Why Are Invicta Watches Always So Cheap? (Explained)


Invicta is one of those brands that always seems to offer affordable watches. But why are Invicta watches always so cheap?

Invicta watches are cheap because they are created in bulk. The bulk manufacturing of Invicta watches is also outsourced to cheaper countries, allowing them to keep the price down by quite a substantial margin. They also use lower-quality materials.

In this article, we’ll dive a little deeper into how Invicta manages to offer such low-priced watches and if these watches are actually any good!

Table of Contents

What Makes An Invicta Watch So Cheap?

Invicta is a Swiss watch company founded in 1837. In 1991, the brand was acquired by an American company. Nowadays, Invicta is based in the United States.

As a brand, Invicta has always stood out as one of the most affordable watch brands out there. Their prices are always on the lower end, and Invicta watches always seem to be on sale as well.

Of course, these lower prices are very attractive. But it does make you wonder; how does Invicta offer these low-prices watches?

For this, we’ll have to look at two factors that are primarily responsible for the lower price.

These are the movements used in an Invicta watch, the process of manufacturing, and the materials used. We’ll dive deeper into each of these factors below.

The Movements Used In Invicta Watches

The first thing to look at is the movements used in Invicta watches. Luxury watch brands make their own in-house movements. This is an expensive, time-intensive process, but it does ensure true quality and luxury.

Invicta, however, chooses to outsource this process. They’ve partnered with companies that make these movements in large quantities and can offer them for a lower price. Most of the costs of producing an in-house movement are in development, and these companies have that part down already.

Companies such as ETA, Ronda, Seagull, and Seiko often provide Invicta with their movements. These are quality companies with excellent movements, but they are not on the same level as luxury brands.

What they will do, however, is provide a good movement for a more affordable budget watch. There’s nothing wrong with them, but they’re nothing special either.

Secondly, Invicta watches often make use of a Japanese quartz movement. This ties into the first reason, but the Japanese quartz movement is already on the more affordable side. Pair that with the bulk production process, and you have a fairly cheap movement system.

Again, this is not to say that this is a bad watch with bad movements. You should just know that they are made with a budget in mind.

The Materials Used For An Invicta Watch

Another reason Invicta watches are so cheap is the materials used to make them. Cheaper materials will, of course, allow Invicta to offer their watches at a lower price. But does this affect the quality of the watch?

Of course. The use of lower-end materials will have some impact on the watch itself. Invicta tends to use cheaper materials, but not the worst options. Their materials are good enough. But once again, nothing special.

Pretty much every Invicta watch is made with stainless steel. Stainless steel is a very commonly used material, but a very good one at that. It’s probably the most widely used material for the casings and bracelets of more affordable watches.

But even many luxury watches are made out of stainless steel.

However, even stainless steel can come in good and bad quality. Those luxury stainless steel watches are, of course, made with higher-end stainless steel, whereas an Invicta watch is made with standard stainless steel.

Invicta also offers golden watches, or at least, watches with a gold tone. This is done with ion plating instead of the cheaper golden paint option. Golden paint will fade much quicker and is of lesser quality, so this is yet another upside to the materials Invicta uses.

Lastly, the watch’s glass face is made with sapphire-coated mineral glass. This is yet another quality choice. Again, it’s a cheaper option than a sapphire crystal that’s used in luxury watches, but it’s not the worst either.

A common trend with the materials Invicta uses is that they go for the cheaper options, but not necessarily the worst options. Stainless steel and sapphire-coated mineral glass are nothing to be ashamed of.

However, they are cheaper options, which allows Invicta to sell these watches for a little cheaper as well.

Where Is An Invicta Watch Made?

The last main factor for the lower price of an Invicta watch is the location of where they’re made. Even though Invicta is an American company, they actually outsource most of their manufacturing process to cheaper countries.

Most of the manufacturing will happen in China. Here, the wages are lower, leading to a lower manufacturing cost and a lower assembly cost. This will, in turn, trickle down into the price we consumers pay.

One downside to this massive outsourcing process is that the control on quality is much lower. The watches are made in bulk with little to no quality control.

Now, of course, the process is streamlined to be as accurate and precise as possible, but that doesn’t always work out the way it was intended.

When you look at the official Invicta website, you’ll see one section called ‘Swiss Made’. These Swiss Made watches are a little more expensive (still very affordable watches, though), but are they actually made in Switzerland?

An Invicta Swiss Made watch is partly made in Switzerland. More than 51% of the process is done in Switzerland, allowing them to call it Swiss Made. The other 49% is still outsourced to cheaper countries. But since more than half is done in Switzerland, they can call these watches Swiss-made.

Because more than half of the manufacturing process was done in Switzerland, a country with higher wages, the prices of these Swiss-made watches will be slightly higher than your typical Invicta piece.

Are Invicta Watches Good Watches?

Now that you know how Invicta watches are produced and with what kinds of materials they’re made of, you might wonder, are Invicta watches good watches?

Invicta watches are good watches, especially for the price they’re being sold at. An Invicta watch is cheaper due to the materials used and the outsourced process. But the watch itself is quite good.

When we take a look at the materials used, there really isn’t much that would indicate that Invicta watches are poor watches. Yes, the quality of the materials is lower, but so is the price tag.

