# How much Steinhart Ocean 1 Black better than Invicta 8926?



## renruanshi

I am thinking of purchasing a Steinhart Ocean 1 Black in a near future, because I really like the submariner-like design. However, I am a little bit scared. Because I used to own a Invicta 8926, to me, that watch is really a piece of junk. I know it is very subjective, but to me, the quality of Invicta 8926 (or any Invicta watch around $100) does not even reach the 10% quality of Rolex Submariner.

Many times, I heard that Steinhart offer 90% of the Quality and 10% of the cost. So my question is the following: From scale 0 to 100, Invicta is 0 and real Rolex watch is 100, how would you rate the quality of your Steinhart watch. For the people never handled Invicta or Rolex watches, how do you compared your Steinhart watch with other Swiss-made value player such as Tissot, Oris, Hamilton, Swiss Army, etc. 

One more question: How is the quality of the 12 o'clock dot on the bezel, because a cheap dot (plastic look) on the Invicta is really put me off.

Thanks in advance!


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## 3th3r

I'd also be interested in people's comments on this, as I am thinking about trying out a Steinhart.


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## Jnb2b1

renruanshi said:


> I am thinking of purchasing a Steinhart Ocean 1 Black in a near future, because I really like the submariner-like design. However, I am a little bit scared. Because I used to own a Invicta 8926, to me, that watch is really a piece of junk. I know it is very subjective, but to me, the quality of Invicta 8926 (or any Invicta watch around $100) does not even reach the 10% quality of Rolex Submariner.
> 
> Many times, I heard that Steinhart offer 90% of the Quality and 10% of the cost. So my question is the following: From scale 0 to 100, Invicta is 0 and real Rolex watch is 100, how would you rate the quality of your Steinhart watch. For the people never handled Invicta or Rolex watches, how do you compared your Steinhart watch with other Swiss-made value player such as Tissot, Oris, Hamilton, Swiss Army, etc.
> 
> One more question: How is the quality of the 12 o'clock dot on the bezel, because a cheap dot (plastic look) on the Invicta is really put me off.
> 
> Thanks in advance!


I've never personally held an Invicta but I can tell you the Steinhart is probably half to 3/4 the watch a Rolex is,but its 1/10 the price. If you're buying it because you think it's Gonna be a Rolex, don't buy it because it's not a Rolex but it's a very nice watch.


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## Rennies5

I am no expert, but here's my two cents. I bought a Steinhart Ocean 1 black because I didn't want to spend the cash on a Rolex. I am absolutely thrilled I saved the money and went with the Steinhart. If you want the look of the diver watch without spending a lot of money, you will not be disappointed. The watch has a nice weight to it and the band in my opinion is really nice. After I bought the Ocean 1, I purchased a dive watch from a different brand because I wanted a blue dial / bezel. The second I took the watch out of the box I was so disappointed. Yes, the watch was less expensive than the Steinhart, but it had no weight to it and the band felt like it was going to break. The watch ended up getting returned. I guess I have been spoiled by Steinhart's quality at such a reasonable price.


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## ttimbo

Perhaps this may help you....










I'll be interested to see how the Steinhart looks after the ceramic bezel is installed. I'm guessing (hoping) pretty good!


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## mikeb

I have a Rolex Sub and several versions of the Steinhart Ocean and I would recommend the Steinhart (and do!) to anyone who wants really good value for money. The quality is excellent, the watch looks good, I don't think you would be disappointed.


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## pierre7891

The Steinhart is so much better... the invicta doesn´t come close to Ocean 1! Bezel turning, crown adjustments, bracelet everything is better on the Steinhart!


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## peakay

I own an Invicta 8926, a Steinhart Ocean Black DLC and a Rolex Explorer. For me my Invicta is not bad for what it cost, but it is an old one from 2000 and perhaps the quality was better then, but these things are subjective. 

My Steinhart is definitely better quality than the Invicta, with better fit and finish and a better movement, but it also cost 3x more. Is a Rolex Sub worth 20x more than an Ocean 1, is the quality 20x better? The answer for me is no; if it wasn't for the fact that Rolex's retain their value so well, it would foolish to buy one!

I think that an Ocean 1 will give you 75% of a Rolex Sub at 5% of the price!


