I went to watch repair school for two years,five days a week,served the board of my local N.A.W.C.C. Board of Directors for several more,then Bought,sold and Repaired watches for several more years and I have never seen a watch with a cost/quality Ratio better than Invicta!
His skill and knowledge are amongst the best, attitude too. There is something to be improved in his presentation but that can be improved. Looking forward to what's to come.
Haven't a bloody clue about the workings of a watch. I just love watches regardless quartz movement or mechanical. Saved long and hard for my Black Bay Bronze 2019 grey edition, and I just love it. What a gift you have, and to allow common joes like me to get an insight into what you do is fascinating. Can't thank you enough for an amazing channel Sir 👍 Tam.
@@richardperrettwatchmaker Good day sir! Which has better movement between 30092 and 29179? And if you are to choose between the 2, which one will you pick?
@@frankpacking5393 Lol, I had same thought when I saw the two models. They seem same, but looks like 29179 has smaller indices from the 89 series. Maybe then the cyclops has 89 series magnification... Always a trade-off.
I actually like the smaller cyclops which , to me , is more discreet and I have no problem in reading it . Ooe question : would the Seiko movement still have those nasty plastic cogs ?
The best and honest reviews before you buy a watch and it’s not just fanboys review it’s truthful this channel is one of top 3 watch reviewers I believe
My son has several Rolexs. So I ask him what time he has. He tells me and I reply, "well what do you know my Timex says the same thing". He is not amused.
Bass Fishing with the Antichrist Or “ snobbery”. Frankly I’m with the Timex guy. Richard has a video extolling the virtues of a $20.00 Casio. Rolex has its place, but so do all the others(imho).
I bought the same watch, black dial. It had the NH35a movement and as it was a display case back I could check pretty quickly. (I, for one, really liked the yellow colour on the rotor) I really like it. For what it is. An inexpensive, Sub homage.
I can remember when I first saw a Rolex- I think it was in Dr. No, 1962. But it wasn’t until 1967 that I had a chance to buy one for $125.00! I was stationed in Germany and unfortunately didn’t have enough to make the purchase. Instead I bought a Omega Speedmaster 321 which I still have. I’ve always been enamored by Rolex’s rather simple case design of the submariner as have so many other companies. Your review of the invicta pro diver proves that you don’t have to spend a lot to get a decent looking and rather robust watch that satisfies! Unfortunately the inner workings (I.e. plastic gears) of the miyota movement will never live up to Rolex’s but for the price how can you go wrong. Good review Richard!
The cyclops magnifier is definitely useful. None of the Breitlings have one! Being focally challenged, it's the one item I can't read on my Chronomat 44. Bought an Invicta Cruiseline Pro Diver about a month ago, but it was a quartz model. Ran great and looked sharp, but stopped working so I sent it back. Not the battery since the chronometer function still worked.
Great video on a great looking, very usable, inexpensive watch. I have four. Indeed, my first Invicta, purchased circa 2001 or so, needed a new screw down crown. It has the Myota movement. My watchmaker replaced the crown for $50, and when the movement needed attention, he simply replaced the movement rather than service it, as that was more cost effective. Today, I would simply give the watch away and buy a brand new one. I have three newer ones with the NH35 movement, which I prefer, as the NH35 has a hack feature which the older Miyota lacks.
Hi jmfa57 .... definitely not cost effective to service the movement on these watches. In fact they are so inexpensive that when they finally fall over the best thing is just to replace them outright as you say. Thanks for the feedback sir! Richard
I own this exact same Invicta diver. Bought new in May 2005! Still looks and works perfectly. It's actually a little different as the movement is Invicta and is all gold colored. The band on mine seems a little heftier than yours. The dial also looks nicer on mine than yours. Accuracy is extremely good!! There you go. I think I paid around $400 back then.
Hi Dave .... I think at $400 you have got and Invicta with an ETA movement there. That would account for the very good accuracy. Thanks for the feedback. Richard
I have owned an Invicta Pro Diver 30092 for 6 months and love it. Richard, I am enjoying your videos. Very informative. I am slowly working my way through them. I love the fact that you are a seasoned watchmaker and can comment on movements that I am just now starting to learn more about. I am fairly new to the watch game. I purchased an Invicta Pro Diver 30092 6 months ago. It also came with the Miyota movement instead of the Seiko. I have a blue thing going. I love the blue dial and the blue bezel. I also prefer the 42 mm size to the Parnis 40 mm GMT automatic I have. The weak point on the Pro Diver is the bracelet. My Parnis on a Jubilee bracelet comes with a 5 mm on-the-fly adjustment that I really appreciate to keep the watch fitting my wrist regardless of hot or cold conditions. I have purchased 14 affordable watches to experience different looks, sizes and features to learn what I like and don't like before buying a "quality" watch. The Pro Diver is by far my favorite watch of the bunch. I have 4 Seiko quartz, 4 low cost Chinese quartz and 4 other automatic watches from Vostok, Starking, Corguet and Tevise. Which brings me to the prelude of the a question I want to ask. In the video, you talk about the plastic components in the Seiko MH35 and how they are a weak point. In a $75 watch, I expect to get 5-10 years out of the watch and then throw it away, so plastic is not a big deal. Over time, I will be looking for watches that are generational in nature, meaning I can leave them to my 4 sons and they can expect the watches to last and even pass them on to their kids. Now for my question. What lower cost movements do you consider long lasting, obviously with servicing. Rolex, for sure. But, I am looking for lower cost watches with movements that will last. For example, is the ETA 2824 worthy, or do you have to go to the next level? What about Selllita movements? Any others that you might recommend considering?
As a first time viewer of your channel, I must confess that I found you and your content extremely educational, enjoyable, and entertaining! Bravo, sir! You have thus earned the respect and admiration of this septuagenarian struggling to survive in the Colonies. I'm curious, however, why there is such a radical difference in the cost of this Invicta diver between the U.S. Amazon link and the U.K. Amazon link you have provided below? The U.S. price is $65.00 + Free Shipping opposed to the $250.00 price tag which I understand includes shipping and import fees. Good grief, man! Are you folks in the U.K. saddled with what amounts to _Highway Robbery_ on all goods coming from foreign shores, or have I grossly miscalculated these prices?
Hi Simon .... thank you so much for this encouraging feedback. yes, I just analyse and speak as I find. Not being in anyone's pay and working hard to be the best watchmaker I can be is a hope the recipe for objective, informed and hence useful content. I am very pleased you found it interesting. Thanks again. Richard
It doesn’t take much thought to understand the criticism of Invicta. Have you looked at their catalogue of models? Reviewed their marketing strategies? Considered the fact that their designs all look like mall watches or shoddy Rolex homages? Considered the fact that you can get a watch from many other brands that have heritage and present better overall value for your money? It’s not snobbishness, it’s just logical thinking. Invicta collectors just have values that aren’t in alignment with the rest of the watch community.
Interesting stuff. The reason I think the snobbishness is misdirected in that they do what they say on the tin; they´re well-regulated and properly waterproof. I think you can make a decent argument that the brand at least has heritage - at least 140 years old, depending on who you believe! In any case it seems to be working for them! Revenue $100million+ per year. They look decent value for a waterproof, mechanical Sub-style watch. I agree that the whole Rolex homage thing is overdone across the watch market, but the market gets what the market wants I suppose. And at least they´re not Daniel Wellington shite. I´m not an Invicta collecter by the way. Anyway, always nice to discuss watches!
I purchased an Invicta Pro Diver 8926OB that had the gold rotor and said NH35A. Just purchased it three months ago. It did not manually wind, or hack. I sent it back three times to their repair center IWSC. On the third visit there, a manager said the watch had the older NH25 movement. This is one of the reasons there is much animosity toward them. The watch has been at IWSC longer than I have had it.
@@Youcantleavethisempty01 listen I'm not an Invicta fan but I do have knowledge of these things. What you say is partially true. I've you have actual knowledge of what a decent watch consist of you would know they actually produce about 10 actually decent automatic watches that don't look or perform like bullshit. For like $250 you can actually get an Invicta that is pretty close to be or better than the mid tier $1500 watches
mine gets a bit more wrist time than my steel dive, but I think if I took the cyclops off, I might not every wear the steeldive actively, sure maybe for old time sake, but w/o the cyclops, I think it seals the deal for \me on these old rolex homages.
Nice review! Like your detailed videos, I have two of these that have been chugging along for ten years and keeping very good time with the Miyota movements. What I was more impressed with that you displayed vintage Rolliflex camera in the foreground. Lol. Cheers from Nova Scotia. Mike.
