Men's 5053 Pro Diver Collection Automatic Watch

After almost four years of wearing this watch, guess it’s time for a review. I love it. This is such a great value for the price. And luckily over time, the price for this hasn’t gone up, in fact it might’ve even gotten cheaper. Either way, it’s worth way more. In regards to looking like the Rolex submariner, it nails it without being cheesy. I didn’t see it listed as being sapphire but I’ve worn this primarily as a work watch (I’m a nurse) and the crystal doesn’t show any wear after all this time. In fact the only wear on this watch is where the clasp has rubbed against stuff when I’m using a mouse (left handed, I wear it on my right hand) and a couple of scratches on the ceramic bezel. Point being this is a really well built watch that is gorgeous. I’m not super into whether it is off by a few seconds day to day, but I’ll say it’s not enough for me to notice if it is. Overall, I cannot say enough good things about this watch. Invicta can def have a bad rep for being over the top with some of their designs but this one is totally classy. I’d buy it again, and will even consider it if I get mine any more beat up looking than it already is. I DO plan on replacing the oyster bracelet with a president style, I think that’ll really take this to the next level

My first dive watch was Seiko's first dive watch, the 62 MAS introduced in 1965. I've collected watches ever since. The watch pictured next to my Ball Skindiver is the Seiko Prospex Reinterpretation of that original watch, their newer 1965 Automatic Diver's Watch SPB051J1. I wore that original Seiko dive watch for more than 20 years without service of any kind, through thousands of dives. Their new "reinterpretation" is much improved. I bought my first Invicta 9937 to replace that original Seiko many years ago, mostly because I liked the Submariner look, and it served me wonderfully well until a close friend talked me out of it. I bought a new one to replace it ... the 9937 is my favorite Invicta dive watch hands down. So much for the history, but I thought it might be relevant to those considering a purchase. This review will cover and compare the currently available Invicta 9937, and its less expensive cousin, the Invicta 8926. Both are pictured above side-by-side ... you will note that they are virtually identical. in appearance, but significantly different in cost. In my view, the 9937 is the better watch, worth the difference in cost, but "your mileage may vary." This review is posted under both watches. There are MANY good reviews of both watches on Amazon, but if you look at the dates, many are old, and address QC issues that have long been resolved. If you look closely at the picture of both watches side by side, you'll note that they are running within seconds of each other, which is remarkable since they were set several days ago according to the NIST time clock ... the 9937 is about 2 seconds fast, and the 8926 is about 2 seconds slow. That sort of accuracy is NOT to be expected of ANY mechanical watch. My most expensive, COSC Certified, mechanical watches gain, on average, about 3 seconds a day. I found this to be quite surprising. The luminescence on both watches is identically pitiful. They glow, sort of, but compared to my other (NON-Tritium) watches sitting in the exact same conditions (watch boxes), they might as well not have bothered ... removed to a totally dark room, my SEIKO (my best non-tritium) lume) watch is very clear to read, whereas these are invisible. If you need to tell time in the dark, these are a total bust, and one is no better than the other. I am a great fan of Tritium tubes that do NOT fade overnight ... they can be expected to glow exactly the same for 25 years. The watch manufacturers like Ball, Nite, Luminox, etc., that use Tritium tubes are the way to go if it is important to you to be able to read your watch in the dark. The bracelets on dive watches are very important. Lose a single pin, screw, ... whatever, to corrosion, or have the clasp fail, and your watch falls to the bottom of the sea. These bracelets are almost identical, except the clasp, I never had an issue with my 9937's, and I would not expect an issue with either of these. Both bracelets appear to be finished identically, and they feel exactly the same on the wrist, which is to say quite comfortable and, although the clasps are the same general design (with a security fold over) they are made differently, with the 9937 (top in pic) being the better design. NEITHER watch bracelet has a diver's extension to accommodate a wet suit which surprised me. The dials may look identical in the picture, but they are not. The 8926 is a gloss black, but the 9937 seems to have a SLIGHTLY more gray look. The markers and indices are identical. The 9937 has a Sellita Swiss movement. The 8926 has a Japanese movement which I believe to be made by Seiko. The difference is, you can manually wind the Sellita, but both are incredibly accurate and I have found both Seiko, and Sellita movements to be very reliable. The main difference is the crown assembly ... the 9937 is smooth and precise feeling but the 8926 lacks that precision feel. The 9937 no longer has a sapphire crystal (I think my others did). Instead, it is some sort of hardened mineral crystal they call "flame fusion." The 8926 has the basic mineral crystal, which should scratch more easily ... but I have never scratched one. The bezel assemblies are both tight and precise feeling with the same micro click system on both. The engineering is MUCH better than on some of my more expensive watches. The insert fits flush with the bezel, and mates to the crystal perfectly. They are not quite identical, in that the markings on the 8926 seem a bit more "crisp" to me. They claim that both watches are depth rated to 200M and both are listed as suitable for diving. Both have screw in case backs, and both have screw down crowns. The reality is, divers these days almost universally use dive computers, so it isn't like the old days when your dive watch was critical. For diving, I wear my Seiko ... but that may be just an old man's preference based on nostalgia. The bottom line, I think the 9937 is the better watch, and probably worth the price difference, but I found none of the issues with the 8926 that were reported in old reviews. The construction, fit and finish is excellent on both watches, they feel and look exactly the same on my wrist, and I simply cannot account for the accuracy, which is phenomenal. If you are not sure what you will need, or like, I'd suggest the 8926 ... wear it a while and decide if the design and function suits you. For less than $80, you cannot go far wrong and, if it turns out that you like the design of a divers sport watch, you can always upgrade to a better watch of similar design later. I hope this is helpful to someone.

