InvictaGrand Diver Men's Automatic Watch

Bought with some Christmas money to replace a Citizen Eco-Drive solar powered watch that I've had for about 15 years, but had finally given up the ghost (who knew that these actually have a capacitor in them which eventually wears out. Defeats the Eco object really!)In view of this I determined I really wanted a fully mechanical Automatic watch. Looked at loads of reviews of watches both on Amazon and lots of other websites. Seiko kept coming up as highly recommend and this Invictor Grand Diver uses one of their best movements.I like Diver style watches and this has the classic Rolex look but without the price tag! If you are a 'watch snob' then you probably won't be interested but you'll be missing out, the quality and accuracy for a watch of this price is outstanding! It gains no more than about 3.5 minutes a month when worn every day, better (according to some 'watch buff' reviews), than a Rolex. I have an desk job so not much movement during the day, but I do walk a fair bit and am quite active outside of 'office hours' and it's never varied in the 5 months I've had it.I particularly like the 'Cyclops' date magnifier as I've always had problems making out the dates on watches even with my glasses on, particularly when you just glance at them. This is not a problem any longer and I can easily tell the date with just a quick look. I also like the fact that it has a 'hacking' movement, which means the second-hand can be stopped to aid synchronisation when setting the time. Many automatic watches do not seem to offer this feature, even some costing many times more than this one.The glass seems to have shrugged of scratches up till now and I wear it all the time, even when spannering on my motorcycles.Ok, now the potential 'downsides', they aren't for me but these are things that the potential buyer ought to be aware of. As other reviews have said, it's a BIG HEAVY watch. I have 7.25 inch wrists, so not huge by any means, and it still sits well and doesn't look stupidly big, which was something I was a little concerned about. The edges of the case curve nicely to 'wrap' around the wrist, which helps to minimise the scale overall. The watch face itself is exactly what I was hoping for, I wanted a simple, clear design and a size which allowed you to see the time clearly at a glance without tiny minute marks and clutter from useless small dials, perfect. More of a surprise was the weight, it is HEAVY, you wouldn't want to drop this on your bare foot! Now I personally got used to this fairly quickly and after a couple of weeks didn't really pay much attention to it during normal use. I am still reminded of it's weight when I first pick it up each morning though, but I kinda like the sense of wearing something that feels like it could shrug off a nuclear blast! However, if that's not you, then you may struggle with this aspect more than anything. The depth of the case is probably the other thing I was surprised about and is something I notice more than the overall size. It is thick and stands quite a way off the wrist as a result and can catch in things if you're trying to work in confined spaces like on a car or motorcycle. Personally, I just take it off if I know that's going to be the case, but again something to bear in mind.In conclusion, if you are not a 'watch snob', like the style and thought of a big, chunky, extremely well made and accurate timepiece, then do not hesitate and just buy it. It looks even better 'in the flesh' than it does in the pictures and you are very unlikely to be disappointed.

I really like this watch, it is a large chunky hunky piece of metal that combines some of the best features of the most celebrated watches that money can buy at a very reasonable price.The face has much in common with the Rolex Deep Sea while the bezel has a scalloped edge like the Seamaster Professional. The inclusion of some original features helps to enhance. The hands are ended with elongated triangles like church spires. The second hand that sweeps smoothly is counterweighted by a tiny version of the winged Breitlingesque invicta logo.The bezel is uni directional, it is a little tricky to turn due to the scalloped edge and has quite a loud mechanical sounding click.The crystal is completely flat apart from the date cyclops that magnifies to fill about two thirds of the visible area.The screw down crown that helps to provide the 1000 feet of water resistance has 2 positions, 1 for adjusting the date and a position 2 for adjusting the time.There is a second logo of a dive bell, I particularly like the one on the face as I think it makes it more interesting. This logo also appears on the crown as well as the bracelet end links. Some people are not keen on this but I am not bothered either way.One of the nicest features of this watch is the bracelet, it is really great quality. It has solid end links and a machined clasp stamped with the invicta logo including a safety catch. The links are solid and and quite thick. The outer links are brushed while the centre ones are polished. The outer links are also polished on the outer edge. I was easily able to size the bracelet as the pins were just the right firmness to be removed without excessive force. The clasp also has 4 position micro adjusters providing a surprisingly comfortable fit when worn for what is quite a large watch.I did read a lot about this watch on the forums before taking the plunge and most people do not like the engravings on the sides of the case. On the 9 o'clock side is the word 'invicta' and on the 3 o'clock either side of the crown are the words 'grand diver'. When you are wearing the watch it is not easy to actually see them yourself without bending your arm unnaturally. I can understand the complaint but I find these features okay.Finally a little bit about the automatic movement. The one I received uses the Seiko NH35a although I know that other movements have been used for this model. So far I have found the accuracy to be excellent just 6 seconds fast a day. Whether this persists or whether you are as fortunate is impossible to say.The rear case back is clear so you can see the decorated movement. The movement is hacking so the second hand freezes when you set the time so no problem recreating those scenes from 70s war movies where there always seemed to be a need to synchronise watches. Hand winding is also possible and to me felt nice and smooth.So are there any disappointing aspects... ?Well only slightly.. Compared to my Orient Mako which is flawless under intense scrutiny I can not say the same for this. On the bezel one of the dots seems to have a slight imperfection. The luminoss material in the markers up close is a little uneven. These points are extremely panickity and now I have had the watch a while I don't notice them.In summary if you are a watch addict like me and if it is to your taste you will enjoy this watch. If you are not but like a the idea of a watch that never needs a battery and has a large presence you cant go wrong

I researched this watch for my Christmas treat to myself after I watched a lot of Invicta videos on the Grand Diver range. I've never ever considered an automatic watch or the Invicta brand before but the stand out looks of this model caught my eye. Upon receiving and wearing this Grand Diver I was not disappointed with this timepiece, I just love the yellow coloured face dial and the smooth movement of the second hand, it's a chunky design which suits a real divers watch look and I also purchased when it was at a super low price!The 'Invicta' and 'Grand Diver' side case inscriptions plus the divers helmet branding on the face and stainless steel watch band makes this a stand out piece of timekeeping beauty, the price was a third cheaper than some of the bigger branded automatics so it wasn't too much of a hit to the wallet. The large diameter and height doesn't look out of place on my slim 7" sized wrist. Suprisingly it's very comfortable to wear and doesn't feel too heavy even after a long day of use.This divers watch is presented in a nice large yellow ripple shell padded case with warranty and instructions and it keeps an acceptable good time, the one I received gains a few seconds a day but I knew that automatics can either lose or gain time. If you don't wear the watch for more than two days then it will stop, so you do have to wind it a good 25 to 30 times with the crown unscrewed just to make it run for another day. I will never really use this watch for diving to three hundred metres, but for every day use it's a real 'looker' and I just love wearing it.