Thanks for the video, nice watch but I'm not too keen on the bracelet. I have quite a few Invictas and I'm always surprised to here them get such a bad press from most inexpensive watch collectors. I have seen two faulty Invictas in my time and both were Quartz watches. Saying that, I have several Quartz Invictas that run just fine, several NH35a movement ones, and several others with various other movements. I have a few that I've recently discovered to contain Chinese movements, and not particularly good ones either! But even those run very well in fairness. Invicta offer some of the best homage watches and some very interesting styles for a very reasonable amount of money.
Hi Luciano ... thank you so much for adding this really useful corroboration of this review. I know a lot of Role owners have a few of these Invicta to wear as a 'beater' alternative. Thanks again. Richard
Thanks for the review Richard Invicta automatic watches are fantastic entry level watches what else can you buy for about $100 that looks good has a good quality Japanese movement and a clear caseback to see how it all works they are great for teaching young people or new to mechanical watches people about this fantastic hobby If it lasts 3 to 5 years for the price that good for $100 after that it becomes parts for teaching or put a new movement into it and carry on for another few years It’s not a $10000 Rolex don’t expect it to be
Hi father of five ... nicely put sir! Most folks cannot afford a Rolex Sub so a watch that shares 91.87% of it's DNA for 1% of it's cost has to be a good thing. Thanks for the feedback. Richard
I've had an Invicta Pro Diver now for 14 years and it looks almost as good as it did the day I bought it and it runs just as good.. Money well spent for under $100...
Like it matters! They are automatic movements. They are inaccurate no matter the movement. Whether it's a Miyota, Seiko, Rolex or Omega. All of them are pretty shit. Don't see the point of discussion here. It's like comparing a steam engine with a another steam engine. All of them are inefficient and old technology. What matters is what the watch is made of and what functions it has. Most of "high end" watches are made out of stainless steel which makes them pretty much worthless. Stop being a brand name boy and start looking at quality! Take it from a real watch connoisseur!
@@HaasGrotesk I have an Invicta PRO diver with a Seiko NH35 movement. After 7 months of constant measurements with a phone app, it loses 0.5 secs/day. Yes, it includes all kinds of activities, not only desk diving
@@HaasGrotesk I like Miyota , lol . If you ordered a Lamborghini & they sent you a Ferrari instead would you keep it or send it back ? Upon principal I like to receive exactly what I ordered no matter what the item may be. ✌️
HaasGrotesk No, the NH35 is more precise across the positions, doesn’t have the Miyota rotar ‘wobble’ and also has hacking which I don’t think the Miyota 8015 has. It’s a more modern and superior movement.
Invictas automatic are a bang for your money. Regardless if they have plastic parts inside. Watch companies wish they have the success and partnerships that invicta has. Remember invicta started the 50 plus mm and everyone follow them.
I have an Invicta watch for almost 12 years that I bought from QVC. I had to do some fixing to it. The crown came out get in it even in the shower but still working, and is my beater watch.
Thank you Richard. I'm a watch newbie and really enjoy and take so much from your knowledge and skill. My great friend Eric Brooksbank, now retired as a watchmaker, gave me such a good grounding and understanding of the mysteries of watch making and engineering. I'd love to hear what you have to say about Longines watches. Take care and bless you and yours . G
I went to Watch Repair school for two years,Five days a week,served as board member for several years for the local N.A.W.C.C chapter then bought sold an repaired watches for several more years and I have never seen A watch with A better cost/quality ratio than the Invicta Pro Diver!
These Miyota 8215 movements were all the rage back in early 2010s for microbrands to use. They are pretty durable things, last for years and often without servicing. Do the Seiko NH35 (and related) movements also have plastic gears? (I'm guessing the plastics in this miyota are used for the date function, not for timekeeping?)
Hi Elijs ... that was my thought also when I saw it in the back of the watch. I figure the microbrand offerings were and are ten time the price! Good point! Thanks for highlighting. Richard
So pleased you are happy with the watch and you used my work for your research. Nice one Huy Pham and thanks for taking the trouble to let me know. Richard
The IPD 29178 is my second automatic ever. I've only had it for about 3 weeks. Its Jubilee bracelet and the branding on the aide of the case are this models biggest detractors.
This is a fascinating video, thanks. I started work last year in healthcare and actually need a watch but the cheap one I was using died last month, I'm also going to get back into diving after a number (a lot) of years away. Seeing the the Pro Diver I thought it would be a great solution but the price seemed way too low. Nice to see I won't have to sell an arm to get a decent dive watch. I can shift more money into a pricier regulator.
Good point! My brother bought a beautiful vintage Sub, then crashed while riding his bicycle and got it totally scratched up, thus decimating the value in a split second.
I don't know how or why CZcams suggested this video but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Watched this video 2 weeks ago and bought this watch of Amazon. Had it for a week and a half and love it. Only complaint is it's a bit tall. Is there a reason there is so much space in between the crystal and the dial? I almost feel like if they halved that the watch would be perfect. I also got the version with the yellow rotor but that's fine. Lastly I always laugh when I see 200-300 m ratings. There are a handful of people who dive that deep and can't imagine they'd wear even a Rolex that deep. Subscribed even though I barely know what you are talking about.
I have 11 Invicta watches. The oldest is 15 years old. They embody the old Timex advertisement of “It takes a lickin and keeps on tickin.” All of mine work and look great considering what I paid. From a professional watchmaker’s perspective, he’s spot on. For the money, it’s a good value that is stylish, accurate and durable from my experiences (and others) with the brand. If one wants the quality of Rolex, then buy one and pass on the Invicta. Again, for the money, the Invictas are a good buy. Thanks for the honest review from a professional watchmaker who realistically assess comparative value predicated on cost, quality, function and style.
Some plastics mechanically perform extremely well like Delrin. Which machines extremely well and has inherent low friction properties without oiling. However, Delrin is expensive.
I have one of these -- 2-tone with the azure blue dial. It's somewhat gaudy but it keeps good time and it's fun to wear when I don't feel very serious about what I'm wearing. I did pick up a couple fifty-dollar invicta quartz watches and I wear them around the house or in the garden or when working in the garage. They're beaters and functional and I don't have to worry about scratching them up. A lot of people give invicta a hard time, but they have their place.
Invicta ProDiver 30091-30098 all have Miyota. 29179-29185 is with Seiko NH35. All these new ProDiver is 42mm instead of 40mm for the old one. And there is also a new ”GrandDiver” 47mm. Both stepped up a notch or two
Richard, I nofice that most of my NH35 watches run slow during wearing, but run a bit fast lying flat at night. In this way you can compensate the seconds loss while wearing during the day. I manage to run NH35A's within a second per week.
Richard, sometimes I use this on and off the wrist technique with a watch that is too fast when wearing. In that case it should be slow when off the wrist to loose some seconds. I that case I put a watch in a 45 degrees position. In that way nearly every watch is as slow as it gets in any other position. Strange that this position is never tested. It is not part of the COSC measurements.
Greetings Dr. Perrett, I am Keith W. Witherspoon, USN-Ret. I live in Holden Maine, near Bangor. I just saw your wonderful show on the Invicta Pro Diver, of which I have several. I mainly have Huge Venoms and the very exciting S1 and Speedway watches from Invicta. Your show was very informative and extremely entertaining, thank you for your passion and craftsmanship regarding timepieces. I presently own 60 watches, Invicta and Bulova, yeah, I have a problem, hahaha! look forward to more videos from your horology sanctum, keep up the fabulous work and keeping us on time and in the loop :). Respectfully, Keith W. Witherspoon, USN-Ret.
Richard - I'm in Florida USA. This model comes with the Seiko NH-35 with the Invicta yellow and signed rotor. I have several 40mm Invictas over a decade old when they came with Miyota motors. They switched to Seiko years ago for the U.S. market. The "rainbow effect" on the bracelet is mostly because the three middle links are hollow, as well as a Jubilee trait. Great value at $109US. I have it in black, and a blue one is on the way. The cyclops really sucks as far as the looks of the watch, but at this price....
I must clarify in my statement of the cyclop here, in that it doesn't magnify properly. This watch needs a stronger (3x - 3.5x) magnification level to look classy.
