You Probably Can Afford It is a series which showcases watches which are within the grasp of the man of average means and with the average partner who has long since stopped sharing your enthusiasm for constantly adding to your watch collection. And so now we come to one of the mighty behemoths of the mid-priced watch market. Swiss born, but American owned and operated Invicta.
Invicta was originally founded in 1837 in the heart of the Swiss watchmaking community, La Chaux de Fonds, by one Raphael Picard. The brand remained a Picard family concern until, like many other Swiss brands, it fell victim to the crushing onslaught of Japanese quartz watches in the early 70s.
In 1991 Invicta CEO Eyal Lalo reintroduced the brand. By staying true to its 150- year-old originating principle of offering quality watches at affordable prices, Invicta has since become an innovative leader praised by industry experts, and valued by savvy consumers.
The IW Group relocated the brand to California and have since poured money and American design and manufacturing know how into the brand to create a vast range of constantly updated, imaginative and on trend watches with strong masculine appeal.
Invicta is extremely innovative. No other watch company brings more new styles to market faster than Invicta. With a flair for the bold, Invicta designs transcend the obvious.
Invicta also offers more than just watches, it’s a lifestyle brand with a full range of sunglasses, writing instruments and jewellery too.
The range is extremely varied, with several collections offering an in-depth choice of eye catching watches covering all the bases including divers, driving, aviation, military inspired, classic, vintage and more. In fact I would venture that if you can’t find an Invicta to suit your tastes, you may not be that serious about buying a watch. Invicta is a company with a conscience too as last year the IW Group shipped free watches to all US forces serving overseas.
Here then is a look at some of the new models in the Invicta collection. As a guide, because the range is so varied, prices range from around £200 to £450 and sometimes a little more, depending on which model and specification you opt for.
Corduba Collection
Invicta’s Corduba will guide you through the hours and days with ease and style. Taking inspiration from classic military looks, the ever-growing collection of Corduba timepieces offer such features as large dials, exhibition case backs, 200 metre water resistance and special crown protection caps.
Vintage Collection
The Invicta Vintage Collection captures the stylish elegance of the past, placing it firmly on the wrist of the present. The watches include the Invicta IV logo, dating from 1837, exhibition case backs, antique finished dials, Roman numerals, alarm functions, and leather or stainless steel bands. The idea behind this collection is classic European watch making striking a balance between the best of the old and new.
Jason Taylor for Invicta Collection
Jason Paul Taylor is a former American football defensive end and linebacker who spent the majority of his career for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. The Jason Taylor for Invicta collection reveals a captivating range of options. This Limited Edition collection offers some great watches created by Jason Taylor and the Invicta design team. New designs, and existing models have been carefully selected and modified by Jason to capture his unique style and while maintaining the highest horological standards. As these watches are celebrity endorsed they are more expensive at around £550.
Subaqua Collection
These watches are made with surgical-grade stainless steel, Swiss movements and feature multiple colour options of ionic plating. Managing up to 500 meters of water resistance, they are finished off with a unidirectional rotating bezel, and integrated shock resistance.
Coalition Forces Collection
Covert and Military Ops watches have endless appeal for many guys, and the Invicta range satisfies with watches that are both graphically bold, chunky and technically proficient. Like all the Invicta ranges, there is something for everyone if you are planning on raising a little covert ops hell. The watch featured in the picture, the Coalition Forces Analogue/Digital, is constructed of solid stainless steel in titanium sandblast. It also possesses a screw down case back, as well as a stainless steel screw down crown with protective cap to insure additional toughness. Water resistant to 100 metres, this watch would cost around £390.
Russian Diver Collection
Originally created to honour the 1959 watch commissioned by the Russian Naval Fleet, at 53mm, Invicta’s Russian Diver is striking in size. These models are the very definition of bold. The Russian Diver Blue Camo is made of polyurethane and runs, like many Invicta’s on a Swiss quartz movement.
Shop carefully
More than most brands, when buying an Invicta from a collection you like, be sure to browse carefully, because there are literally dozens of sites offering their watches at several competing price points, so it really pays to shop around. Also, check the specs, because some models are different from others.
