An elegant, pleasantly heavy steel watch with high water resistance and so similar to a well-known brand, but at a more affordable price is enough reason to get this model. True, with some reservations.
Let's evaluate it visually
You can often find reviews about this brand with an ironic intonation from watch lovers from various countries. Like, what good can you expect from a company that is not ashamed to make such obvious hommage on various Rolex and Citizen models. And here I am holding in my hands a model, in whose defense I would like to argue with those invisible opponents.
Yes, this model is an allusion to the Rolex Submariner. The bezel with large markings and 5-minute increments, the Sunray dial, the “Cyclops” above the date and the steel bracelet are easily recognizable.
But it’s worth taking a closer look at the Invicta IN37018 to decide whether you want the original for almost a million rubles or whether you are satisfied with a well-made American copy on a Swiss movement that is two orders of magnitude more affordable.
Everything, starting with the packaging, is done well by Invicta. It doesn’t matter that it’s just a cardboard box of the company’s bright yellow color; it feels like fine corduroy to the touch. The lid is embossed in the form of diagonal rays. Inside there is an oval polyurethane foam pad of the same color. The packaging is very strong, tactile and visually pleasing.
The dial of this model is light blue with a “sunray” finish, along which light runs and plays like sea waves. Very neat overlay elements: the famous “crosshair” of a triangular mark and dashes, like the “big brother”, and transparent stones instead of other marks. It looks expensive, unusual and not too flashy, since the stones are small.
The Invicta logo is also on the invoice, for which I give this watch a plus. Printing of inscriptions and minute markings is clear and contrasting. The hands are cut without burrs, and the phosphor is applied evenly, without drips and without unfilled fragments. In short, the tactile and visual impression of the model is very positive.
The owners of the watch company spare no expense in developing new technologies to make Invicta not just a “surviving”, but also a unique brand. For example, their watches use mineral glass tempered using Flame Fusion Crystal technology. The secret of the technology is not disclosed and is protected by a patent, but competing manufacturers also have their own similar solutions: Hardlex from Seiko, Krysterna from Stuhrling, and so on.
Above the aperture there is a cyclops magnifying glass, which makes the date stamp much easier to read. This is a signature Rolex feature that some owners adore and others hate (and even take off the Cyclops). But Invicta could not help but take this feature into its watches. The lens magnifies the date well, and I give the watch another plus for this.
Figures and Facts
I take the watch in my hands and immediately understand that this is not a trinket. They weigh 130 g - noticeably, and this inspires respect, creating a feeling of reliability of the watch. Overall dimensions of the case: diameter 38 mm, thickness 12 mm, which looks quite brutal on a woman’s hand, but I won’t say that it’s too massive. For comparison, Invicta men's divers come in sizes ranging from 40mm to 52mm.
I had to do a little research to figure out what kind of mechanism is installed in this model. The movement of model IN37018 is called “Cal. 585” with the clarification “Swiss quartz” (logically, we are talking about “Ronda 585”). It is not uncommon for the name of the mechanism manufacturer to be kept silent. Breitling also has a lot of watches with calibers from third-party manufacturers, such as ETA and Valjoux, which the company calls “Breitling B10” or “B13”.
Ronda 585 is a typical budget quartz from the Swiss company. The functionality includes three hands, date, stop second. There is only one stone in this caliber. It promises more than three years of service on one battery (usually quartz watches last longer than their rated values). Judging by the reviews, it has decent survivability. Certified accuracy from -10 to +20 seconds per month. And the bad habit of not hitting the markers on at least half of the dial - like, in principle, almost any Ronda.
Quartz calibers also develop less force than mechanical ones, so they are usually equipped with short seconds hands with a powerful counterweight. And this is exactly the case here, but Invicta gracefully turns a disadvantage into an advantage. The “tail” of the second hand is made in the form of an openwork outline of the brand logo, which looks airy and aesthetically pleasing.
How about diving?
Now let's look at the technical characteristics. The crown cap bears an equilateral cross from the coat of arms of Switzerland. It itself is ordinary, with a fine notch, extends and rotates in two positions: to change the time and date of the watch. Once the adjustment is complete, it must be screwed down completely to ensure maximum moisture resistance, otherwise the watch will leak.
The declared water resistance is 200WR, which is quite a lot. In a watch with such parameters, you can swim and even dive (although, of course, not 200 meters). Water resistance is indicated based on static pressure, and as your arm moves while swimming, the actual pressure increases greatly. In general, swimming, snorkeling and even recreational diving with the WR200 is quite possible.
However, there is an important nuance that makes it impossible to use this watch for serious diving with equipment - the requirements of the “diving” standard ISO 6425. The Invicta IN37018 only partially meets them.
Yes, the bezel rotates tightly in one direction (counterclockwise). It should be noted that it makes a pleasant click and has 120 intermediate positions - this is much better than the 60 on many budget Japanese divers. However, it is set with 23 shiny stones, which did not leave room for the luminescent marker required by the requirements for a dive watch. After all, the bezel is needed on them so that under water you can measure the time of a safe dive until the oxygen in the cylinder runs out, and without a luminous point it is useless.
The hands generally meet the requirements of the standard: they must be clearly different from each other and can be read without problems at a distance of 25 cm. The Invicta brand has its own technology for illuminating the hands and marks - Tritnite phosphor. On this model, it is applied to the triangle markings at 12 o’clock, stripes at 6 and 9 o’clock, on the hour and minute hands, and a small dot at the tip of the second hand. In the dark it all glows quite brightly.
However, there are not so many “real” divers who honestly meet the requirements of ISO 6425 and can be used as a diving tool. And the vast majority of such watches, like our Invicta, dive only into the depths of office everyday life.
And two more words about the bezel: it is steel with IP coating, which in itself is not bad. It is logical to assume that the scratches will collect the most elevated parts. And here the top point is the “cyclops” above the date aperture, then the glass itself. On the bezel itself, the upper points are uncoated steel-colored numbers and stones. This allows us to hope that there won’t be too many scratches on the beautiful light blue bezel, and the watch will retain its original appearance for a long time.
Steel bracelet in Oyster design, as Rolex called it. Bracelet width 18 mm, length 190 mm. It folds quite smoothly, there is no play or rattle anywhere.
The tri-fold clasp is very similar in outline to the Submariner. But unlike the original, it is stamped and does not have the ability to quickly increase the length of the bracelet. And there is a minus for female users - the need to pry the clasp twice with your nails to unfasten it. With everyday use there is a risk of damaging your manicure (I speak as a person who has been spoiled by clasps with pushers).
Clocks for vacation and office
In fact, the diamonds along with the blue-silver case and bracelet color combination make the Invicta Pro Diver IN37018 a versatile watch. No, perhaps if you go on vacation to walk your evening dresses, you won’t be able to wear them with them. But with a light suit it’s fine. It goes well with blue jeans, and in combination with silver jewelry. Even with sportswear - since the watch is a diving watch, why not?
But the main place to wear such a watch is probably the office. They go well with casual style. I would recommend them as a base model for an hour set.