I have the Invicta Pro Diver as well as the Rolex 16613. Of course, the quality is not comparable. However, the Invicta is a fine watch and an excellent daily driver. I wear both and enjoy both. Some other value-type automatics that I wear...the SteelDive 1970 Captain Willard (Seiko homage with NH35 mov't) and the Aragon Divemaster 42mm (with NH36). The Steeldive is really the best bang for the buck, IMO...at just under $100...as it comes with a Sapphire crystal. Same for the Aragon, at just under $150 on sale. There are times when the Rolex is not the right watch to wear...and there are times when it is really nice to have such a fine piece at the ready.
I've just ordered one of these, and btw, although I'm from Snowdonia, my grandparent were from Pembroke Dock; North Street, and I lived in Gwyther Street for a few years as a young lad. Small world.
Great video and thank you. My Invicta NH35A (Mickey Mouse watch) is holding +2sec/day with amplitude at 270 and zero beat error for over one year. What I have found with this movement is the luck of the draw out of the box with respect to the accuracy of the movement. However they are serviceable. Drop an NE15 movement in this watch, regulate it, and you will have a very good dive watch for around $200. You cannot beat it (excuse the pun).
Hi Eric ... excellent feedback and good to hear your NH35A is a good one as those stats are really very good. Thanks for taking the trouble to share this. Richard
I could be wrong, but I think Rolex made Invicta change the Cyclopse. I know they did it with the case, which is why Envicta started ingraving their name on the side of it.
Smashing video as always Richard. Was starting to get worried as you hadn't posted for a while. Love Invictas and have a few of them cant understand the hate they recive on watch forums. Not had a problem with any of mine. Great to see you again. Take care Darren.
Hi Darren ... yes I have been a bit busy doing actual watchmaking! A lot of time spent with a minute repeater so will be releasing some footage of that in the not too distant future. Good to hear from you as always and thank you so much for the support. Richard
Richard, thanks for the video, one question though, Does every HN35 has plastic components?, I'm asking because a bunch of micro brands are using this movement, or there is a different grades ( tiers or variants)of these caliber?.
@@matthewvz28 what other watch maker puts it's name on the outside of the watch? One person referred to it as graffiti. I mean it's labeled on the face and back already.
I have an older Invicta with the Miyota movement (gold and purple) and a fairly new one with the NH35A (Pepsi bezel). The Seiko hacks and hand winds. Apart from that, they both perform well.
So the watch you are reviewing has Miyota movement and you show disassembly of Seiko NH35 and its plastic parts? What’s the point? I guess it will be confusing for the viewers.
Bought an 8926 Pro Diver last spring, black dial, and put it on a black Nato strap. I love it. It just looks "ready to go" on that Nato strap. Okay, my only complaint, the non aggressive bezel. Sets it apart from "submariner" but is a pain to use because little to grip. I don't use it, but it's an annoyance when playing with it. The rotor, very yellow, but I never see it.
I recently purchased two Invicta pro diver watches and their cyclops are both on par with your Rolex. Hope they are not keeping the poor cyclops going forward. My 8927ob pro diver and my blue diver 9094 overrall watch size does appear to be noticeably smaller like the Rolex. The bezel numbers size on the 8927ob are consistent with your Rolex while the 9094 bezel numbers are larger like your blue diver. Mine both have the ugly yellow decoration on their NH35 movements. I'm very pleased with my pro divers to date, feeling I got more than I paid for in value compared with my much more expensive watches. Thank you for your fair and educational reviews, well done.
Don't know why there is no 10 on the bezel of that invicta. I have two Paganis with a miyota and nh35 in them. They run great but I dont put them near water. Interesting video, Your mention of how many Invictas you could buy for a rolex put things in perspective, even when you can easily afford one.
Hi Peter ... good point. I wouldn't be surprised if was unintentional. "Ooops! I forgot the 10! Oh well, actually it looks kinda cool. Let's go with it seeing as we already made 40,000" :) Richard
Greetings from across the pond! Great video! I have two questions. 1). You tested it down to 60m what about it's rated 200m? And when opening up a caseback on a watch how do you make sure you don't squish the seal and ruin the integrity of the case/seal when putting the caseback back on? I am normally VERY hard on Invictas in my reviews but this one doesn't look half bad :)
Great overview of the Invicta Pro Diver. I own an older version model 9937ob with a Sellita SW200 movement which is quite nice. Most of this movements parts look to be milled out of brass. What do you think of its build integrity in comparison with the NH35 or Miyota and its Swiss counterpart ETA?
Hi The Bird on Watches ... I think the ETA is more refined generally in terms of accuracy and finish; and that the Miyota and Seiko movements are very similar in these terms. Thanks for the feedback. richard
Great review Richard.I have three iditerations of the previous Pro-diver series all with the Seiko NHII-35 movements/Oyster bracelets.its obvious in those they have a magnification of 2.5 as oppossed to what looks like a paultry 1.5 in you newly re-leased example.there is a TJ Maxx outlet near me and I was quite dismayed when I got a good look at thier assembled examples.10 years ago when these were miyota equipped I believe without the hacking feature they suffered the same inadequate issue.at 57 I need to see the date,its ridicoulous,who is making these stupid decisions.its a deal breaker for me,however I would like to pick up the stock jubily for a test drive.thanks for the great review.
Excellent points John and yes the lack of magnification seems just a really weird decision. Maybe some folks like it that way but I figure they would be in the minority so the decision is not very commercial; and it's not art ... so not sure what is going on with this aspect. Thanks for the feedback. Richard
Hi Richard. I’ve just subscribed to your channel and loving it! I recently treated myself to three Christopher Ward watches during their half price sale promotion and can easily see this as being my fourth watch purchase as a result of your review! Keep up the great work.
Just for accuracy 6 Bar is 50 Meters of water pressure, because above water we are roughly at 1 bar, so at 10 meters when diving your are under 2 bar of pressure
Back in July of this year (2019), coming down off the summit of the Donner Pass in California (7,056ft / 2,151m), the crystal on my Invicta Chrono Lupah popped off and flew across to the passenger seat of my car. Never in a million years did I think that this watch would be that "tight" as to send the crystal flying during a de-compression like that (it's not even a dive watch!). I DO like certain Invictas and am a big fan of them (Timex is my beater of choice. No real skin in the game $$-wise). Watching that case back fail had a certain "pucker factor" to it. Yikes! Great vid, sir!
love the channel I have 27 Invictas two of them are Grand Divers with nh35a the rest are swiss made and swiss movement watches with Eta 2824-2 and others are the Selita 200-1 I've spent all together 4500 dollars . and im still about 4000 dollars short to afford one Rolex sub. so sad.
Hi TheOne ThatGotAway .... Thank you sir! I just say as I find and as I fix watches all the time I hope my thoughts in these videos are helpful. Thanks again. Richard
I watched the video all the way through, and enjoyed your presentation and commentary. Your videos keep getting better. Thank you, Richard, for sharing! p.s. I am pretty sure the movement on this one is an 821A, which is the equivalent of an 8215, only with a skeletonized rotor and perhaps a few other touches to make it look a little nicer. The 8215 family used to only hand wind but not hack, but Miyota has been quietly rolling in an upgrade to include both hacking and hand winding (though it is a crapshoot whether you'll get an upgraded one).
So good to hear that you think my videos are getting better as I have been trying quite hard to achieve this improvement. It's great to get feedback that says the work is paying off so thank you for that. Much appreciated. Yes, it's a 821A ... which is a nice movement I figure and it hacks. Thanks again for this comment. Richard
Thank you Richard. I've seen most of the video hosts. But none compare to your expertise and knowledge. You bring watch videos to another level. Thank you again!
Hi Richard! That is really very kind of you to say so .... I have been trying to get better at film making as maybe the work is paying off then. Thank you so much for this encouraging feedback. Richard
This was a first view of your channel for me and I loved it! I subscribed and will be looking for more from you! Good job, and I loved seeing the Invicta blow up under pressure!!! I always wondered what would happen!
Hello Richard, I recently built a Watch from parts using the Miyota 8215 movement and have found it to be excellent with very good timekeeping once regulated great workhorse movements. I enjoyed the explosive ending.
Hi Jon .... that's so cool and relevant thank you. Word is that the movement is actually a Miyota 821A which also hacks. miyotamovement.com/product/821A/ ... thanks for the feedback. Richard
So why all the hate? It's a good watch and a reasonable price! Maybe Invicta should invest a little in a few better parts and raise the price to cover the improvement.
I own 5 invictas since many years no problems whatsoever. Very solid watches so if you like the design go for it. I cannot stand those snobish so called watch experts who bash Invicta's reputation without understanding what they are talking about.