The Invicta 5053 Pro Diver looks and feels like a luxury watch without the heavy price tag. The automatic movement is smooth and reliable, and the striking blue and red "Pepsi" bezel looks absolutely stunning in person. It has a solid weight to it, a comfortable stainless steel band, and genuine 200m water resistance, making it durable enough for swimming and everyday wear. It keeps great time and catches everyone's eye. Pros: Beautiful classic design, reliable automatic movement, 200m water resistance, excellent price. Cons: The case is a bit thick, which might feel bulky on very small wrists.

2 YEAR EDIT: So after I returned from Punta Cana I dried out the watch, tightened the case back, and have been wearing it ever since without issue. I can report that after a week in the water in Mexico last summer that issue has been resolved. I still wish I had spent the extra 50 bucks and got the Phoibos or Seiko, but for the money you really can't complain. The upside is that I wear this on adventure vacations and don't worry about it getting lost, broken, or stolen! EDIT 2: The winding/power issues have settled down, I just wind it manually a bit every few days. Which I have heard is common with automatic watches. But as promised I took this snorkeling with me on vacation and after about an hour bobbing around on the surface some moisture got in and clouded the glass. The screw down crown was nice and tight, this thing just isn't water tight as advertised. I'm going to throw it in some rice and never swim with it again, but the bottom line is that you get what you pay for. The water rating is a joke... EDIT: After about 4 months of use mine kept sporadically stopping. I wear the watch ~18 hours a day, and am very active, so imagine my surprise when the issue turned out to be the watch running out of power. The watch ran fine without winding for the first 4 months, so not sure if there's something wrong with it, or it's just going through a phase. Since then I've started manually winding a few days a week it's been fine, so I'll just get a winder and be done with it. FYI - During all of this I checked into the Invicta warranty and it's lousy - you have to pay to ship the watch to their service center in Florida, and then a flat "service" and return shipping fee of $28. If it comes to that I'm not sure if I'll send it in. I still love the look of the watch but I don't want to throw good money after bad... Who can afford the Rolex Submariner? This is basically of identical quality to the Seiko 5 Black Dial Stainless Steel Automatic Mens Watch SNZF17 for $50+ less, what's not to love? Having the built in winder in a nice touch, and I've found mine runs about 5 seconds slow per day. Very solid and classy looking. I initially was going to buy a replacement band, but with the help of the Zacro Watch Band Strap Link Pin Remover Repair Tool Kit for Watchmakers with Pack of 3 Extra Pins I was able to easily obtain a perfect fit. Haven't gotten it wet so I can't speak to the seal. I'll be taking this one diving in June and will be sure to report back.

