I could not resist a deal of the day from Discount Watches and they had the Invicta 6924 for $79.99
I have to say that I have never been more impressed by a watch for the cost. The only exception to that is my Orient Air Diver which I got for an incredible price. It is my favorite all time watch but I did not pay $80 shipped!!
This watch is compared to the Oris diver or the Deep Blue 1000m. While it share similarities with both it is unique in its own way which is refreshing from Invicta.
I just got the watch so these are my first impressions.
The finishing of the watch is really very nice and on par with any mid-range dive watch costing from $300-$500. It is really amazing how well built it is. The watch is extremely comfortable and is a rather heavy watch.
I will go point by point briefly.
The crystal is domed and is what Invicta calls flame fusion which is a mineral crystal with a top layer of sapphire. I thought refraction would be a big issue but frankly it is not bad. The optics of the crystal are good. No distortion except at extreme angles which I expect from a domed crystal. I am pretty impressed with the flame fusion. If it does what it says then for the cost it is a near perfect solution.
The bezel. Your standard uni-directional bezel with a pepsi color combo. The blue is a deep colbalt blue which really compliments the dial well and contrasts nicely with the red. The lume dot on the bezel looks a little fragile but so do many others that aren't made like the Seiko style. It turns well with little play. There is some back play but for the cost very nice and it lines up at 12-whew!!
The dial is a stone fleck dark blue and I was not sure if I would like it or not but I do. Blue dials for me are either love or hate and this one works for my taste. There is not too much wording which I like and the raised indicies and large luminous markers look very nice. The dial is very legible and very well done. No flaws that I can see. The hands look very similar to the Seiko Monster-at least the hour hand is an exact copy- but again they are very legible and contrast the dial very well. The red tipped second hand with luminous fill is a nice detail. I really like the dial and hands a lot.
The case is very much like the Oris and Deep Blue but I think it is just little better finished than the Deep blue but not as nice as the Oris. In fact the case is very well made and except for the word "Invicta" on the side of the case I am really impressed with the quality and finish. Certainly looks more expensive than it is and I have seen a lot of Boutique brands made in China with the same or less quality finishing costing much more.
The crown is I would say about 8mm in diam and signed with the Invicta cross. It screws down very nicely and smoothly. It is brushed like the case and the signed logo is a nice touch. Some like the crown guards and others do not. I am nuetral. I do not see them as a plus or minus. They are there and they do not look bad, but I would probably just for the sake of clean lines not have them.
The case back is and exhibition style which lets you see the movement. It is engraved with some wording describing the watch features. Looks nice but could have been a little better layed out and designed. The movement is nothing special but the display back is in keeping with the original design by Oris. 300m water resistance!! In a watch under $100 300m water resistance-amazing!
The Movement is made by Seiko and does not hack or wind. It seems very smooth for a lower beat movement. I have heard these are very accurate so we wil see. I think this movement is a million times better than the Citizen auto's they used to use. I hated the Citizen and the Seiko movement is a big step up and still keeps costs down. Very happy with this choice! I do not expect quartz accuaracy and having swiss movement just means more servicing. I do not see the advantage to hacking or handwinding. I am just paying for extras I really don't need. My only concern is if it is fairly accurate. I think these have shown to be very accurate and that is all I really need from an automatic.
Bracelet. A very thick and wide bracelet is used and it matches the case perfectly. I think the whole watch is heavy but it is very nicely distributed and so far is very comfortable to wear. Some say a taper would be better?? I think the quality and heft of this bracelet is very impressive for the cost. I like it a lot. The clasp is signed friction type with divers safety and no extension.
Lume. Invicta uses trinite which in my experience works well. I have not had a night to test though.
All in all I have to say this is one of the nicest watches I have ever owned for under $100. I would pay the going price of around $130-$150 for these with no problem at all. They are worth every penny.
I see a lot of people bash Invicta and I really think they do not know what they are talking about. One bad experience and they bash it. I certainly do not like most f their designs and do not like the fact some are blatent copies but it does not mean they do not make good watches. As long as you know what you are getting when you buy I think Invictas are great. I have had a few pro-divers over the years under $100 and they have all been good watches. I don't know if I would pay much over $400 at the very most for one but if you have been one of those people to put Invicta off the radar and you like dive watches you should give this line a look. They have several different color schemes.
When I can take more pics I will until then I hope you enjoyed the review and if you were considering one of these do yourself a favor and buy it!!