Your video led me to buy the more expensive 29179 pro diver exactly like this one but with the Seiko nh35a only because Indo not like the miyota second hand stutter
My impression is that the 40mm versions have the Seiko movement while the 42mm versions are Miyota. I prefer the Seiko by far. For budget really good watches, however, I'm a total advocate for the Swatch group. Certina, Tissot and Mido. ETA are Swatch group and you can't in practical terms beat ETA.
Very useful information Robert ... ease chime in guys if you have also seen this allocation by case case size. I love the ETA movements ... they just work so well! Thanks again. Richard
Wow!!!!.... By far the most thorough watch review I've seen. I have viewed many Invicta pro-diver reviews & I think I will buy this model. I got a quartz Invicta 26973 as a gift & switched bracelet to a StrapsCo rubber rally. It's much better but I'm near last hole because most 20mm don't go well with larger wrists. I didn't want a Grand Diver either so this 42mm with 22mm strap should be best. Thanks again!!! (Oh yeah....lume shot?)
The cyclops sucks! They should've got rid of it, and the watch would look more like a Sea Dweller. I like the jubilee bracelet instead of the usual oyster one...
Haha! Nice one rcrxjib. Some folks really don't like any cyclops and I get that. Funnily I like the cyclops and prefer the Oyster style bracelet so our likes are polar sir! I agree about the Sea Dweller ... now that is a seriously handsome pice! Richard
Honestly, all these watches just need to get rid of the date. How many of us is wearing the watch so often that we aren't constantly having to set the date?
@@nakazatotakeshi4286 To be honest, since we pretty much stopped writing checks in this country, we haven't had much cause to have a date function on our watches. Given that, it can often be seen as an extra bit of clutter whose existence more often detracts from the aesthetic than benefits it. Everyone has a preference, though. With smartphones, watches themselves are a bit superfluous for most folks.
They did that same swap-a-roo to me once, too. I ordered a Guanqin GJ16034 which is advertised with an NH36A but it had a Miyota 8205, instead. And iirc, the Miyota does not have hacking, and the rotor is only uni-directional. I do own an Invicta Grand Diver though with the Seiko NH35 in it. Can't complain for a ~$100 watch. The bracelet and movement, alone, are worth that.
Thanks for that one Richard. Do you consider requests? If so, I'd LOVE to see one devoted to adjustment technique used while on the timegrapher to get around the tyro performance where a long succession of overcorrections does eventually result in a setting thats inside expected requirements. for me that's usually +6/24hrs that seems to work out less during wear... (I dislike watches that lose time, even several secs/24hrs) What I do is to get the Beat to as close to zero as possible, then tackle the +/- setting, My close vision is getting less serviceable too... can you suggest binocular magnifier that won't need a mortgage? Finding your videos most enlightening! My thanks, sir.
Hi Ian ... thank you for this suggestion I will mull it over and figure out how best to it might be done. Regarding the binocular optics I am not the man for this as I have a squint and no binocular vision. I use a two lens loupe that attaches to my glasses. Happy to source you one of this monocular creations if it is of interest. Richard
@@richardperrettwatchmaker - Thanks for the reply - indeed I'd be interested in any suggestion re magnification. I'm getting on for 68 and close vision does tend to change at this time of life, and not for the better! My first thought was for binocular magnification as it'd preserve depth perception; but that would need both eyes to have a clear pathway to the gaze target during maneouvres - happy to try out your mono suggestion first. I'm only a hobbyist, with mostly cheap Seiko movements like 7S26 and NH35. I'm a late arrival in having an interest in mechanical watches having used Casio digitals for decades but despite their high efficiency I took a dislike for their low contrast numerals. Hence this little voyage of discovery!
The earlier model 29179 has the nh35 movement and 2.5 cyclops in it,plus the date widow has stainless trim ,I hav the 29178 all black,some where they changed from the looks of it,I don’t dive anymore,,but I tide mine to a rod and real,dropped it in the river in about 80 foot of water,it come up still running with no water in side,thanks for the review,,great job! Mike
Yea it was,but got tired of all the hooha about will they withstand the pressure,so thought I would try it,the guy I was with couldn’t get him to drop his rolex in the river 😂
I use a Pagani Design Watch with the same Movement, Miyota 8215 and I think the cyclops magnification problem has something to do with the movement because I observe the exact same out of it. My other Pagani Design watch with the NH35 has the cyclops magnifying the date correctly on the other hand. I was thinking of the same when I just got it myself.
Hi Tony ... good to hear from you. I watch a Bark and Jack video recently which had this movement in and Adrian was saying what a good price it was at $600 ... it's a good movement I figure. Thanks for the feedback. Richard
Question for you watchmakers, is the Miyota movement in this watch better than the nh35a? also does it have plastic parts in it as well? as in the nh35a? thanks!
Just saw your channel and it is amazing. Lots of good content. I like the Pro Diver but I always thought that if Invicta stopped putting their name on the side of the case and changed the hands to make it look less of a Rolex rip off, the watch would look much much better.
Hi ATT ... thank you so much for taking the trouble to give this encouraging feedback it is much appreciated! I know what you mean about the pro Diver look, I like it, but there's lots of folks who would prefer it the way you describe. Thanks again. Richard
I went to watch repair school for two years,five days a week,served the board of my local N.A.W.C.C. Board of Directors for several more,then Bought,sold and Repaired watches for several more years and I have never seen a watch with a cost/quality Ratio better than Invicta!
I just purchased this watch, the 30091 i believe! I adore it so far. I love function and quality together, like a great Casio!
I have 4 invictas, 3 are automatics the oldest is 9 years old they all work great. No gripes !
They should be ok since they have Seiko movement
Hi Bobby ... very good to hear that your considerable real life experience corroborates my findings here. Thanks for the feedback. Richard
I've had no problems with invicta.i like mine. Some watch snobs just want to call them i think.but its a decent affordable brand)
My pro diver in face up position gained about 5 secs in 3 days. These nh35 movement are accurate.
@@richardperrettwatchmaker I really enjoy your Videos !
This is probably the best watch guy on CZcams. Not just some idiot unboxing it and looking at it and badmouthing stuff.
His skill and knowledge are amongst the best, attitude too. There is something to be improved in his presentation but that can be improved. Looking forward to what's to come.
Haven't a bloody clue about the workings of a watch. I just love watches regardless quartz movement or mechanical. Saved long and hard for my Black Bay Bronze 2019 grey edition, and I just love it. What a gift you have, and to allow common joes like me to get an insight into what you do is fascinating. Can't thank you enough for an amazing channel Sir 👍 Tam.
Hi B ... and what great feedback! It's really so encouraging to read remarks like this so thank you so much. Richard
@@richardperrettwatchmaker Good day sir! Which has better movement between 30092 and 29179? And if you are to choose between the 2, which one will you pick?
@@frankpacking5393 Lol, I had same thought when I saw the two models. They seem same, but looks like 29179 has smaller indices from the 89 series. Maybe then the cyclops has 89 series magnification... Always a trade-off.
I actually like the smaller cyclops which , to me , is more discreet and I have no problem in reading it . Ooe question : would the Seiko movement still have those nasty plastic cogs ?
The best and honest reviews before you buy a watch and it’s not just fanboys review it’s truthful this channel is one of top 3 watch reviewers I believe
My son has several Rolexs. So I ask him what time he has. He tells me and I reply, "well what do you know my Timex says the same thing". He is not amused.
Czechster Marek - The difference has more to do with "class".
Bass Fishing with the Antichrist Or “ snobbery”. Frankly I’m with the Timex guy. Richard has a video extolling the virtues of a $20.00 Casio. Rolex has its place, but so do all the others(imho).
@@gregsolovieff6711remember don’t wear your Rolex in dark places 🤷♂️
I appreciate experts in watches point out that we don't have to spend thousands to get a decent watch.
I bought the same watch, black dial. It had the NH35a movement and as it was a display case back I could check pretty quickly. (I, for one, really liked the yellow colour on the rotor) I really like it. For what it is. An inexpensive, Sub homage.
I can remember when I first saw a Rolex- I think it was in Dr. No, 1962. But it wasn’t until 1967 that I had a chance to buy one for $125.00! I was stationed in Germany and unfortunately didn’t have enough to make the purchase. Instead I bought a Omega Speedmaster 321 which I still have.
