello Evveryone! 

From time to time, I see on Groupon an offer to buy some Invicta watches. They list them for $99, and say the original retail is around $900.00. Is what they are really worth?? Thank you!


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## sirgilbert357 (Mar 21, 2012)

stanc said:


> Hello Evveryone!
> 
> From time to time, I see on Groupon an offer to buy some Invicta watches. They list them for $99, and say the original retail is around $900.00. Is what they are really worth?? Thank you!


Thread Necromancy!! ARISE!! ARISE, I SAY!!!!

Almost a year to the day!


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## HrtBrkr (Dec 5, 2012)

I purchased 5 Invicta watches a coupe days ago. They have arrived, 2 of them seems to be good enough quality, two had me scratching my head, but there is 1 that makes me wonder if I didn't just get duped. There are things about it that don't look like the picture I purchased it from, such as. the picture showed colored hands that matched the band color on the face, and this has flat metal cheap looking hands, but most of all, the biggest thing, is that the band is made of "Lego" like material.

There is no weight to it at all, and it even sounds like lego rattling together when you have a bunch of it together.

Have you come across any bands like that yet?

K


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## Torrid (May 20, 2007)

HrtBrkr said:


> I purchased 5 Invicta watches a coupe days ago. They have arrived, 2 of them seems to be good enough quality, two had me scratching my head, but there is 1 that makes me wonder if I didn't just get duped. There are things about it that don't look like the picture I purchased it from, such as. the picture showed colored hands that matched the band color on the face, and this has flat metal cheap looking hands, but most of all, the biggest thing, is that the band is made of "Lego" like material.
> 
> There is no weight to it at all, and it even sounds like lego rattling together when you have a bunch of it together.
> 
> ...


It's Invicta. They make junk with a couple of small exceptions. It's best not to buy them with much expectations.


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## SgtSlaughter760 (May 18, 2013)

In my opinion the newer ones are garbage, but they used to make really nice stuff. Stick to model numbers under 3000 and you'll be great. Another plus is that since they've destroyed their reputation they go for cheap used.


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## H3RRINGTON (Dec 13, 2012)

Zombie thread lives


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## arodprn (Mar 10, 2013)

SgtSlaughter760 said:


> In my opinion the newer ones are garbage, but they used to make really nice stuff. Stick to model numbers under 3000 and you'll be great. Another plus is that since they've destroyed their reputation they go for cheap used.


Invicta seems to have targeted a wide range of customers of which reduced their quality of materials used.
I do have two Invictas but they are the older models from when they produced high quality watches. The price wasn't reasonable at the time but considering the models. ..I pulled the trigger on the Bijoux Lupah and Coalition Forces 1938 pieces of which run beautifully.


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## Editor (Aug 16, 2012)

Are they still around?


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## blahblahyoutoo (Feb 25, 2013)

SgtSlaughter760 said:


> In my opinion the newer ones are garbage, but they used to make really nice stuff. Stick to model numbers under 3000 and you'll be great. Another plus is that since they've destroyed their reputation they go for cheap used.


really? the 8926 and 9937 are great watches for the money.


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## johnr41a (May 28, 2013)

OH MY GOD


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## Praetor (Jul 28, 2013)

It's a hit and miss thing. Personally, I don't even touch 'em. But for those that own or want them, shop and enjoy at will.


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## Chucky407 (Aug 14, 2013)