For the price, this is amazing! To get it out of the way, there is ONE niggle: I woud rather have a bright white coat on the pointers, than the neon-green "lume" paint. "lume" in modern watches is nothing but a gimmick, as the original lume coats in the first half of the 20th century were radio-active! We don't have those anymore, so modern lume only glows, when a watch is "charged" in bright light, and it only lasts a minute or two, so is totally useless and dark at night. Otherwise, this Invicta is a lovely watch, both tough and dressy (which is almost impossible) and maybe my favourite ever, after I wore many designer watches, like Skagen, and many tough daily beaters, with so far nothing more accurate and reliable and tough than a Casio, believe it or not. Growing up with the first quartz watches, I never even looked at mechanical watches until now. The Seiko movement in these Invictas is within 15 seconds or so in a day, so it is easy to live with, as far as accuracy is concerned, so it is good enough not just for a retired guy, like myself! The dial is very easy and a joy to read with this black dial and white(ish) hand hand theme. The picture of the Pro Diver on my wrist was made in a dimly lit room and it only gets better in better light. This stainless steel and black bezel model is a beautiful watch, with the heft of about 150 grams or 5 ounces for both watch and the very solid and smooth steel band, but surprisingly comfortable to wear all day! Is it a Rolex? No. Is it as good? Yes, not just for the money, and I find it in far better taste than wasting big money on a Rolex, even if I had that much :) In trade for not ever needing a new battery again, I was expecting a so-so accurate watch, within maybe -20 to +40 seconds per day as specified for the NH35A movement by Seiko, that is inside. Depending on how it is worn and stored at night (mine needs to go face down to slow down a bit, after running ahead a wee bit all day), it actually stays well within 15 seconds/day, and I only adjust it twice a week now. This is totally remarkable for such a seriously affordable mechanical watch (paid WAY under 80 bucks for this one). Only my lesser quartz watches are this good (it only gets better with a real Casio!), so for a purely mechanical watch, it is simply outstanding! I checked this one with a timegrapher (free app for phone is available, or you can buy a physical one), and in the different positions (face up/down, 12 up, 6 up, 3 up, 9 up), it is either a few seconds per day fast or slow, always within 12 seconds per day, so with daily wear, where your hand changes position all the time, it averages out to just about perfect. Fit and finish are very good, and I would have no complaints if this were a 500 dollar watch, but for way under 100 bucks, this is a beautiful gift from the makers! The design is of course nothing new, and even the 1953 Rolex Submariner this is paying homage to, was a design evolution rather than a completely a new design, if you pay attention to really old movies. So those who hate this Invicta as a Submariner copy, can get lost :) All I know is, that to buy a new Rolex, I would have to order one on a waiting list and spend at bare minimum what 200 or more of these little Invicta marvels would cost, and even more with extras, like the date wheel that is included here! This one looks simply great and fits into any environment, whether you actually use it as a dive watch (many people do, just read reviews all over the web), or with a suit at a posh dinner party! A word about being waterproof: You HAVE to screw down the crown! If you see a gap between the crown and the case, the crown is open, and if the watch fills with water, it is YOUR fault! This will happen on any dive watch with a screw-down crown, if you do not pay attention, so those who wrote bad reviews somewhere about these watches leaking, did not pay attention. There is a whole video about that subject on Youtube as well. I am a retired and stroke disabled guy with heart problems, so I'd be nuts to dive in anything deeper than a bathtub, but I am confident this is every-day water-proof after taking a few showers with it :) OH yes, the bezel - it rotates anti-clockwise only. It is very stiff and hard to rotate, tough to use for old and partially paralyzed hands like mine, but it clicks nicely into place at 2 clicks per minute marker. The fact it is so hard to rotate also means it is good for the job at hand, because it stays where you set it! When you set it with "0" to where the minute hand is at this time, it is an optical aid to start counting minutes, which is important for divers with air tanks! This is from the days before calculators and digital watches, just like slide rules. You could try to remember when you started, but in physical stress situations and going through temperature and pressure extremes, which I have been in as a veteran, the mind can get very foggy, so a simple display of simple and important information is crucial for survival. Once set, push the bezel clockwise to seat it with at most a tiny slip into the last click-stop, and it lines up perfectly, being a real precision piece! Altogether, LOVE it!