I’ve always been enamored by Rolex’s rather simple case design of the submariner as have so many other companies. Your review of the invicta pro diver proves that you don’t have to spend a lot to get a decent looking and rather robust watch that satisfies! Unfortunately the inner workings (I.e. plastic gears) of the miyota movement will never live up to Rolex’s but for the price how can you go wrong.
Good review Richard!
The cyclops magnifier is definitely useful. None of the Breitlings have one! Being focally challenged, it's the one item I can't read on my Chronomat 44.
Bought an Invicta Cruiseline Pro Diver about a month ago, but it was a quartz model. Ran great and looked sharp, but stopped working so I sent it back. Not the battery since the chronometer function still worked.
Unbelievably the Cyclops on the first Rolex looks misaligned?
the twelve o'clock round luminol on the rolex is off center as well :(
Great video on a great looking, very usable, inexpensive watch. I have four. Indeed, my first Invicta, purchased circa 2001 or so, needed a new screw down crown. It has the Myota movement. My watchmaker replaced the crown for $50, and when the movement needed attention, he simply replaced the movement rather than service it, as that was more cost effective. Today, I would simply give the watch away and buy a brand new one. I have three newer ones with the NH35 movement, which I prefer, as the NH35 has a hack feature which the older Miyota lacks.
Hi jmfa57 .... definitely not cost effective to service the movement on these watches. In fact they are so inexpensive that when they finally fall over the best thing is just to replace them outright as you say. Thanks for the feedback sir! Richard
WhT a great video ,, I haven’t seen this detailed video ever !! Please keep making these videos
I put in my notifications for your videos
Just ordered the pro 1953, you cant beat them for a daily g.a.d.a .thank you for sharing your expertise..
I own this exact same Invicta diver. Bought new in May 2005! Still looks and works perfectly. It's actually a little different as the movement is Invicta and is all gold colored. The band on mine seems a little heftier than yours. The dial also looks nicer on mine than yours. Accuracy is extremely good!! There you go. I think I paid around $400 back then.
Hi Dave .... I think at $400 you have got and Invicta with an ETA movement there. That would account for the very good accuracy. Thanks for the feedback. Richard
@@richardperrettwatchmaker Thanks for the reply. Mine does say Swiss Movement on the dial. It's a keeper. Kinda like a poor mans Rolex! :-)
I have owned an Invicta Pro Diver 30092 for 6 months and love it.
Richard, I am enjoying your videos. Very informative. I am slowly working my way through them. I love the fact that you are a seasoned watchmaker and can comment on movements that I am just now starting to learn more about. I am fairly new to the watch game. I purchased an Invicta Pro Diver 30092 6 months ago. It also came with the Miyota movement instead of the Seiko. I have a blue thing going. I love the blue dial and the blue bezel. I also prefer the 42 mm size to the Parnis 40 mm GMT automatic I have. The weak point on the Pro Diver is the bracelet. My Parnis on a Jubilee bracelet comes with a 5 mm on-the-fly adjustment that I really appreciate to keep the watch fitting my wrist regardless of hot or cold conditions. I have purchased 14 affordable watches to experience different looks, sizes and features to learn what I like and don't like before buying a "quality" watch. The Pro Diver is by far my favorite watch of the bunch. I have 4 Seiko quartz, 4 low cost Chinese quartz and 4 other automatic watches from Vostok, Starking, Corguet and Tevise.
Which brings me to the prelude of the a question I want to ask. In the video, you talk about the plastic components in the Seiko MH35 and how they are a weak point. In a $75 watch, I expect to get 5-10 years out of the watch and then throw it away, so plastic is not a big deal. Over time, I will be looking for watches that are generational in nature, meaning I can leave them to my 4 sons and they can expect the watches to last and even pass them on to their kids.
Now for my question. What lower cost movements do you consider long lasting, obviously with servicing. Rolex, for sure. But, I am looking for lower cost watches with movements that will last. For example, is the ETA 2824 worthy, or do you have to go to the next level? What about Selllita movements? Any others that you might recommend considering?
I have 2 invicta watches. The 8927OB & The 8930OB Both are brilliant watches. Thanks for sharing
As a first time viewer of your channel, I must confess that I found you and your content extremely educational, enjoyable, and entertaining! Bravo, sir! You have thus earned the respect and admiration of this septuagenarian struggling to survive in the Colonies.
I'm curious, however, why there is such a radical difference in the cost of this Invicta diver between the U.S. Amazon link and the U.K. Amazon link you have provided below? The U.S. price is $65.00 + Free Shipping opposed to the $250.00 price tag which I understand includes shipping and import fees.
Good grief, man! Are you folks in the U.K. saddled with what amounts to _Highway Robbery_ on all goods coming from foreign shores, or have I grossly miscalculated these prices?
Lovely review, Richard.
I’m not sure why there is so much snobbishness directed towards Invicta. They seem to be well-made and terrific value.
Hi Simon .... thank you so much for this encouraging feedback. yes, I just analyse and speak as I find. Not being in anyone's pay and working hard to be the best watchmaker I can be is a hope the recipe for objective, informed and hence useful content. I am very pleased you found it interesting. Thanks again. Richard
It doesn’t take much thought to understand the criticism of Invicta. Have you looked at their catalogue of models? Reviewed their marketing strategies? Considered the fact that their designs all look like mall watches or shoddy Rolex homages? Considered the fact that you can get a watch from many other brands that have heritage and present better overall value for your money? It’s not snobbishness, it’s just logical thinking. Invicta collectors just have values that aren’t in alignment with the rest of the watch community.
Interesting stuff. The reason I think the snobbishness is misdirected in that they do what they say on the tin; they´re well-regulated and properly waterproof. I think you can make a decent argument that the brand at least has heritage - at least 140 years old, depending on who you believe!
In any case it seems to be working for them!
Revenue $100million+ per year.
They look decent value for a waterproof, mechanical Sub-style watch.
I agree that the whole Rolex homage thing is overdone across the watch market, but the market gets what the market wants I suppose.
And at least they´re not Daniel Wellington shite.
I´m not an Invicta collecter by the way.
Anyway, always nice to discuss watches!
I purchased an Invicta Pro Diver 8926OB that had the gold rotor and said NH35A. Just purchased it three months ago. It did not manually wind, or hack. I sent it back three times to their repair center IWSC. On the third visit there, a manager said the watch had the older NH25 movement. This is one of the reasons there is much animosity toward them. The watch has been at IWSC longer than I have had it.
@@Youcantleavethisempty01 listen I'm not an Invicta fan but I do have knowledge of these things. What you say is partially true. I've you have actual knowledge of what a decent watch consist of you would know they actually produce about 10 actually decent automatic watches that don't look or perform like bullshit. For like $250 you can actually get an Invicta that is pretty close to be or better than the mid tier $1500 watches
I have a 9937OB with the Swiss Sellita-200 movement, and with the exception of the sub-par lume, I love it!
mine gets a bit more wrist time than my steel dive, but I think if I took the cyclops off, I might not every wear the steeldive actively, sure maybe for old time sake, but w/o the cyclops, I think it seals the deal for \me on these old rolex homages.
Nice review! Like your detailed videos, I have two of these that have been chugging along for ten years and keeping very good time with the Miyota movements. What I was more impressed with that you displayed vintage Rolliflex camera in the foreground. Lol. Cheers from Nova Scotia. Mike.
Thanks for the video, nice watch but I'm not too keen on the bracelet. I have quite a few Invictas and I'm always surprised to here them get such a bad press from most inexpensive watch collectors. I have seen two faulty Invictas in my time and both were Quartz watches. Saying that, I have several Quartz Invictas that run just fine, several NH35a movement ones, and several others with various other movements. I have a few that I've recently discovered to contain Chinese movements, and not particularly good ones either! But even those run very well in fairness. Invicta offer some of the best homage watches and some very interesting styles for a very reasonable amount of money.
I’ve own this watch for over 5mo. it takes a beating and continues to hold up. I have better watches but I manly wear my invicta for work.
Hi Luciano ... thank you so much for adding this really useful corroboration of this review. I know a lot of Role owners have a few of these Invicta to wear as a 'beater' alternative. Thanks again. Richard
Exactly the same for me, after work I wear a steinhart gmt Pepsi, but looking forward to buy an omega seamaster 300m ( maybe bond Edition)
Thanks for the review Richard
Invicta automatic watches are fantastic entry level watches what else can you buy for about $100 that looks good has a good quality Japanese movement and a clear caseback to see how it all works they are great for teaching young people or new to mechanical watches people about this fantastic hobby
If it lasts 3 to 5 years for the price that good for $100 after that it becomes parts for teaching or put a new movement into it and carry on for another few years
It’s not a $10000 Rolex don’t expect it to be
Hi father of five ... nicely put sir! Most folks cannot afford a Rolex Sub so a watch that shares 91.87% of it's DNA for 1% of it's cost has to be a good thing. Thanks for the feedback. Richard
I've had an Invicta Pro Diver now for 14 years and it looks almost as good as it did the day I bought it and it runs just as good.. Money well spent for under $100...