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## vanilla.coffee

A recent convert to the church of Steinhart - I am very pleased with the quality of my Ocean 1. Keeps good time so far and the second hand sweep is silky smooth for an ETA 2824-2.
Overall I would rate mine at 99%
A couple of pics of mine with my iPhone 4s so excuse the quality.



















Hopefully from these pics you can see the quality of the lume dots.

Cheers.


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## dunl12496j

I have both. The invicta is shaped weird. The steinhart is far far better in every aspect save for the steinhart don't settle for less.


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## tpdtom

Another vote for Steinhart. Invicta can be good for the money but Steinhart offers an unbelieveable quality watch for $450. I have owned a Rolex and I would rate Steinhart @ 80%. The steel is not equal, the movement is better than average but not comparable. From a standpoint of function and appearance the Steinhart is a world class value. You will not send this one back and you will also not be sorry ! Good luck...Tom


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## vokotin

Honestly, there's no comparison or doubt here, STEINHART all the way.


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## GeorgeRado

Great Pics for having used a phone! My Ocean 1 Balck is arriving Tuesday and these pics are making me anxious!
The Steinhart site doesn't mention A/R coating on the Ocean1 black, but your pics make it look as though there is an A/R coating.
Anyone know if they arer A/R coated?


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## cevans

I own both Steinhart Ocean 1 and Rolex Submariner. THey are both part of my worn watches rotation. I only have the Rolex because they retain their value so well, but hey, they cost so much more. Just check sold listings on Ebay and it seems that Steinhart watches retain their value pretty well also. I had probably 10 or 12 Invictas and they are all gone now. They were a nice looking watch for the money but compared to the Steinhart, there was no comparison. You will not be unhappy with a Steinhart, especially at the price..Super watch at great price..


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## dunl12496j

I have an invicta 8926 and a steinhart ocean 1 vintage red. The invicta is a piece of junk, yes. The steinhart however is not quite a rolex. But close enough that you will not be disappointed.


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## HoustonReal

renruanshi said:


> I am thinking of purchasing a Steinhart Ocean 1 Black in a near future, because I really like the submariner-like design. However, I am a little bit scared. Because I used to own a Invicta 8926, to me, that watch is really a piece of junk. I know it is very subjective, but to me, the quality of Invicta 8926 (or any Invicta watch around $100) does not even reach the 10% quality of Rolex Submariner.
> 
> Many times, I heard that Steinhart offer 90% of the Quality and 10% of the cost. So my question is the following: From scale 0 to 100, Invicta is 0 and real Rolex watch is 100, how would you rate the quality of your Steinhart watch. For the people never handled Invicta or Rolex watches, how do you compared your Steinhart watch with other Swiss-made value player such as Tissot, Oris, Hamilton, Swiss Army, etc.
> 
> One more question: How is the quality of the 12 o'clock dot on the bezel, because a cheap dot (plastic look) on the Invicta is really put me off.
> 
> Thanks in advance!


I'm not sure it's a fair comparison since the comparable Invicta is the Pro Diver 9937.


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## Imitrex

I'll add my $.02.....

Watches for comparison:
Invicta Speedway 17026
Steinhart O1B
Rolex GMT 1675

*Invicta Speedway 17026* (I know it's not an 8926, or an auto, but it's Invicta):
Positives:
- It's low cost?
- It has some heft to it?

Negatives: 
- Bracelet feels as if it was produced for those machines you can stick a quarter in and get a sticker, sticky octopus, or plastic ring. Usually found at super markets, Walmart, Chuck-E-Cheese, etc. It feels extremely hollow. Just plain cheap feeling.
- *Everything else*
- This watch just makes me feel dirty. Both inside and out.

Thoughts: 
- I wouldn't recommend Invicta to anyone at all. If someone were to stick to the price range of Invicta, I would much rather refer them to Orient which is a WAY better watch line when it comes to quality.

*Steinhart Ocean 1 Black*:
Positives:
- Bracelet is amazing quality.
- Case, bezel, movement, and sapphire crystal are beyond anything I would expect for the price range. Mine sits at -2 sec/day. Simply a stunning value per price ratio. 
- Simply stunning value and quality. I would easily put it 90% vs my Rolex GMT.
- Sexy

Negatives:
- Cyclops seems to be an afterthought, as it barely magnifies the date. 
- The reserve is decent, but not even close to the Rolex. It holds _maybe_ 6 hours.

Thoughts:
- I absolutely love my O1B. It gets more wrist time than my Rolex. Would refer anyone to the Steinhart brand if they were in the market for a new watch.