Hello new to forum. I am trying to get word out on Invicta. I agree and have experienced many of the same issues and problems reported here on this site. You can be as generous as many other big corporations and have a non-profit and do humanitarian things. But, if you do not stand behind your product by providing warranty and great customer service. Your company is worthless. They care nothing about the customer or customer satisfaction. They make you pay for shipping and repair costs for watches that are still under warranty. They say they have to send out watch to Japan for service and it takes three months to get service. When they can't fix your watch they tell you they can't replace with same watch because out of stock and don't know when or if they will get again. Tell you they will send you a replacement of their choice. It looks nothing and does not have the same features as the watch I sent in for repair. They tell you, you have a certain credit amount for your watch which is less than what you paid for your watch when you purchased new. They want you to pay more to get a comparable replacement watch. I have been dealing with these issues since December 2012. Requesting for my case to be forwarded to a supervisor to contact me. It was not until I threatened to file complaint with CEO/President and go on social media and tell as many people as I could about their actions or lack of. That I finally received a call left on my home answering machine from a Vicky "nolast name" stating she was a supervisor. I am a firefighter/paramedic and work a 24 hour work day and was not home all day the day she called also had doctor's appointment the following morning straight out of work and didn't get home till 1pm. In the message she left you could sense the frustration in her voice because she was not able to reach me after 4 calls. I should be the one that should be frustrated. I bought a watch for $139 still being under warranty and had to pay to send watch as well as return shipment at $28 each way. After two attempts to repair I received my watch back with the same problem. I'm out a total of $195 and don't have a working watch. They want to replace with a nonequivalent model. When I pointed out that they have similar look alike model than the one I had. They want me to pay more for that replacement. Saying that the replacement cost more than my watch. Even when ShopNBC had same watch on sale price equivalent to what I paid for my watch. They said they can't offer me the same sale price. It's all very frustrating and after reading the Better Business Bureau report and many watch forums. I see I'm not alone. They have hundreds of complaints towards this watch company. Please help me get word out. Parts were made and assembled in Switzerland. Now made and assembled in Japan and still claiming and printing on watch face "Swiss movement". There is a law suit I read about on a watch forum about this same thing. Please get the word out. Tell everyone you know, get on all social media pages and expose the fraudulent activities of this company. Invicta will soon be out of business due to their deceptive business practices and customer deception. This is my personal experience with this company.


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## J.L. Markland (Sep 11, 2013)

newcollector said:


> _hey anyone own an Invicta Watch? Are they good watches, worth starting up a collection of them?
> whats your opinion?
> thanks
> newcollector
> ...


I purchased an Invicta Vintage Quartz about 6 weeks ago. The stem fell out so I sent it to the prescribed service center with the $28 for shipping and handling. I was advised it would cost an additional $30 even though the stem was covered by warranty and the repairs would take 90 days. I would be cautious.:-s


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## oak1971 (Aug 19, 2013)

I would check out Orient. I was going to get an Invicta, but Orient and Seiko have so many affordable offerings, both from solid companies (Seiko holdings owns both) that the safe play seems best to me. Very pleased with Seiko 5 I picked up new a few weeks back. Orient will be my next buy.


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## drdas007 (Oct 2, 2012)

I own an Invicta Pro Diver Swiss 9307 that i purchaced in July of 2013. Luckily for me, I have had no problems with this watch so far (knock on wood). The quality is much better than I expected. Apparently, this company is hit-or-miss (with the majority of members rating it as miss). Invicta is not accredited on the Better Buisness Bureau website (bbb.org) and have a rating of "F" (their lowest). Just my 2c....


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## erikclabaugh (Mar 10, 2011)

drdas007 said:


> I own an Invicta Pro Diver Swiss 9307 that i purchaced in July of 2013. Luckily for me, I have had no problems with this watch so far (knock on wood). The quality is much better than I expected. Apparently, this company is hit-or-miss (with the majority of members rating it as miss). Invicta is not accredited on the Better Buisness Bureau website (bbb.org) and have a rating of "F" (their lowest). Just my 2c....


While Invicta is notorious for poor customer service, I should point out that the Better Business Bureau is a complete scam. If you pay them, they give you a good rating. As in the instance below:
http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/cla...stake-after-accepting-money-exchange-to/nFhJ/


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## lowdog5 (Sep 21, 2013)

newcollector said:


> _hey anyone own an Invicta Watch? Are they good watches, worth starting up a collection of them?
> whats your opinion?
> thanks
> newcollector
> ...


Hi, Me personally, I have 4 Invicta's ranging from $150-$300 and all 4 are in great working order. I purchased 2 of them on board a cruise ship and the other two were given to me as presents. I might be a bit partical towards watches because I really take good care of them and don't wear the same one more than a day or two. With this said, My watch collection is all in great working order, and the INVICTA's are by far well made and well worth the price. I am very satisafied with them and will be buying more in the future. I hope this helps.


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## awcwsp01 (Aug 28, 2013)

I bought a pro Diver 1771 and 1770, pepsi and coke dials, mostly just to add color to my collection and I had an Amazon gift card, so I got them for like 35/40 each. The coke one just lived through a motorcycle crash at approx 60 mph, and the pepsi one is the only watch I own that people consistently comment on. Im always quick to point out "its just a ****ty Invicta",but they've been good enough that Im gonna pick up a couple of more on the cheap. A green dial and a purple dial. For cheap everyday beaters, I think they're a pretty good deal. 