October 2014, 19 month update. Quite honestly I haven’t a clue regarding the accuracy of this watch movement. The following paragraph are previous accuracy reports which consistently recorded negative losses in time. After several months off wrist in a drawer but with daily crown (stem) winding the accuracy continued to diminish up to a loss of 40 seconds a day which was unacceptable to my standards. After these several months off wrist I started wearing the watch again and much to my surprise the watch actually started gaining time for the first time. This was with winding the movement with gentle not vigorous side to side (off wrist) rocking movement about 5 to 10 minutes a day. With this style of winding, the accuracy has increased to within about 5 seconds a day, usually fast. Note when taken off wrist for sleep at night the watch typically loses about 5 seconds a night. But when wound as previously described it gains back that 5 seconds during the day and is closely dead accurate every 24 hours. Why and how this happened after a year and a half and after about 3 months off wrist with manual crown winding is quite the mystery to me. Right now it far exceeds the Seiko manufacturers specifications of accuracy for this NH35A movement. Currently I’m stunned that this watch is presently more accurate than my Seiko SKX007 and even my Rolex Submariner! It’s only a couple of seconds less accurate than my solar electronic watches which have quartz movements. July 2024 accuracy update. 16 months after purchase. Loses -27 to - 28 seconds per day. Seiko, the maker of the movement says its accuracy is +45 to -35 seconds per day. Other literature says this movement NH35A is accurate to -20 to +40 seconds a day. So mine is within factory specs. My personal preference is a watch that gains time rather than loses time. I think it is unrealistic to expect a more accurate automatic mechanical watch for the price of $80.00. As such I consider it to be an acceptable value. January 19, 2024 update: ten month progress report Originally purchased March 11, 2023, initial impressions: Great care was taken in packaging of the watch. There are extensive protective coatings and films to protect the new watch to insure its arrival in perfect condition. All moving parts of the watch appear to be tight as a drum with is no play, slack or slop in the adjustment stem (aka crown). The bezel and all moving parts including bracelet are tight and secure. There is a very specific heft to the watch indicating solid stainless steel as opposed to cheap pot metals. Every aspect indicates care given a quality product. Rather than other imitation Rolex Submariner knock offs, Invicta proudly inscribes their brand name on the side of the watch which is openly visible, indicating their pride of product. Note that despite the label “Professional Divers” the bracelet lacks a built in wetsuit extension adjustment. The overall quality is very impressive. (Note that despite the label “Professional Divers” the bracelet lacks a built in wetsuit extension adjustment.) The mechanical movement of this watch is the Seiko manufactured NH35A. Seiko states the accuracy of this movement is +45 to -35 seconds a day. 5 independent websites (Relojee, The Watch Blog, Lucius Alelier, Grayson, and Chronometer Check) report the accuracy of this movement to be +40 to -20 seconds per day. Trade literature indicates the industry standard is + or - 25 seconds a day as typical and acceptable for an automatic mechanical watch. The following is an accuracy report that I’ve actually experienced with this watch. I recommend supplemental winding if the wearer is either sedentary or spends a large portion of their time seated in front of a computer screen. I recommend winding by the physical movement of the watch rather than winding the crown (stem). After 10 months of experimentation, I have found the best way to supplementally wind the watch to attain the greatest accuracy, is the following method/technique: With your forearm resting on the arm of a chair and the watch in hand, gently roll the wrist/forearm in an arch slowly—at the rate of about a cycle a second for a few minutes. Using this method my watch had been accurate to between -3 and -6 seconds per day. Previously with vigorous agitation the accuracy was around -17 to -19 seconds a day. Really vigorous agitation slowed the movement to -30 to -40 seconds a day. Wind it slowly and gently to maintaining greatest accuracy. As a point of reference, an official Swiss COSC certification of chronometer is -4 to +6 seconds per day. Only 3% of watches made in Switzerland meet this standard. COSC only certifies Swiss watches. To put this in further perspective, look up the official Seiko website SEIKOWATCHES.COM and read the proud announcement of the new model PROSPEX SPB 297 the divers modern reinterpretation SAVE THE OCEAN SPECIAL EDITION, caliber (movement) 6R35 which has an accuracy of +25 to -15 seconds per day. This PROSPEX watch is priced at $1,250.00. THE BOTTOM LINE: all in all, given its overall quality and its acceptible accuracy, qualifies it as an exceptional value . (A possible comparison may be the Seiko 5 series which uses the same movement and are significantly more expensive-approximately twice the cost. Check the other evaluations for their accuracy reports. My watrch loses about one minute every 3 days, or about 2 minutes each week. You can decide if you can live with this accuracy. Note that solar watches do not require routine battery replacements and have the accuracy of typical quartz movements i.e. a couple of seconds per day. Citizen and Seiko solar dive watches typically cost in excess of $300.00.