Rob
I have to say that I have never been more impressed by a watch for the cost. The only exception to that is my Orient Air Diver which I got for an incredible price. It is my favorite all time watch but I did not pay $80 shipped!!
This watch is compared to the Oris diver or the Deep Blue 1000m. While it share similarities with both it is unique in its own way which is refreshing from Invicta.
I just got the watch so these are my first impressions.
The finishing of the watch is really very nice and on par with any mid-range dive watch costing from $300-$500. It is really amazing how well built it is. The watch is extremely comfortable and is a rather heavy watch.
I will go point by point briefly.
The crystal is domed and is what Invicta calls flame fusion which is a mineral crystal with a top layer of sapphire. I thought refraction would be a big issue but frankly it is not bad. The optics of the crystal are good. No distortion except at extreme angles which I expect from a domed crystal. I am pretty impressed with the flame fusion. If it does what it says then for the cost it is a near perfect solution.
The bezel. Your standard uni-directional bezel with a pepsi color combo. The blue is a deep colbalt blue which really compliments the dial well and contrasts nicely with the red. The lume dot on the bezel looks a little fragile but so do many others that aren't made like the Seiko style. It turns well with little play. There is some back play but for the cost very nice and it lines up at 12-whew!!
The dial is a stone fleck dark blue and I was not sure if I would like it or not but I do. Blue dials for me are either love or hate and this one works for my taste. There is not too much wording which I like and the raised indicies and large luminous markers look very nice. The dial is very legible and very well done. No flaws that I can see. The hands look very similar to the Seiko Monster-at least the hour hand is an exact copy- but again they are very legible and contrast the dial very well. The red tipped second hand with luminous fill is a nice detail. I really like the dial and hands a lot.
The case is very much like the Oris and Deep Blue but I think it is just little better finished than the Deep blue but not as nice as the Oris. In fact the case is very well made and except for the word "Invicta" on the side of the case I am really impressed with the quality and finish. Certainly looks more expensive than it is and I have seen a lot of Boutique brands made in China with the same or less quality finishing costing much more.
The crown is I would say about 8mm in diam and signed with the Invicta cross. It screws down very nicely and smoothly. It is brushed like the case and the signed logo is a nice touch. Some like the crown guards and others do not. I am nuetral. I do not see them as a plus or minus. They are there and they do not look bad, but I would probably just for the sake of clean lines not have them.
The case back is and exhibition style which lets you see the movement. It is engraved with some wording describing the watch features. Looks nice but could have been a little better layed out and designed. The movement is nothing special but the display back is in keeping with the original design by Oris. 300m water resistance!! In a watch under $100 300m water resistance-amazing!
The Movement is made by Seiko and does not hack or wind. It seems very smooth for a lower beat movement. I have heard these are very accurate so we wil see. I think this movement is a million times better than the Citizen auto's they used to use. I hated the Citizen and the Seiko movement is a big step up and still keeps costs down. Very happy with this choice! I do not expect quartz accuaracy and having swiss movement just means more servicing. I do not see the advantage to hacking or handwinding. I am just paying for extras I really don't need. My only concern is if it is fairly accurate. I think these have shown to be very accurate and that is all I really need from an automatic.
Bracelet. A very thick and wide bracelet is used and it matches the case perfectly. I think the whole watch is heavy but it is very nicely distributed and so far is very comfortable to wear. Some say a taper would be better?? I think the quality and heft of this bracelet is very impressive for the cost. I like it a lot. The clasp is signed friction type with divers safety and no extension.
Lume. Invicta uses trinite which in my experience works well. I have not had a night to test though.
All in all I have to say this is one of the nicest watches I have ever owned for under $100. I would pay the going price of around $130-$150 for these with no problem at all. They are worth every penny.
I see a lot of people bash Invicta and I really think they do not know what they are talking about. One bad experience and they bash it. I certainly do not like most f their designs and do not like the fact some are blatent copies but it does not mean they do not make good watches. As long as you know what you are getting when you buy I think Invictas are great. I have had a few pro-divers over the years under $100 and they have all been good watches. I don't know if I would pay much over $400 at the very most for one but if you have been one of those people to put Invicta off the radar and you like dive watches you should give this line a look. They have several different color schemes.
When I can take more pics I will until then I hope you enjoyed the review and if you were considering one of these do yourself a favor and buy it!!
Rob