That being said, I wouldn't spend more than $100.00 on one, just based on some of the bad reviews and experiences people on here have had.


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## chriscentro (Nov 11, 2012)

My friend has a new Invicta diver (Rolex homage) that fogs up once you put it on the wrist. The seconds hand sweeps like a Eco Drive watch that is low on power reserve, lol. (I'm not joking).


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## RKabrx (Jan 11, 2013)

Dragoon said:


> Hi there New Collector and welcome to the forum!
> 
> The easy answer on your question is a lot of folks love their designs but the QA and QC are not comparable to a brand like Seiko or Citizen.
> 
> ...


He swings @ 'CRACK' You hit it out of the park!
I don't &/or can't argue a single point in your post. Just saying Invicta to a watch collector & you'll get a hour of non-stop praise or a hour of "This is why Invicta $u€k$


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## RedOval (Nov 21, 2013)

Invicta watches are not bad for the prices but their Customer Service Center in Hollywood Florida really SUCKS bigtime!


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## Graphmaster (Nov 5, 2013)

I dont know about you guys, but even before I get to look at the price, specs and overall quality, Invictas really really do manage to make me go "meh.." when I see *their logo*. Don't know why they don't pay attention to it, it looks bad, especially on a diver dial.

edit: here's what I'm talking about, compared to an Orient.


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## Steve94561 (Jan 12, 2012)

Yeah,not they're not,unfortunately,I got one as a gift,had it a year and a month, Miyota movement,it started slowing down,then just kind of quit. 1 Month beyond warranty. So to call someone a troll who would otherwise be wearing thei_r Pro Diver is how these flame wars get started imo._
_8926 I believe is the model.
I still have it in my watch box,but it's not worth fixing.. The NH 35A's are better movements I hear,but I wouldn't take a chance again.
Oops,It was a gift from wife,but I think I pointed her to it 
_


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## econdreras (Dec 25, 2011)

Steve94561 said:


> Yeah,not they're not,unfortunately,I got one as a gift,had it a year and a month, Miyota movement,it started slowing down,then just kind of quit. 1 Month beyond warranty. So to call someone a troll who would otherwise be wearing thei_r Pro Diver is how these flame wars get started imo._
> _8926 I believe is the model.
> I still have it in my watch box,but it's not worth fixing.. The NH 35A's are better movements I hear,but I wouldn't take a chance again.
> _


Sorry for your loss. And who called you a troll?


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## Steve94561 (Jan 12, 2012)

I don't remember the name,it was his/her summery of ANYONE who claimed to have an issue with their Invicta.
Is that important?


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## econdreras (Dec 25, 2011)

Steve94561 said:


> I don't remember the name,it was his/her summery of ANYONE who claimed to have an issue with their Invicta.
> Is that important?


Well, I guess not. I was just confused about who you were referring to. However, if someone claimed that anyone who ever had an issue with Invicta is a troll, well that would be highly inaccurate. All brands will have product issues, no matter who it is.

Again, sorry about your watch. I bought my 8626OB 2 years ago and it came with the NH35A movement. I didn't realize there was still stock out there with the older Miyota movements.


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## cantinker (Nov 30, 2013)

My 2 cents.
Got my 8926 (Miyota) a while back and use it mostly on vacation. It's been skiing at -30C in Banff to 120F in Death Valley to snorkeling in Hawaii. Zero problems. Looks and accuracy.....for a watch that cost me under 90US I'd buy another any day. Now the Russian "wall clock on your wrist" Diver I was given is a different story.....
Ps. Anyone else really annoyed with the "auto save" when trying to write something on this forum?!? I have to type so slowly and hit the letters multiple times. Took me 20 minutes to type these 3 lines!


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## bluloo (Nov 24, 2008)

Buying brands like this for their advertised "prestige" or collector value is the wrong way to go, IMO - they don't largely have much of either in the wider WIS community. 

Buying at deep discounts to expand your collection, or simply because you like the way something looks will yield a more rewarding experience, IME. 

I recently posted something similar about another discount brand - If you go in with your eyes open and understand what you are and aren't buying, most any watch brand can be a "good quality watch".
Expectations and customer requirements are important in assessing whether or not something is "good quality".