Had I received a Miyota instead of a Seiko would've sent it right back just for misrepresentation
It is correctly listed on the invicta stores website but they have it incorrectly listed on their non retail site.
Like it matters! They are automatic movements. They are inaccurate no matter the movement. Whether it's a Miyota, Seiko, Rolex or Omega. All of them are pretty shit. Don't see the point of discussion here. It's like comparing a steam engine with a another steam engine. All of them are inefficient and old technology. What matters is what the watch is made of and what functions it has. Most of "high end" watches are made out of stainless steel which makes them pretty much worthless. Stop being a brand name boy and start looking at quality! Take it from a real watch connoisseur!
@@HaasGrotesk I have an Invicta PRO diver with a Seiko NH35 movement. After 7 months of constant measurements with a phone app, it loses 0.5 secs/day. Yes, it includes all kinds of activities, not only desk diving
@@HaasGrotesk I like Miyota , lol . If you ordered a Lamborghini & they sent you a Ferrari instead would you keep it or send it back ? Upon principal I like to receive exactly what I ordered no matter what the item may be. ✌️
HaasGrotesk No, the NH35 is more precise across the positions, doesn’t have the Miyota rotar ‘wobble’ and also has hacking which I don’t think the Miyota 8015 has. It’s a more modern and superior movement.
I got a watch with a miyota 8215. Rotor was pretty loud. I favor the nh35 movement greatly.
Invictas automatic are a bang for your money. Regardless if they have plastic parts inside.
Watch companies wish they have the success and partnerships that invicta has. Remember invicta started the 50 plus mm and everyone follow them.
I have a Rolex Explorer , two tags, one aquaracer, one professional wt1115, and 2 Invicta prodivers. I wear my Hulk prodiver everyday.
I have an Invicta watch for almost 12 years that I bought from QVC. I had to do some fixing to it. The crown came out get in it even in the shower but still working, and is my beater watch.
Thank you Richard. I'm a watch newbie and really enjoy and take so much from your knowledge and skill. My great friend Eric Brooksbank, now retired as a watchmaker, gave me such a good grounding and understanding of the mysteries of watch making and engineering. I'd love to hear what you have to say about Longines watches. Take care and bless you and yours . G
I have three Invicta ProDivers with Sellitta Movements!
And some Grand Divers with the Seiko NH35 and an 8296 with a Bond Strap
I went to Watch Repair school for two years,Five days a week,served as board member for several years for the local N.A.W.C.C chapter then bought sold an repaired watches for several more years and I have never seen A watch with A better cost/quality ratio than the Invicta Pro Diver!
i like the yellow rotor. from the OG
I'm 14 and I own this watch. It may not keep super accurate time but I get a lot of compliments about it.
Hi jonespvp 575 ... it's a great watch for a teenager I figure and an excellent introduction to automatic mechanical watches. Good choice! Richard
These Miyota 8215 movements were all the rage back in early 2010s for microbrands to use. They are pretty durable things, last for years and often without servicing.
Do the Seiko NH35 (and related) movements also have plastic gears? (I'm guessing the plastics in this miyota are used for the date function, not for timekeeping?)
Hi Elijs ... that was my thought also when I saw it in the back of the watch. I figure the microbrand offerings were and are ten time the price! Good point! Thanks for highlighting. Richard
I got a pro diver because of your previous video. It’s an ok watch for the price. Thanks for the review!
So pleased you are happy with the watch and you used my work for your research. Nice one Huy Pham and thanks for taking the trouble to let me know. Richard
The IPD 29178 is my second automatic ever. I've only had it for about 3 weeks. Its Jubilee bracelet and the branding on the aide of the case are this models biggest detractors.
You can never have too many Rolex's or Invicta's 👍 good entertaining video thanks Richard
Hi James ... I agree! I should very much like a selection of both! Thanks for the encouraging feedback. Richard
This is a fascinating video, thanks. I started work last year in healthcare and actually need a watch but the cheap one I was using died last month, I'm also going to get back into diving after a number (a lot) of years away. Seeing the the Pro Diver I thought it would be a great solution but the price seemed way too low. Nice to see I won't have to sell an arm to get a decent dive watch. I can shift more money into a pricier regulator.
i like my invicta as i can wear it anywhere, it looks good, works well and i dont need to worry about damaging a $10,000 watch
Good point! My brother bought a beautiful vintage Sub, then crashed while riding his bicycle and got it totally scratched up, thus decimating the value in a split second.
I don't know how or why CZcams suggested this video but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Watched this video 2 weeks ago and bought this watch of Amazon. Had it for a week and a half and love it. Only complaint is it's a bit tall. Is there a reason there is so much space in between the crystal and the dial? I almost feel like if they halved that the watch would be perfect. I also got the version with the yellow rotor but that's fine. Lastly I always laugh when I see 200-300 m ratings. There are a handful of people who dive that deep and can't imagine they'd wear even a Rolex that deep. Subscribed even though I barely know what you are talking about.
Great feedback... Thanks Kime! Much appreciated. Richard
I have three pro divers in my collection. Awesome, great watches. Best value for money
I have 11 Invicta watches. The oldest is 15 years old. They embody the old Timex advertisement of “It takes a lickin and keeps on tickin.” All of mine work and look great considering what I paid. From a professional watchmaker’s perspective, he’s spot on. For the money, it’s a good value that is stylish, accurate and durable from my experiences (and others) with the brand. If one wants the quality of Rolex, then buy one and pass on the Invicta. Again, for the money, the Invictas are a good buy. Thanks for the honest review from a professional watchmaker who realistically assess comparative value predicated on cost, quality, function and style.
Some plastics mechanically perform extremely well like Delrin. Which machines extremely well and has inherent low friction properties without oiling. However, Delrin is expensive.
I've been looking for a watch exact like this one. Done..I should receive it in a few days. Thank you for this video
Nice one MrGchiasson! Enjoy your watch sir1 Richard
I have one of these -- 2-tone with the azure blue dial. It's somewhat gaudy but it keeps good time and it's fun to wear when I don't feel very serious about what I'm wearing. I did pick up a couple fifty-dollar invicta quartz watches and I wear them around the house or in the garden or when working in the garage. They're beaters and functional and I don't have to worry about scratching them up. A lot of people give invicta a hard time, but they have their place.
Invicta ProDiver 30091-30098 all have Miyota. 29179-29185 is with Seiko NH35.
All these new ProDiver is 42mm instead of 40mm for the old one.
And there is also a new ”GrandDiver” 47mm.
Both stepped up a notch or two
Most people buy the 8926OB which has the NH35 and is 40mm (this video's watch is 42mm) which matches Rolex much better ...
Richard, I nofice that most of my NH35 watches run slow during wearing, but run a bit fast lying flat at night. In this way you can compensate the seconds loss while wearing during the day. I manage to run NH35A's within a second per week.
Hi Rene ... good to her from your sir! Yes, I am not at all surprised ... it is a Seiko I guess afterall! Richard
Richard, sometimes I use this on and off the wrist technique with a watch that is too fast when wearing. In that case it should be slow when off the wrist to loose some seconds. I that case I put a watch in a 45 degrees position. In that way nearly every watch is as slow as it gets in any other position. Strange that this position is never tested. It is not part of the COSC measurements.
Greetings Dr. Perrett, I am Keith W. Witherspoon, USN-Ret. I live in Holden Maine, near Bangor. I just saw your wonderful show on the Invicta Pro Diver, of which I have several. I mainly have Huge Venoms and the very exciting S1 and Speedway watches from Invicta. Your show was very informative and extremely entertaining, thank you for your passion and craftsmanship regarding timepieces. I presently own 60 watches, Invicta and Bulova, yeah, I have a problem, hahaha! look forward to more videos from your horology sanctum, keep up the fabulous work and keeping us on time and in the loop :).
Respectfully,
Keith W. Witherspoon, USN-Ret.