In other words, you get what you pay for.

Stainless steel, for example, is a material used in most of the more affordable watches, and the sapphire-coated mineral glass is a step up from many other budget watch brands.

An Invicta watch probably won’t be a watch that lasts a lifetime (check out this article if you’re interested in how long watches actually last!), but it will be a watch that will be around for a good couple of years. And for a price of about $200, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

Is An Invicta Watch Worth It?

Whether a watch is worth it or not usually comes down to you as a person. Luckily, the decision for a cheaper watch, such as an Invicta watch, is much easier to make than whether or not you want to purchase a $10.000 luxury watch.

When we solely look at the quality of the watch, compared to the price, the answer will be yes, an Invicta watch is worth it. They’re really affordable, look great, and are of decent-enough quality.

An Invicta watch, for example, could be perfect for any setting where things might get rough. Maybe wear an Invicta watch to the club or when doing something outdoors.

Wearing an expensive watch during those times is a little scary. One wrong move, and your watch is done for. But with a cheaper watch like an Invicta, you can safely wear them without too much stress about breaking it.

An Invicta watch could be the solution here, as you’ll still wear a great watch, and you wouldn’t really mind a small crack. At least, not as much as you would with a luxury piece. Just imagine your new luxury watch getting cracked while you could have worn an Invicta watch!

However, you can also purchase a Seiko watch or a Citizen watch in this price range. These are generally considered higher quality and fall under a similar price range.

Many people will claim that these brands offer better-quality watches for a similar price. And they’re not wrong. Seiko is one of the most respected watch brands when it comes to affordable watches.

However, there is a difference in the ‘watch audience’. Like with most topics, you have casual enthusiasts, people who don’t really care, and fanatics. Depending on who you ask whether an Invicta watch is worth it or not, you’ll get entirely different answers.

From the casual folks, you’ll probably hear that an Invicta watch is a good watch for the money and will be worth it. The fanatics will probably stomp it into the ground, labeling it as a disgrace.

But as far as value for your money goes, an Invicta watch is not a bad purchase. There might be better alternatives, but that doesn’t mean that this is a poor watch to buy.

What Are The Best Invicta Watches

Invicta has many collections, all featuring many different watches. Here, we’ll look at some of the more popular Invicta watches!

Invicta Pro Diver

The Invicta Pro Diver collection is arguably the most popular collection of Invicta watches. Originally made as dive watches, these timepieces are not only stylish but also functional.

Under the Invicta Pro Diver category fall a whole bunch of different watches, all with different looks. There’s the classic stainless steel look, but there are also quite a few gold-tone watches. These gold-tone watches are made with ion plating, which is more durable than gold paint.

Regardless of what watch you go for aesthetically, these diver watches also have a few functions.

All Pro Diver watches have a water resistance of 200 meters, meaning they’re suitable for actual diving. The movements used for these watches are the earlier discussed Japanese automatic movement. A cheap but accurate movement.

The Invicta Pro Diver collection is perfect for anyone looking for a simple watch. They look great, are extremely affordable, and will do their job fine. Take a look at the Invicta Pro Diver 9403, a stainless steel watch, or the Invicta Pro Diver 22228, a golden watch.

Invicta Aviator

The Invicta Aviator collection is yet another popular watch collection from the brand. As the name suggests, this is a pilot watch.

Among the many different watches that fall under the Invicta Aviator collection, there’s quite a difference in looks.

Some have metal bracelets, while others have silicon bands. These silicon bands have a black color and look great with the designs of the faces of those watches.

The watches with metal bracelets are also great-looking. There’s a metallic color, a gold color, or a mix of the two, ensuring there’s enough variety between the watches.

The Invicta Aviator watches utilize the Japanese quartz movement and are water-resistant up to 100 meters. Like any pilot watch, the face of the watch is larger, coming in at 48-52mm.

Some of the more popular Invicta Aviator watches include the gold-toned Invicta Aviator 28088, the silicon-banded Invicta Aviator 28078, and the stainless steel Invicta Aviator 17203.

Invicta Specialty

The Invicta Specialty is a little trickier. Where the Pro Diver and Aviator collections were more ‘mainstream’, the Specialty collection is a little different.

These watches are a little more ‘decked out’, giving them more unique and extravagant looks. The Invicta Specialty 34589, for example, is a 54mm stainless steel watch with a rose gold bezel covered with little diamonds (fake ones, of course).

On the other hand, the Invicta Specialty 33586 is a much classier watch, sporting a yellow-gold look and a simplistic white face. This is honestly a beautiful watch, which uses a Swiss quartz movement.

The Swiss quartz movement, however, is not a given in this watch collection. Some still use the Japanese quartz movement, so check that beforehand (if you care about it).

The Invicta Specialty collection also features a few watches with leather straps, different colors, and so on. There really is no consistency when it comes to this collection, but they do have to offer a lot of great watches.

All these Invicta Specialty watches are still incredibly affordable, making them a great addition to any wardrobe or starting watch collection.

Jasper

Jasper has always been a fan of watches. But when he took on a project of restoring a nearly 30-year-old timepiece, he was hooked. Throughout the years, he has learned a lot about horology and shared his passion on Watches of Today!

Recent Posts