Invicta quality vs

[Pcutta 0]

Noob here so hopefully I won't get flamed too much on this. A coworker of mine always had some pretty impressive watches. After we talked for a bit, he put me on to reps which lands me here.

 

Long story short, I'd been buying a lot of invicta watches. Mostly divers. Quality is mixed, but not terrible In my newb opinion.

 

How does the quality compare from TD reps and Invicta?

[greg_r 81]

It varies - just as the Invictas do (although there are better quality gens for that sort of money - Seiko or Orient, for example, are far surperior in build quality).

 

The watch I was wearing yesterday was a rep Rolex Day/Date. I've owned it for 17 years and it's still going strong despite it being a daily wearer for the first several years of ownership. On the other hand, there's also plenty of junk around that will fall apart fairly quickly (but then, that goes for gens too).

 

If you buy carefully, a good rep can last just as long as a gen - with occasional servicing when it needs it. The real problem is simply the lack of QC at the Chinese factories - you get a good watch and it'll be great, but there's more variation than we'd like. Have a read of the reviews sections and some of the pinned topics and you'll get a better idea of what you're getting into.

[Andylaw1919 386]

Some TD have watches that start around $120 and the quality is definitely not the best but its still better then those Canal street specials.

The more expensive replicas have better movements & materials and some can be compared to the gen but reps will always have its flaws.

[Pcutta 0]

Some TD have watches that start around $120 and the quality is definitely not the best but its still better then those Canal street specials.

The more expensive replicas have better movements & materials and some can be compared to the gen but reps will always have its flaws.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm still researching for the 1st buy. The problem I have now is do I spend a little to get my feet wet or go all in with a more expensive Rep. When TDs have "specials" is that junk we want to avoid or are they moving inventory? What price range is the sweet spot?

[StuH 0]

Funnily enough picked up the Sub copy with the NH35 a while back cheap and decided to have a play with it this weekend. Very mixed quality; I like the finish on the NH35 though I think the DG2813 I have in a couple of watches is ever so slightly smoother. The bezel is terrible, a cheap feeling click and poorly made, the insert is the thinnest aluminium you can get. The crysta is proper nasty and would be the first change for me. The dial is actually quite nice though the lume came out real easy. Hands are so so. The case itself is okay, don't like the bracelet one bit.

 

Compared to something like the regmariner it's a good way behind in my opinion but you can pick them up for something like £70 which I suppose isn't too bad.

[Genius 281]

Some TD have watches that start around $120 and the quality is definitely not the best but its still better then those Canal street specials.

The more expensive replicas have better movements & materials and some can be compared to the gen but reps will always have its flaws.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm still researching for the 1st buy. The problem I have now is do I spend a little to get my feet wet or go all in with a more expensive Rep. When TDs have "specials" is that junk we want to avoid or are they moving inventory? What price range is the sweet spot?

If you are looking at Toro's specials for example most of them are actually really good quality reps but generally either and older model that has been replaced or discontinued by the manufacturer so he's bought a load of them and passing on the savings! I've had a fair few from his specials section and always been very impressed with what I got for the money. And every one of them was better than an invicta :P

 

Same with any replica do a little research into he model first and you will; know what to expect when ti arrives. And a tip if you go with Toro he offers a discount if you pay western union even on the specials!

[austinsom 47]

I bought an Invicta recently, purely because it had a SW200-1 motor in it. The watch had good heft, but the dial and hands. OMG, they were awful, I'm sure I have seen the same dial quality on a cheap rep. The crystal was poor and the engraving of 'Invicta' on the side of the case is just

 

Perhaps the worst bit, the dial lume and hand lume was a completely different colour, and I don't think this was a design choice.

 

I'll either put an asian movement in it and keep the SW200 or just scrap/use it for practice.

 

Would I buy another - NO!

 

EDIT: Forgot to add, I'd sooner have a higher priced rep than an Invicta - I am currently wearing a Pelagos and that is soo so so much nicer. It would cost about the same as one of the 'SWISS' Invicta models, and in my mind, it is not even a contest. Yes it would be a rep, but it looks so much better and I personally feel much better wearing it, and telling the time on it!

[Diver Dave 0]

The best thing about the Invicta Sub, which is all I have experience with, is that it's basically a Sub Rep from a cosmetic standpoint but with a case that has a Seiko movement installed (NH35 is Seiko Instruments). As a result the case accepts any other Seiko movement, and the movements also accept all of the aftermarket Seiko dials and hands that have become a hobby in their own right for modification projects. A little filing and polishing takes off the markings on the case, and the results can be very good.

 

These make very nice modification starting points, and there's never a question about the movement quality.

 

 

Dave

 

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[dcharper18 0]

I've owned it for 17 years and it's still going strong despite it being a daily wearer for the first several years of ownership.

Thats exactly what I want in a rep, Greg!! I've been reading reviews and TD pages for about a month now and still haven't pulled the trigger on my first rep. I'm looking in the 2-$300 range and I feel like that price point should be able to get me a 17 year piece.

[iHenryi 0]

There is a lot of hate about invictas in the watch community. The 200 dollar reps on here are as good as some of the Gens out there I'd say. PAM 411 I just got from toro is great imo, feels really well built.

[Genius 281]

There is a lot of hate about invictas in the watch community. The 200 dollar reps on here are as good as some of the Gens out there I'd say. PAM 411 I just got from toro is great imo, feels really well built.

Thats the point I suppose. Some of the super reps are basically as good as the £2-4k gens they replicate (so long as you get a well qc'd version and service if necessary) but no invicta will stand that scrutiny

[Damage 0]

I have 2 Invicta divers watches, and I actually like them. They get a lot of hate, but I guess I have been lucky with mine, They have a TON of hideous styles, but the ones I have are pretty decent. I have an old Rolex Deepsea I bought a long time ago from a TD and its still going strong. I would agree the reps are as good as some gens out there.

[Stewart 0]

A guy I know loves and only buys Invictas. I have never owned one and probably never will but I have never said (or felt) anything negative toward them.

 

Most of us just like watches regardless of who made them. I found myself looking over a $5 watch my daughter ad as a child, and wondered, if they sold this in the US for $5 than they must have made it in China for about 25 cents. But it was still kind of cool.

 

Anyway some invictas are better than others. Just depends on which model. Just like reps.

[RUSH2112 11]

Invictas have a lot of ugly designs but the main reasons I can't stand them are the ridiculously high and full of shit regular retail pricing games they play and the over the top bullshit marketing they do on the shopping channels. I feel sorry for people that fall for their ridiculous claims they make with their limited editions and attempts to make something common seem special. If they just made the watches with the correct pricing and didn't hype them up so much I wouldn't hate them quite as much.