Pro Diver Automatic Black Dial Men's Watch 31290

When a watch enthusiast hears the word "homage" it tends to invoke an idea of "fake flex" with a knockoff trying to pass off as the more expensive version it's emulating. When a watch enthusiast hears the word "Invicta", it also tends to invoke the idea of "fake flex" with their line of oversized, over styled watches with ludicrous MSRP's that are deeply discounted to make you feel like you got the deal of a lifetime. Ironic then that Invicta of all people would release a watch that feels much more like a fitting tribute to a classic, then a cheap attempt to impress the luddites at the club. Enter the Invicta 1953, a remarkably accurate representation of the original Rolex Submariner Ref 6204 released in "not surprisingly" 1953. The reason I resist calling this an "homage" is because there is no "fake flash" to be had here. The Submariner Ref 6204 is such a rare piece, that the odds that you find one actually residing on someone's wrist today is non-existent. Also, the original submariner doesn't have many of the details that a modern rolex has. There is no date window with Cyclops. No minute markers on the bezel. No famous Mercedes hand set. In fact the original Ref 6204 bears relatively little resemblance to what the submariner would eventually become. So wearing a tribute watch to the "original submariner" isn't going to get you noticed. Also, this watch lacks the over the top styling and branded found on many of Invicta's other pieces. And as shown in the pictures is a surprisingly accurate representation. Granted, the 40mm case size is more in line with modern aesthetics than the original 37mm case size of the 6204. The second hand is missing the lume on the lollipop pip, and the Invicta is definitely thicker at 14.5mm to incorporate the ubiquitous Seiko NH34 movement. The 120 click uni-directional bezel is amazingly good at this price point with little or no play and good alignment with the index markers. The lume, while not amazing, is definitely a step up from what Invicta offers on their other divers. We're not talking Seiko or Citizen dive watch level lume here, but it is servicable. Speaking of Diving, Invicta claims this watch has 200m of water resistance, but it isn't an ISO Divers certified 200m, so it's not really built or tested for Scuba Diving. That being said, as long as you remember to screw down the crown, the watch should provide a respectable level of water resistance The bracelet is competent and consists of mostly solid links. The hollow end links and pressed clasp actually leans into the original vintage feel as the 6204 also sported a pressed clasp with hollow end-links. The bracelet itself has 4 levels of micro adjustment guaranteeing a good fit and it's well finished and comfortable as well. So Bottom Line, If you are a watch enthusiast, you get a competent, pleasantly accurate interpretation of a watch that was destined to become a classic. A reference that most of us will never see in real life, let alone have the option to own or wear. Whether or not the Invicta brand is a deal killer or not, one thing remains. Invicta, as a brand, has nearly a 70 year longer history than Rolex, and let's be honest, the Invicta branding does drive down the price of this watch to the level of almost being a no brainer. Even the most hardened watch snob can see this as being a special watch. If you aren't a watch enthusiast, you are getting a well made automatic Seiko for a fraction of what Seiko charges for their entry level mechanical watches. It's NH34 movement means that you can take it down to almost any watch repair shop and have it serviced.

I've long admired certain vintage inspired dive watches from afar, like the Tudor BB Heritage 41, Black Bay 58 or the Oris 65, but never pulled the trigger over the nagging feeling that the vintage styling would be a double edged sword. Retro cool but also impossible to wear as "too much". Now I could afford to pay and see (I've got a smp chrono and Rolex 116034 in my collection) and one would argue that I wouldn't lose my money if I had to sell them on (done so on many occasions) but I still felt I might regret it. So like many others, I thought of buying a cheaper homage watch to "try it on first". However, I've felt awkward wearing the Chinese clones I've purchased before. They have great specs and build quality but wearing 1:1 clones felt weird. This is where the Invicta 1953 seems to be the best of both worlds. I've seen a YouTube reviewer complain that the watch was disappointing in that it was only halfway committed. However I might argue that's it's greatest asset. Its a vintage inspired watch that is still wearable because it's also modern. In some ways it's similar to the original eta Tudor heritage bb diver in that it's slimmer, cleaner and avoids the riveted bracelet. It's better sized than either the bb or the bb58 with a 40mm case and 20mm bracelet. And while it has gilt, it's not overdone, with a cool matte black bezel and all brushed finish throughout (more like the pelagos). Even the patina lume isn't really yellow patina but more like the greenish hue you can get on modern watches, so it's kinda both. It's a homage, but not to the bb, and draws inspiration from the same place the Tudor got it (old Rolex catalogue). As opposed to Pd or San Martin, Invicta is a brand that is known for its own designs (sometimes infamously), even if it started it's reemergence in the 90's by copying the Rolex sub. So I feel it's more akin to wearing the seiko sur (great grand Seiko homage) than to wearing my PD 1692. It also doesn't hurt that this particular watch has sort of a cult following as the "best Invicta watch ever made" which makes it a good conversation piece. All of which makes it that much more wearable day to day, which I've seen in practice so far. This doesn't mean it doesn't have it's downsides. Mineral glass is not ideal and the bezel, while 120 click and with really good action, might still be slightly askew. The bracelet is rattly but looks good all brushed and this also results in much lighter overall weight, even if it feels less luxurious (on my 7" wrist weighs 138 gms). Also has ghost date but I prefer the no date look and it's an nh35 which currently runs -1 sex/day on my timer. The clasp is also sharp and I literally took a file to it to soften the edges so I wouldn't scratch my child if I picked him up. And while not the best spec sheet for $125 vs the Chinese watches, it still beats most mainstream brand watches for value. I like it a lot and might even keep it long term. It's especially a great watch to wear these days when it's kind of dangerous to wear an expensive watch like a Rolex or an Omega.

I'm not much of a fan of Invicta - usually. But this is maybe their best. It's a tribute to the dive watches of old. Quality, decent heft, the automatic movement keeps good time and it wears well on the wrist.

Ho letto molte recensioni positive riguardo a questo orologio che rievoca nel design il rolex 6204, finché non mi sono deciso ad acquistarlo . Premetto che non amo troppo gli homage ma questo ha veramente avuto un bell'impatto su di me. Credo che questo orologio abbia senso ad essere comprato perché richiama un pezzo storico dalle linee intramontabili e primo della serie forse più importante di sempre. Vetro minerale, corona a vite con logo senza spallette di protezione , ghiera girevole 120 scatti, pasta luminescente discreta su indici e lancette ore e minuti, no logo Invicta sulla cassa, fondello a vite a vista , movimento nh35 a Seiko , bracciale maglie piene con finali ripiegati non irresistibile ma nella totalità buono. Orologio bello, da indossare con la consapevolezza che si stia facendo riferimento ad un classico intramontabile. Invicta 10!

Quality/price point very good

Es un reloj que te da mucho por tu dinero, esta bien construido, el diseño del dial me encanta, el movimiento es muy confiable y preciso, el tamaño es ideal para cualquier tamaño de muñeca. Yo lo uso con una correa nato negra y luce muy bien. Muy recomendable, hasta para los que odian la marca Invicta..., Actualización despues de mas de un año de uso..., el reloj sigue funcionando perfectamente, no hay quejas en ningun sentido. Sigue siendo de los preferidos de mi colección, realmente me gusta, es muy legible, y puedes probar con muchas correas, que le dan un toque diferente, no se van a arrepentir de tener ESTE Invicta en su colección...,