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## ShortOnTime3 (Dec 23, 2013)

I've checked out several Invicta watches over the years, but never purchased one. There's just something about them that doesn't appeal to me. I guess my bad taste really stems from how they sell/market their watches. They always seem to have "crazy sales" where they claim that one of their watches sells for say $1200, but for a limited time you can buy one for $300. How about just selling them at the $300 that they're actually worth? Why don't they? Because the average person sees a watch that either has a contemporary look (like some of the huge dive watches they sell) or is a pretty faithful representation of a classic style (the sub replicas) and they see a sale price that like 70% off the claimed MSRP. So they see a deal on a pretty watch and figure they're saving money. But they didn't and Invicta knows that. They seem like fairly avg watches that use a variety of marketing techniques to talk them up WAY more than what they're worth. One could likely say that about any real luxury brand, but the proof is in the pudding. You don't see Rolex selling watches for 70% off. Even used, their more popular models aren't even 70% off MSRP. 

So to me, I resent the company more than the actual watches. I have a buddy with an automatic Invicta Sub replica and it's a nice looking watch. I have a few watches that fit in the price range of many Invicta watches. But I happen to simply like my watches more and I think they're better made. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. But in my case, Invicta is an example of marketing gone wrong and as a result, I see no reason to support such a company.


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## econdreras (Dec 25, 2011)

ShortOnTime3 said:


> I've checked out several Invicta watches over the years, but never purchased one. There's just something about them that doesn't appeal to me. I guess my bad taste really stems from how they sell/market their watches. They always seem to have "crazy sales" where they claim that one of their watches sells for say $1200, but for a limited time you can buy one for $300. How about just selling them at the $300 that they're actually worth? Why don't they? Because the average person sees a watch that either has a contemporary look (like some of the huge dive watches they sell) or is a pretty faithful representation of a classic style (the sub replicas) and they see a sale price that like 70% off the claimed MSRP. So they see a deal on a pretty watch and figure they're saving money. But they didn't and Invicta knows that. They seem like fairly avg watches that use a variety of marketing techniques to talk them up WAY more than what they're worth. One could likely say that about any real luxury brand, but the proof is in the pudding. You don't see Rolex selling watches for 70% off. Even used, their more popular models aren't even 70% off MSRP.
> 
> So to me, I resent the company more than the actual watches. I have a buddy with an automatic Invicta Sub replica and it's a nice looking watch. I have a few watches that fit in the price range of many Invicta watches. But I happen to simply like my watches more and I think they're better made. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. But in my case, Invicta is an example of marketing gone wrong and as a result, I see no reason to support such a company.


Anyone that buys something brand new from a shopping network, online, etc. and truly believes they are getting a discount of 70% is pretty clueless. And Invicta is not the first, nor the only company to use this marketing/sales technique. Just my $0.02

I paid $69 for my 8926OB with non branded Seiko movement that hacks and handwinds. I am still trying to find a watch that represents a better value for the money. I don't think I will.


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## ShortOnTime3 (Dec 23, 2013)

econdreras said:


> Anyone that buys something brand new from a shopping network, online, etc. and truly believes they are getting a discount of 70% is pretty clueless.


Why do you think Invicta uses that technique? Because most people aren't that into watches or really care. All they care about is a "deal". And while other brands do it, it seems that Invicta ALWAYS does it. It's like the only way they know to sell a watch. And yeah, most watches, even a retail are pretty expensive. Seiko and citizen always have 15%+ off sales at stores like Macy's. However, there's a difference paying 20% off a watch with an MSRP of say $650 and 70% off a claimed MSRP of $1200, with both watches using similar movements and of similar quality. My issue isn't so much about the watches as much as it is about the shadey business practices of the company.


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## Watch Hawk 71 (Nov 15, 2013)




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## econdreras (Dec 25, 2011)

ShortOnTime3 said:


> Why do you think Invicta uses that technique? Because most people aren't that into watches or really care. All they care about is a "deal". And while other brands do it, it seems that Invicta ALWAYS does it. It's like the only way they know to sell a watch. And yeah, most watches, even a retail are pretty expensive. Seiko and citizen always have 15%+ off sales at stores like Macy's. However, there's a difference paying 20% off a watch with an MSRP of say $650 and 70% off a claimed MSRP of $1200, with both watches using similar movements and of similar quality. My issue isn't so much about the watches as much as it is about the shadey business practices of the company.