First day with watch and will have to say I'm impressed with the presence and look of the watch. I purchased it for 75.00 and I'm not disappointed. Anyone complaining about this watch at this price is ridiculous. If you had all the pieces of this watch broke down and had to purchase each individual part, you can't tell me you could build a better watch for cheaper because the seiko workhorse movement alone would cost 40-45 dollars by itself. Purchased it to have an automatic beater watch but the think looks so good with stainless bracelet I kinda don't want to mess it up. For this price i feel like this watch is a steal for anyone who can't afford a Rolex Submariner.

2 months ago I purchased the Invicta gold 8930 and really liked it. I got hooked on Invictas. Then a man I do business with showed me his Rolex Submariner, proud of it, for only $5000. Well, I love the look but not the price. I looked at the Invictas on Amazon and found almost an exact duplicate, the 8926-C (coin bezel) for under $90. I have been wearing it constantly for a month now and really like it. It runs about 4 min. fast a month but that's not a big deal to adjust it. I understand that will settle down to a smaller amount over time. The watch looks great, and almost exactly like the R@lex Submariner, and occasionally someone with a Real Rolex will compliment me and ask what year my Rolex is. The construction, materials and workmanship seem excellent, but then it's only been a month. I will update if any problems. Oh yes, buy the $39 watch winder listed on Amazon to keep your watch wound when not wearing it for a day or longer. Update April 19, 2009 I have now had this watch about 7 months and wear it almost daily. I continue to be very pleased with it. The longer I wear it, the more accurate it gets. It perhaps gains 2 minutes a month, not a problem. I would buy it again. Update December 16, 2011 I have now had this watch for 25 months and love it. I wear it 6 days a week and it runs and looks great. There are some small scuff marks on the clasp from my wrist hitting my desk much of the day, but that can be buffed out. It is nice to have to worry about batteries. I also have the Invicta Gold 8930 and it still works well also. Very pleased. Update November 2013 I have now owned this Invicta watch for Four years and wear it at least 6 days a week. It operates very well, gaining perhaps 2-3 minutes a month, no big deal and actually helps me be on time for meetings. It is nice not having to replace batteries. I may need to polish the band a bit, especially the clasp, but the crystal looks fine. The $39 Winder I purchased only lasted about a year and died. My Gold Invicta 8930 still works well also and looks very nice. Update November 25, 2014, I have now owned this watch 5 years and love it. I wear it 6 days a week. It runs very well and still looks great. The bracelet clasp could use some buffing but otherwise it is excellent and I receive many compliments, including from Rolex owners when they ask "hey, what year is your Rolex?" Sometimes I tell them, sometimes I just say, "Oh, it's just a few years old". Great watch. If in doubt, buy it. It is wonderful to not have to buy batteries. I'm a fan! Update July 2018 I just noticed on Amazon that I purchased my Invicta Pro Diver Stainless Steel watch in Nov. 2009, so that's almost 9 years ago. I still wear my watch virtually every day and it has worked perfectly. Four years ago I wore a Garmin Fitbit for 15 months and then went back to my Invicta, reset the time/ date, gave it a few shakes and it's back and running fine. It gains about 1 minute per month, sometimes two. I just reset it when I have to reset the date after a 30 day month. I may need to take it in for a cleaning & polishing at some point, but it runs and looks great. About once a month someone will say "Hey, I like your watch", or "What year is your R@lex?". I also have a gold colored Invicta and it works well whenever I wear it. I'm a big Invicta Fan.