Richard - I'm in Florida USA. This model comes with the Seiko NH-35 with the Invicta yellow and signed rotor. I have several 40mm Invictas over a decade old when they came with Miyota motors. They switched to Seiko years ago for the U.S. market. The "rainbow effect" on the bracelet is mostly because the three middle links are hollow, as well as a Jubilee trait. Great value at $109US. I have it in black, and a blue one is on the way. The cyclops really sucks as far as the looks of the watch, but at this price....
I must clarify in my statement of the cyclop here, in that it doesn't magnify properly. This watch needs a stronger (3x - 3.5x) magnification level to look classy.
It would be interesting to see it in a 300 bar Deep sea pressure chamber to see how much pressure it could take before it implodes or stops running
I have the Invicta Pro Diver as well as the Rolex 16613. Of course, the quality is not comparable. However, the Invicta is a fine watch and an excellent daily driver. I wear both and enjoy both.
Some other value-type automatics that I wear...the SteelDive 1970 Captain Willard (Seiko homage with NH35 mov't) and the Aragon Divemaster 42mm (with NH36). The Steeldive is really the best bang for the buck, IMO...at just under $100...as it comes with a Sapphire crystal. Same for the Aragon, at just under $150 on sale.
There are times when the Rolex is not the right watch to wear...and there are times when it is really nice to have such a fine piece at the ready.
I've just ordered one of these, and btw, although I'm from Snowdonia, my grandparent were from Pembroke Dock; North Street, and I lived in Gwyther Street for a few years as a young lad. Small world.
Great video and thank you. My Invicta NH35A (Mickey Mouse watch) is holding +2sec/day with amplitude at 270 and zero beat error for over one year. What I have found with this movement is the luck of the draw out of the box with respect to the accuracy of the movement. However they are serviceable. Drop an NE15 movement in this watch, regulate it, and you will have a very good dive watch for around $200. You cannot beat it (excuse the pun).
Hi Eric ... excellent feedback and good to hear your NH35A is a good one as those stats are really very good. Thanks for taking the trouble to share this. Richard
I could be wrong, but I think Rolex made Invicta change the Cyclopse. I know they did it with the case, which is why Envicta started ingraving their name on the side of it.
Smashing video as always Richard. Was starting to get worried as you hadn't posted for a while. Love Invictas and have a few of them cant understand the hate they recive on watch forums. Not had a problem with any of mine.
Great to see you again.
Take care
Darren.
Hi Darren ... yes I have been a bit busy doing actual watchmaking! A lot of time spent with a minute repeater so will be releasing some footage of that in the not too distant future. Good to hear from you as always and thank you so much for the support. Richard
Richard, thanks for the video, one question though, Does every HN35 has plastic components?, I'm asking because a bunch of micro brands are using this movement, or there is a different grades ( tiers or variants)of these caliber?.
Pretty sure they all have them .... its part of the movements specification as I understand it. Keeps the cost down. Richard
@@richardperrettwatchmaker mmm I just got an "Undone" with that movement, the branded ones(seiko 4rs ) is the same?
Very good video, congratulations!!! Can you test the invicta 9204 to see how pressure it can support?
If you have any influence with Invicta tell them to stop with the "Invicta" on the side.
From what I heard, Rolex sued Invicta because the homage is so identical that Invicta made concessions to write "Invicta" on the side.
@@objective7042 that's an urban myth
I agree, we know it’s in Invicta without the side branding
I don't understand what's the big deal with the engraving on the side of the case.
@@matthewvz28 what other watch maker puts it's name on the outside of the watch? One person referred to it as graffiti. I mean it's labeled on the face and back already.
I have an older Invicta with the Miyota movement (gold and purple) and a fairly new one with the NH35A (Pepsi bezel).
The Seiko hacks and hand winds. Apart from that, they both perform well.
So the watch you are reviewing has Miyota movement and you show disassembly of Seiko NH35 and its plastic parts? What’s the point? I guess it will be confusing for the viewers.
Bought an 8926 Pro Diver last spring, black dial, and put it on a black Nato strap. I love it. It just looks "ready to go" on that Nato strap.
Okay, my only complaint, the non aggressive bezel. Sets it apart from "submariner" but is a pain to use because little to grip. I don't use it, but it's an annoyance when playing with it. The rotor, very yellow, but I never see it.
I recently purchased two Invicta pro diver watches and their cyclops are both on par with your Rolex. Hope they are not keeping the poor cyclops going forward. My 8927ob pro diver and my blue diver 9094 overrall watch size does appear to be noticeably smaller like the Rolex. The bezel numbers size on the 8927ob are consistent with your Rolex while the 9094 bezel numbers are larger like your blue diver. Mine both have the ugly yellow decoration on their NH35 movements. I'm very pleased with my pro divers to date, feeling I got more than I paid for in value compared with my much more expensive watches. Thank you for your fair and educational reviews, well done.
Don't know why there is no 10 on the bezel of that invicta. I have two Paganis with a miyota and nh35 in them. They run great but I dont put them near water. Interesting video, Your mention of how many Invictas you could buy for a rolex put things in perspective, even when you can easily afford one.
Hi Peter ... good point. I wouldn't be surprised if was unintentional. "Ooops! I forgot the 10! Oh well, actually it looks kinda cool. Let's go with it seeing as we already made 40,000" :) Richard
Greetings from across the pond! Great video! I have two questions. 1). You tested it down to 60m what about it's rated 200m? And when opening up a caseback on a watch how do you make sure you don't squish the seal and ruin the integrity of the case/seal when putting the caseback back on? I am normally VERY hard on Invictas in my reviews but this one doesn't look half bad :)
Great overview of the Invicta Pro Diver. I own an older version model 9937ob with a Sellita SW200 movement which is quite nice. Most of this movements parts look to be milled out of brass. What do you think of its build integrity in comparison with the NH35 or Miyota and its Swiss counterpart ETA?
Hi The Bird on Watches ... I think the ETA is more refined generally in terms of accuracy and finish; and that the Miyota and Seiko movements are very similar in these terms. Thanks for the feedback. richard
Great review Richard.I have three iditerations of the previous Pro-diver series all with the Seiko NHII-35 movements/Oyster bracelets.its obvious in those they have a magnification of 2.5 as oppossed to what looks like a paultry 1.5 in you newly re-leased example.there is a TJ Maxx outlet near me and I was quite dismayed when I got a good look at thier assembled examples.10 years ago when these were miyota equipped I believe without the hacking feature they suffered the same inadequate issue.at 57 I need to see the date,its ridicoulous,who is making these stupid decisions.its a deal breaker for me,however I would like to pick up the stock jubily for a test drive.thanks for the great review.
Excellent points John and yes the lack of magnification seems just a really weird decision. Maybe some folks like it that way but I figure they would be in the minority so the decision is not very commercial; and it's not art ... so not sure what is going on with this aspect. Thanks for the feedback. Richard
The Seiko movement still has the yellow rotor for automatic movement.
Hi Richard. I’ve just subscribed to your channel and loving it! I recently treated myself to three Christopher Ward watches during their half price sale promotion and can easily see this as being my fourth watch purchase as a result of your review! Keep up the great work.
Just for accuracy 6 Bar is 50 Meters of water pressure, because above water we are roughly at 1 bar, so at 10 meters when diving your are under 2 bar of pressure
Back in July of this year (2019), coming down off the summit of the Donner Pass in California (7,056ft / 2,151m), the crystal on my Invicta Chrono Lupah popped off and flew across to the passenger seat of my car. Never in a million years did I think that this watch would be that "tight" as to send the crystal flying during a de-compression like that (it's not even a dive watch!). I DO like certain Invictas and am a big fan of them (Timex is my beater of choice. No real skin in the game $$-wise). Watching that case back fail had a certain "pucker factor" to it. Yikes! Great vid, sir!
Mic check, check bon Jovi ahaha
Haha! Sometimes I crack myself up! Thanks Raj. richard
love the channel I have 27 Invictas two of them are Grand Divers with nh35a the rest are swiss made and swiss movement watches with Eta 2824-2 and others are the Selita 200-1 I've spent all together 4500 dollars . and im still about 4000 dollars short to afford one Rolex sub. so sad.