Fair enough. I am not going to argue with you


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## MackD (Dec 3, 2013)

Does anyone really pay attention to MSRP on anything these days? We're pretty much conditioned as consumers to ignore it. We never pay it. Invicta's hardly the first or only company to do this, and I can't find any real reason to knock them for it. If you don't like the logo, fine. I get that. Hate the looks? Fine. If you dislike them because they turn out a poor quality watch, then fine, I get that. But the pricing thing seems very minor to me. 

I just got a 8926OB with the NH35A movement. It's keeping pretty remarkable time so far. It'll be interesting to see how it settles in. But for what I paid for the thing ($70), I'm incredibly happy at this point. Quality seems pretty solid. I reserve the right to change my mind in the coming months/years if something goofy goes wrong with it.


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## tony20009 (Sep 25, 2013)

I've only recently (yesterday) come to the conclusion that they are "hit or miss" as goes their build quality. If the one you bought is well built, it'll be just fine. If not, the combination of the perfunctory fabrication and the sometimes uncaring customer service Invicta provide will leave you quite ticked off _and_ disappointed.

I recommend one check the BBB website for some objective input on Invicta. If after reading what one finds there, one wants to yet buy an Invicta, so be it. At least one does so from an informed position based on facts rather than hearsay.

All the best.

Free men can easily become enslaved, if they let others do their thinking and talking, instead of using their own heads.
- Richard Puz, _The Carolinian_


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## Vracer111 (Feb 1, 2013)

The only Invicta's I've bought have been Elite and Reserve models. The Sea Vulture Reserve model (titanium case, carbon fiber bezel, sapphire crystal) keeps amazingly excellent time...but one of the spring bars broke in half when I was swimming and the band no longer stays in with new spring bars. Unfortunately as well the band is pretty much proprietary fit like a casio G-shock so aftermarket band even if it's the correct width will not fit due to location of the pin holes nearly right on the case ends. I'm done wasting time and money with Invicta's - they simply cannot compete with neither the quality nor price of an Orient. I didn't realize the quality deficiencies of Invicta's until getting my Orients...noticeable step up in quality. Invicta is also really hard to find a model that isn't gaudy or somewhat ugly unlike Orient or Seiko where you have to try hard to find a gaudy or ugly model... gaudy and obnoxious is the norm for Invicta.


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## bluloo (Nov 24, 2008)

MackD said:


> Does anyone really pay attention to MSRP on anything these days? We're pretty much conditioned as consumers to ignore it. We never pay it. Invicta's hardly the first or only company to do this, and I can't find any real reason to knock them for it. If you don't like the logo, fine. I get that. Hate the looks? Fine. If you dislike them because they turn out a poor quality watch, then fine, I get that. But the pricing thing seems very minor to me.


Most people don't pay attention because most companies don't parade ridiculously inflated MSRPs as a badge of honor, as if it were an indication of quality. Invicta does. 
As with the majority of issues most people have, _Invicta's transgressions differ by degree and quantity_. With them, it's not an error or mis-step, rather it's part and parcel to their selling of watches. Huge difference.



> I just got a 8926OB with the NH35A movement. It's keeping pretty remarkable time so far. It'll be interesting to see how it settles in. But for what I paid for the thing ($70), I'm incredibly happy at this point. Quality seems pretty solid. I reserve the right to change my mind in the coming months/years if something goofy goes wrong with it.


There are some inexpensive models that seem to provide a high level of consumer satisfaction, this is one of them and, IMO, where they earn their stripes. 
That anyone likes their particular Invicta watch (or any other less-than-stellar brand), is what truly matters.

I think that Invicta has made a mistake by continually overhyping and BSing the public about their products. Had they simply presented their products honestly, the brand would have a much wider acceptance in the broader WISdom. My guess is that Eyal Lalo is laughing all the way to the bank.


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## zippofan (Feb 11, 2006)

Ugh, the thread that won't die. <|

It's funny, the non-watch people who I know who own Invictas are very happy with them. It's only when we get into our crowd that the complaints surface, most likely because those non-watch people have nothing to compare their Invicta to. However, I do, and consistently find that Pro Diver models are good value for the money, though I don't have a recent sample. I would say that a pair of Miyota movement Pro Divers in constant rotation for 7 years without a problem show the other side of the story. I have read that the NH35 movements are even better.

The *****fests get tedious, for those who don't like them, great. Move on.

As this thread has been open since 2007, I think it is time for it to sink back into the database for reference purposes.

Z


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