There are some websites out there devoted to hating on Invicta. Seems like a waste of energy. Appreciate Invicta for what it is, a company making affordable fashion watches like Fossil and Guess.
You'd probably be better off staying away from the expensive models with aspirations to being tool diver watches, but as affordable fashion watches go, Invicta makes fun and appealing styles.
On a related note, when Jonny rightly compared Invicta to Fossil in an email exchange, something clicked in my head and I'm finding it easier to sell off even more of my Invictas.
Exactly. The only problem is that Invicta advertises itself as being more than it is, which the "haters" perhaps over-exaggerate. Like Stuhrling Original, Swiss Legend, Renato, and Android, Invicta has aspirations to be something more than the fashion watch brands, but they aren't. But as long as we recognize them for what they are - a fashion brand like Fossil, Guess, Nautica, and Swatch - then we don't need to be offended by them.
Posted by: jonnybardo | February 18, 2013 at 07:19 PM
These 6 Corporations Control 90% Of The Media In America
http://www.businessinsider.com/these-6-corporations-control-90-of-the-media-in-america-2012-6
Posted by: Paul | February 18, 2013 at 11:10 PM
I still think Invicta offers a lot for the money in many cases. I look at it this way: Back to a car comparison/analogy: If you love the high end Mercedes, but can't even come close to affording one----you might find a couple cars within your budget to choose from. One of them, let's say a Hyundai Sonata----LOOKS an awful lot like that Mercedes----sweeping, graceful lines, big sunroof, etc. The other car----let's say an entry level or mid-range Audi----might be closer to the Mercedes in engineering and of course country of origin. But to keep the price within budget, it won't have all the features/options. So you have a choice to make----a decent car that LOOKS a lot like what you fantasize about owning, but made in South Korea and not a status symbol by any means----or, the German made Audi that is by no means that top end Mercedes you love----isn't styled like it, doesn't have all the toys----but it is German engineered and closer to the MB mechanically and in performance. It's also a luxury marque---upscale compared to VW for example. You know what? A lot of people flock to the Hyundai. Why? It looks the part and for real world driving, it does everything they need it to do. The Invicta looks the part and most people don't need the lume to be stellar---they like the look on their wrist, the heavyweight feel of quality even if it isn't assembled to the highest standards, so they settle on Invicta. Is that the "right thing" to do? We can't say. It's a very individual decision. Whatever works for the buyer I guess. Jonny and Jeff: Remember the Ronald Reagan line about becoming a Republican? Many people don't realize that Reagan was a union leader and Democrat once upon a time. He eventually stated, "I didn't leave the Democratic party, they left me." He was referring to the party moving to the left, even more so after JFK was assassinated. In the case of Invicta, I see it as sort of the opposite. You guys have left Invicta. Invicta is still Invicta----same as it was 2 or 3 years ago. Your tastes have matured. The question for Invicta is: Do they stay the same and let their current customers move to other brands like you have----and recruit new customers into Invicta offerings? Or, do they retool their line to try to follow their customers? I honestly don't know. My guess is that it would be really hard for them to win you back, no matter what they do. That makes a case for them to stay with bigger, bolder, (tackier?) designs and target younger buyers or novices maybe.
Posted by: Angelo | February 19, 2013 at 04:59 AM
I might have lost my long reply, Angelo, but here's a link to check out:
http://watchlords.forumotion.net/f31-invicta-controversies
Bear in mind that Watchlords is a haven for Invicta bashing, but there's a lot of info there.
Posted by: jonnybardo | February 19, 2013 at 05:44 AM
I think my longer reply was lost so I'll try again (gives me an opportunity to be more concise, something I need to work on).
In short, I think the main problem with Invicta is that they advertise themselves as something they're not: blingish, glitzy watches with "Swiss Made" quality, when in actuality they are blingish, glitzy watches with fashion watch quality - akin to Fossil, Nautica, and Guess. Nothing wrong with being a fashion watch company, just be honest about it.
Aside from quality issues and notoriously bad customer service, another issue is that they copy a lot of their styles from other companies. Not just the typical Submariner homages--which everyone does--but quite a few of their styles are actually copies from other brands. For example, I just recently ran across the Sector Ocean Master on Ebay which look suspiciously like Jeff's old Invicta:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Black-Swiss-Sector-Ocean-Master-Chronograph-Divers-Sapphire-/160975907964?pt=Wristwatches&hash=item257ae96c7c
Now maybe I've got it wrong and Invicta was copied by Sector, but I find that hard to believe.
As for losing Jeff and I as customers, I think Invicta is doing just fine and doesn't need us. That said, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try to throw us a bone, especially considering that we've both spent thousands of dollars on their watches.
How might I buy an Invicta? The only thing that seems at all realistic is if they offered more mid-size watches of some of their iconic XL watches. Take the 6903 and 0507, both of which I still love but will never wear due to their massive sizes (52mm x 20mm). They make me look like a douchy clown. Anyhow, if Invicta offered one of those in the 44-48mm range, I'd jump on it.
Posted by: jonnybardo | February 19, 2013 at 06:03 AM