Great video and nice to see somebody just discussing an Invicta as a watch and how it works and looks
Hi TheOne ThatGotAway .... Thank you sir! I just say as I find and as I fix watches all the time I hope my thoughts in these videos are helpful. Thanks again. Richard
I watched the video all the way through, and enjoyed your presentation and commentary. Your videos keep getting better. Thank you, Richard, for sharing! p.s. I am pretty sure the movement on this one is an 821A, which is the equivalent of an 8215, only with a skeletonized rotor and perhaps a few other touches to make it look a little nicer. The 8215 family used to only hand wind but not hack, but Miyota has been quietly rolling in an upgrade to include both hacking and hand winding (though it is a crapshoot whether you'll get an upgraded one).
So good to hear that you think my videos are getting better as I have been trying quite hard to achieve this improvement. It's great to get feedback that says the work is paying off so thank you for that. Much appreciated. Yes, it's a 821A ... which is a nice movement I figure and it hacks. Thanks again for this comment. Richard
Thank you Richard. I've seen most of the video hosts. But none compare to your expertise and knowledge. You bring watch videos to another level. Thank you again!
Hi Richard! That is really very kind of you to say so .... I have been trying to get better at film making as maybe the work is paying off then. Thank you so much for this encouraging feedback. Richard
This was a first view of your channel for me and I loved it! I subscribed and will be looking for more from you! Good job, and I loved seeing the Invicta blow up under pressure!!! I always wondered what would happen!
Hi Stu ... so pleased this hit the mark. Welcome aboard sir! Richard
Hello Richard, I recently built a Watch from parts using the Miyota 8215 movement and have found it to be excellent with very good timekeeping once regulated great workhorse movements.
I enjoyed the explosive ending.
Hi Jon .... that's so cool and relevant thank you. Word is that the movement is actually a Miyota 821A which also hacks. miyotamovement.com/product/821A/ ... thanks for the feedback. Richard
I own several Invictas and so far so good!!!
So why all the hate? It's a good watch and a reasonable price! Maybe Invicta should invest a little in a few better parts and raise the price to cover the improvement.
I own 5 invictas since many years no problems whatsoever. Very solid watches so if you like the design go for it. I cannot stand those snobish so called watch experts who bash Invicta's reputation without understanding what they are talking about.
Your video led me to buy the more expensive 29179 pro diver exactly like this one but with the Seiko nh35a only because Indo not like the miyota second hand stutter
My impression is that the 40mm versions have the Seiko movement while the 42mm versions are Miyota. I prefer the Seiko by far. For budget really good watches, however, I'm a total advocate for the Swatch group. Certina, Tissot and Mido. ETA are Swatch group and you can't in practical terms beat ETA.
Very useful information Robert ... ease chime in guys if you have also seen this allocation by case case size. I love the ETA movements ... they just work so well! Thanks again. Richard
Robert Charles : I have both the 40mm on the oyster and the 42mm that comes on the Jubilee and there both NH35 autos. Neither are the new versions tho
Wow!!!!.... By far the most thorough watch review I've seen. I have viewed many Invicta pro-diver reviews & I think I will buy this model. I got a quartz Invicta 26973 as a gift & switched bracelet to a StrapsCo rubber rally. It's much better but I'm near last hole because most 20mm don't go well with larger wrists. I didn't want a Grand Diver either so this 42mm with 22mm strap should be best. Thanks again!!! (Oh yeah....lume shot?)
Richard. Thank You so much for the objective Review!!
Well done. You have a gift. Would love to see more inner workings of a watch. Who figures this stuff out?
The cyclops sucks! They should've got rid of it, and the watch would look more like a Sea Dweller.
I like the jubilee bracelet instead of the usual oyster one...
Haha! Nice one rcrxjib. Some folks really don't like any cyclops and I get that. Funnily I like the cyclops and prefer the Oyster style bracelet so our likes are polar sir! I agree about the Sea Dweller ... now that is a seriously handsome pice! Richard
Honestly, all these watches just need to get rid of the date. How many of us is wearing the watch so often that we aren't constantly having to set the date?
@@cobbler88 well they're using NH36 movement and that movement only comes with date, and date function is neat features
@@nakazatotakeshi4286 To be honest, since we pretty much stopped writing checks in this country, we haven't had much cause to have a date function on our watches. Given that, it can often be seen as an extra bit of clutter whose existence more often detracts from the aesthetic than benefits it. Everyone has a preference, though. With smartphones, watches themselves are a bit superfluous for most folks.
The cyclops is really easy to remove, I removed mine no problem.
They did that same swap-a-roo to me once, too. I ordered a Guanqin GJ16034 which is advertised with an NH36A but it had a Miyota 8205, instead. And iirc, the Miyota does not have hacking, and the rotor is only uni-directional.
I do own an Invicta Grand Diver though with the Seiko NH35 in it. Can't complain for a ~$100 watch. The bracelet and movement, alone, are worth that.
Interesting review as I've considered one of these. Great ending with the pressure test fail!
The ones with the yellow rotor arm are the seiko ones
One thing though: mine has the yellow piece in the NH35… This one is so different I see now: it’s not a Seiko movement ☺️😬
I prefer the profile of the sweep seconds hand on the Rolex to the stubby ended one on the Invicta
I am actually a pretty big fan of this watch and I am not really into the Sub like that. But the value is incredible.
Thanks for that one Richard. Do you consider requests? If so, I'd LOVE to see one devoted to adjustment technique used while on the timegrapher to get around the tyro performance where a long succession of overcorrections does eventually result in a setting thats inside expected requirements. for me that's usually +6/24hrs that seems to work out less during wear... (I dislike watches that lose time, even several secs/24hrs)
What I do is to get the Beat to as close to zero as possible, then tackle the +/- setting, My close vision is getting less serviceable too... can you suggest binocular magnifier that won't need a mortgage?
Finding your videos most enlightening! My thanks, sir.
Hi Ian ... thank you for this suggestion I will mull it over and figure out how best to it might be done. Regarding the binocular optics I am not the man for this as I have a squint and no binocular vision. I use a two lens loupe that attaches to my glasses. Happy to source you one of this monocular creations if it is of interest. Richard
@@richardperrettwatchmaker - Thanks for the reply - indeed I'd be interested in any suggestion re magnification. I'm getting on for 68 and close vision does tend to change at this time of life, and not for the better! My first thought was for binocular magnification as it'd preserve depth perception; but that would need both eyes to have a clear pathway to the gaze target during maneouvres - happy to try out your mono suggestion first. I'm only a hobbyist, with mostly cheap Seiko movements like 7S26 and NH35. I'm a late arrival in having an interest in mechanical watches having used Casio digitals for decades but despite their high efficiency I took a dislike for their low contrast numerals. Hence this little voyage of discovery!
The earlier model 29179 has the nh35 movement and 2.5 cyclops in it,plus the date widow has stainless trim ,I hav the 29178 all black,some where they changed from the looks of it,I don’t dive anymore,,but I tide mine to a rod and real,dropped it in the river in about 80 foot of water,it come up still running with no water in side,thanks for the review,,great job! Mike
Now that is a decisive and risky/brave pressure test!
Yea it was,but got tired of all the hooha about will they withstand the pressure,so thought I would try it,the guy I was with couldn’t get him to drop his rolex in the river 😂
Love the Invictas....GREAT watches for the money....I even got a used one on Ebay (auto) for $38!?Box..papers..everything!
I use a Pagani Design Watch with the same Movement, Miyota 8215 and I think the cyclops magnification problem has something to do with the movement because I observe the exact same out of it. My other Pagani Design watch with the NH35 has the cyclops magnifying the date correctly on the other hand. I was thinking of the same when I just got it myself.
Hi Robert ... I am considering getting hold of a Pagani Design example to review. The specification looks pretty impressive for the price tag. Richard
hi Richard ive owned the nh35a movement in this watch for about 2 years, ,realy keeps excellent time, a fantastic watch for the price.
Hi Tony ... good to hear from you. I watch a Bark and Jack video recently which had this movement in and Adrian was saying what a good price it was at $600 ... it's a good movement I figure. Thanks for the feedback. Richard
Question for you watchmakers, is the Miyota movement in this watch better than the nh35a? also does it have plastic parts in it as well? as in the nh35a? thanks!
Just saw your channel and it is amazing. Lots of good content. I like the Pro Diver but I always thought that if Invicta stopped putting their name on the side of the case and changed the hands to make it look less of a Rolex rip off, the watch would look much much better.
Hi ATT ... thank you so much for taking the trouble to give this encouraging feedback it is much appreciated! I know what you mean about the pro Diver look, I like it, but there's lots of folks who would prefer it the way you describe. Thanks again. Richard
Haha, nothing looks better only because being no rip off which the PD is not.
They have done all that on some newer models?