Angelo Defends the Invicta Brand

Angelo defends Invicta as Herculodge and Johnny have recently found some disenchantment with the brand:

Is Invicta, Ginger and Seiko, Mary Ann? I think you guys are acting hastily. I only have two Invictas----it's possible that you both just overdosed on them or something. I have a Sea Spider (matte black and gold) and an Ocean Reef that Herc sold to me. I love them both. I just wore the Sea Spider yesterday. Guys----stand back for a moment and reconsider what Invicta is: They don't pretend to be Breitling or Rolex----they are just a company who sells fashion forward watches at a moderate price. I think there's most definitely a place for Invicta in watch collections like the ones you describe.

Maybe someone with Bill Gates money would opt for watches starting in the thousands, not the hundreds----but for most of us, spending more than a hundred dollars on a watch is a serious collector purchase. We're not talking about a fifteen dollar drug store watch. Invicta does pretty darn well at providing value at their price point. I think a lot of thought and creativity goes into the design of their watches, material selections----and even how they are named and marketed. They're fun. What's wrong with "fun" as a component of collecting?

I especially like the fact that they will combine carbon fiber, silicon, high polished metal----and other materials---all on the same watch----and somehow make it work. Are some of them over the top, in size and in "wow" factor? Yes. But you don't have to buy those and if you have them, you can sell them----as there is a strong market for those watches, still. The beauty of Invicta is their variety----and in many cases, their value for the dollar. I compare them to Nixon----and I think you get a much better deal, all things considered.

Comments

[jonnybardo]

Actually, I agree with you completely - Invicta has and will continue to have a place in my collection. I enjoy the flash, the diversity of style, the outrageousness even. But I also agree with Herc in that I've been feeling my tastes veer more towards the (relatively) understated style and class of Seiko.

So it isn't an either/or for me. I just went a little too Invicta-happy and now am backing off a bit, re-balancing my tastes and in the process, wanting to shed some of the "excess" (i.e. Invictas I don't wear).

I think Herc is more extreme because he "went in deeper" and thus his reaction is stronger. From what I've gathered, he's been an Invicta devotee for half a decade or so; for me it has been a year and a half.

I'm still going to purchase Invictas, but where 90% out of my purchases over the last year have been Invicta, I could see that number falling precipitously, probably well below 50%. 30% maybe? I don't know and I won't really know until I have some distance from being an Invicta devotee.

One interesting thing to note is that when you're deeply into Invictas, you get "Invicta Goggles" on - all other brands seem too tame, too understated, so you don't even notice them. Invicta devotees are REALLY into Invicta. I think both Herc and I are realizing that we don't want to be solely Invicta devotees, that there is a whole world out there of watches beyond Invicta, and that who we are (at least now and for the near future) isn't an "Invicta guy" or rather, isn't ONLY an Invicta guy.

But again, Herc and I are in slightly different places. He's "recovering" from a much deeper and longer devotion to Invicta, and thus he may be having more of a negative reaction than I am. I suspect that he'll enjoy his Invictas again, even purchase one or two every so often, but he might need Seiko as a kind of "rebound". Now whether that rebound becomes something more remains to be seen. We'll be watching! (Bad pun intended).

[herculodge]

Well said, Johnny, and I should say spot on. After a six years of Invicta hunting, I got burned out and found something in Seiko that I couldn't find in Invicta.

[jonnybardo]

On a different note, this watch made me think of you:

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/fs-only-invicta-grand-diver-w-alarm-model-3439-a-755048.html

That's a sweet piece and is an example of Invicta's incredible range. This is one of the niches they fill well with a few of their watches: classy and bold at the same time.

[jonnybardo]

Or this one:

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/fs-invicta-reserve-speedway-751127.html

$95 for a Reserve Speedway is awesome, although as I double-checked the price I saw that it is sold. Good thing, because I was mightily tempted!

But my point is, no one makes watches like this one but Invicta. The Ocean Reefs, Ocean Speedways, Reserve Speedways, and Subaqua Specialty Reserves all get that magical combination of classy and bold that you just don't see with many watches (I love the Capsule, but it is a bit of an anomaly, a truly unique watch that is more scifi/chic industrial in its appeal).

[Angelo]

With all my support for Invicta, I will cite one thing that I think detracts from their cause (and this same issue plagues Swiss Legend and other brands too): The suggested retail prices are ridiculous. I think it's (for lack of a better term)...HOAKY. When you are constantly able to get factory fresh new watches for 80%, 85%, at times 90% "off retail" you realize that there is absolutely nowhere in the world where these products are actually selling for anywhere near the inflated "suggested retail." It's ridiculous and in a way, it's insulting too----we're not stupid enough to believe we're getting an $1150.00 watch for $95.00 and free shipping. I wish they'd have the confidence to sell the watches based on the virtues of the watches---and not play games with having to "make people feel they're getting a great deal." If the watch stands on its own merits----and in the case of Invicta, it usually does----it doesn't need this "hoaky" help.