Product delivered in good condition. Great product. Satisfied.

Love it, I really like the size of this watch

Over the years, Invicta has gained notoriety for its endless homages of classic timepieces by other watchmakers. The brand is viewed by some watch enthusiasts as unoriginal, tacky, and deceiving. However, still, Invicta is a good starting point for those looking into getting a genuine automatic watch. The Invicta Pro Diver (8926ob) is an excellent homage of the Rolex Submariner in my opinion, and here’s why: First, the quality of the timepiece. The stainless steel casing and bracelet are of outstanding quality. The bracelet feels solid, and the housing has some weight to it. At this price, you’d expect a kiosk-tier Rolex knockoff; This watch doesn’t feel like the manufacturers cut corners on its materials. The glass used is a proprietary mineral material, and so far, it has been great with zero scratches. The crown is great, despite what other reviewers have said. I haven’t had any issues with turning the crown and enjoy the satisfying feel of winding it. The watch uses a Seiko-calibre NH35A movement, which is insanely durable. The movement on its own sells for about half of this watch’s retail price and is widely available on secondary markets. This means that if you ever have an issue with the watch, you can source its movement online with no trouble. The hacking and hand-winding features are exceptional, and I found that it keeps time very well. After a day of wear, the watch fell behind only by 1 second. Wow. As for its design, of course, many love it, and others hate it. It looks much like a Rolex Submariner. I don’t care if it looks very much like a Rolex, nor do I care to listen to watch snobs when they stare at it with disgust. Rolex or Invicta, this style is beautiful. I love the Mercedes hand and find the bezel to be decent. There are no complaints in terms of design. Now, let’s talk about the lume on the dials and bezel. It’s almost non-existent. At night, it’s virtually impossible to see the lume even if you had the watch under the sun all day. It was very disappointing, but for this price, it is expected. Overall, it’s a beautiful watch comprised of well-sourced materials and the Seiko-calibre movement. The movement is the star of the show for this watch, giving it excellent value and functionality. The stainless steel and mineral glass are durable, but lume, non-existent. The bracelet is perfect and feels solid and feels comfortable for all-day use. For its price, it’s a no-brainer, a great deal. I strongly recommend this watch.

Very happy with this watch, for someone with pretty skinny wrists this watch fits well, had to obviously get about 5 links taken out. It feels good on the wrist and it's a pretty heavy watch so it feels like it's not a cheap watch even though it's very affordable. Sits quite high on my wrist I noticed because of its thickness, but no big deal. No problem showering in this watch with medium heat, would probably take it off in a very hot shower. Had a bit of trouble screwing the crown back in after adjusting the date and time, but after a bit of fiddling around I managed to screw it back in. Not the watches fault. Not much else to say besides I'm happy with the purchase and would recommend this watch to anyone looking for an affordable water resistant watch that is still fashionable.

Fantastic value. Been swimming in sweet and salted water for years now. Never had an issue.