*Rolex GMT 1675*:
Positives:
- Case, bezel, movement, crystal, cyclops, reserve.....almost everything.
- So sexy, I can't control myself sometimes. Wait. What?

Negatives:
- Cost
- Bracelet. Keep in mind though, my GMT is from the 1960's and the original bracelet is broken, but it's still a product of that generation and is very ... flimsy compared to what is on the O1B. Right now, I alternate between a Nato and a $50 Hadley Roma, so take this with a grain of salt.

Thoughts:
- It's a Rolex. You should expect everything from it for the price imo. And it does live up to that. But again....at a price.

Final Dr. Phil thoughts:
I would recommend Steinhart over any other brand. I may be biased, but I have tried other brands (Squale) that just couldn't match the quality that Steinhart offers for the price. 90% (imho) of Rolex, at under $500? You'd be crazy to pass on that type of deal.

Considering an Invicta should never be part of the equation. Unless you're looking for something to slum around in while picking through trash after you accidentally threw a fork into the bin. But even that would be stretching it.


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## Uwe W.

HoustonReal said:


> I'm not sure it's a fair comparison since the comparable Invicta is the Pro Diver 9937.


*This thread is TWO YEARS old.* I don't know if the model you're suggesting was available back when this thread was active, but I'm sure the OP has already made his decision by now.



Imitrex said:


> *Steinhart Ocean 1 Black*:
> Negatives:
> - The reserve is decent, but not even close to the Rolex. It holds _maybe_ 6 hours.


There's something wrong with your watch if it only has a 6-hour power reserve when it's rated at around 40 hours. And I would never describe it as being decent. Maybe your watch has never been fully wound, something that should be done before commenting on power reserve as a criteria for a comparison.


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## Imitrex

Uwe W. said:


> *This thread is TWO YEARS old.* I don't know if the model you're suggesting was available back when this thread was active, but I'm sure the OP has already made his decision by now.
> 
> There's something wrong with your watch if it only has a 6-hour power reserve when it's rated at around 40 hours. And I would never describe it as being decent. Maybe your watch has never been fully wound, something that should be done before commenting on power reserve as a criteria for a comparison.


Holy crap! I hadn't even noticed the date of thread creation lol. Wow.

As for my reserve, the watch is almost a year old now. I'm guessing something is wrong with it then, as it's always only held about 6 hours.  I do make sure the stem is in the 1st position and manual wind it when completely dead, and upon first wear a year ago.


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## Will3020

never mind - ancient thread


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## HoustonReal

Imitrex said:


> Negatives:
> - Bracelet feels as if it was produced for those machines you can stick a quarter in and get a sticker, sticky octopus, or plastic ring. Usually found at super markets, Walmart, Chuck-E-Cheese, etc. It feels extremely hollow. Just plain cheap feeling.
> - *Everything else*
> - This watch just makes me feel dirty. Both inside and out.


Really? It makes you feel dirty? I have an Invicta Specialty Chronograph 10302, and it has a very solid, heavy bracelet. Making a blanket statement about all Invicta watches based on just one, is like saying all GM cars are junk because you had a Chevy Aveo once, so you would never consider owning a Cadillac CTS-V. I don't have any personal experience with the Invicta Speedway 17026, but it's one of their Japanese quartz movement watches. Mine was about the same price, but it has Swiss quartz inside. From what I have read, the Invicta Swiss movement watches are better made and have a much lower failure rate.

Maybe I am not enough of a watch connoisseur/snob for this site. My Rolex Oyster was not really that wonderful. It didn't seem any more special than my Seiko 6139 in terms of quality. My personal feelings are that a watch doesn't need to cost as much as a modest automobile, and a car doesn't need to cost as much as a nice house.


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## Imitrex

I was attempting to be satirical.  

Honestly, I didn't really feel dirty. I swear. I can only attest to a watch that I own. I've seen and held plenty of other Invicta's, and I have to honestly say that all of them felt....cheap. I'm far from a watch snob, but matching up a Steinhart vs. an Invicta is like apples and oranges. 

Anyhow. Thread is ancient, so it doesn't really matter.


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## Uwe W.

And now it's closed. There are plenty - too many - Invicta arguments on WUS already and we certainly don't need to revive a two year old thread in the Steinhart sub-forum to start another one.


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