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In Praise of a Workingman's Watch

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We often see and discuss a lot of expensive and exotic watches on this, and other sites we of the watch community follow, but today I'd like to sing the praises of a good, cheap watch! Not just any cheap watch, but my personal favorite cheap watch, the Invicta Pro Diver 8926OB, an automatic diver watch with a Seiko NH35A movement (winds and hacks) with 660 feet of water resistance (has a screw-down crown), in a full stainless steel case (with an exhibition back, and decorated, signed rotor), and a stainless bracelet with fold-over safety clasp. And all of that can be found for less than ninety-bucks most days of the week, on Amazon and a dozen other sites.
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I realize there are those who dismiss this watch as just another Rolex homage, and there are certain similarities (40mm case, unidirectional bezel, date window with cyclops magnifier, oyster style bracelet), but those are features that offer value and functionality, seldom found on automatic watches in this price rage--and lets face it--the design is the defacto style for hundreds of other dive watches (all costing more, and many with half the features). So I say, every Working-Joe, and Johny Lunch-bucket, should have at least one of these great watches (they do come in other colors, after all), and they should wear them proudly, and without apology! Because--any guy with $82,600 in his pocket can wear a damn Audemars Piguet Royal Oak frosted gold, double balance wheel openworked watch, but it takes a real man to wear an INVICTA 8926OB! Have you got a favorite cheap watch? Recommend it below!
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RayF
22218

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More_Stuff
7
Aug 31, 2019
I have to agree. The first watch that got me in this mess is an Invicta model 25820 Swiss made Pepsi Pro Diver. I bought it thinking I'd buy something cheap and see if I could get use to wearing one again never thinking it would be one of my favorite in a slowly growing collection. It keeps time like a beat and is very comfortable. I ended up buying a few divers for my son and you'd think they were worth $1000 by the way he proudly wears them. You gotta start them early.
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RayF
22218
Aug 31, 2019
More_StuffGood taste runs in the family!
Phly
850
Aug 28, 2019
Rodina -- made by Seagull as an homage to Nomos Tangente. Okay, it's more of a rip-off, but it's about $120 and keeps great time. Only knock against it is that it doesn't hack.
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RayF
22218
Aug 28, 2019
PhlyWell, I've got an SKX with that same problem so we can't consider that minor issue a disqualification can we? Still a good-looker, and the price is right ;- )
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FrancoisCartier
Aug 28, 2019
Since we are talking cheap ("affordable" sounds nicer...) dive watches, what about the Casio MDV106-1A?! It's even cheaper (more affordable) than the Invicta, 200m of water resistance and a rotating bezel. I know, it's a quartz watch, so it doesn't have the same appeal as an automatic. But still, for 60$, you get a great little watch.
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(Edited)
RayF
22218
Aug 28, 2019
FrancoisCartierYou are so right! I tend to think "G-Shock" whenever I hear Casio these days, but that's not whole story Casio story is it? The MDV106-1A is a good looking watch at twice price, automatic or quartz. I'd wear one!
CeeBass
2209
Aug 28, 2019
Here’s mine. Last week, I accidentally grazed the crystal on the corner of a metal shelf. I thought for sure that there would be a very noticeable scratch on the crystal based on the sound it made and the amount of pressure applied on the surface of the crystal. To my surprise, the crystal remains
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flawless. Then I remembered that I applied one layer of that Renaissance Wax on this bad boy every night for about ten days straight whether it needed it or not. I just kept applying a new layer on top of the previous layer. Now I wonder if that had anything to do with it. Maybe it made the crystal so smooth and slippery that the metal corner just slid off instead of digging into the crystal to cause a scratch. Similar to how a newly waxed and tuned snowboard will glide through fresh powder versus an unwaxed and untuned snowboard. I made a similar mistake on my Orient Ray II and that one ended up with a battle scar or “character”, as we watch guys call it.
RayF
22218
Aug 28, 2019
CeeBassNo doubt about it--it had to be that Renaissance Wax! But you never told us how badly it turned out for that poor metal shelf? Well, shelves are cheap, but an Invicta 8926OB? They're priceless ;- ) You know, if you put some of that that wax on your dinged Orient, and then start saying: "HEAL, HEAL--in the name of Jesus, HEAL!" It might get better--worth a try anyway? PS: I like your NATO too. I keep a similar strap on my other, from another mother:
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Joelf15
1696
Aug 27, 2019
This watch !! I've hiked moved houses done home projects camped painted dived and it never fails.. What a champion
RayF
22218
Aug 27, 2019
Joelf15I wore one unloading trucks through school. It took a few knocks over the years, but still does its job!
A community member
Aug 27, 2019
Well, It's not for nothing that I'm on my second 8926OB. First one had the older movement (not yellow rotor). It still works and keeps time, but it's crappy looking. And that is the whole thing: if you mess it up, just get another one! Best beater watch ever and it looks great - before you mess it up ;-)
RayF
22218
Aug 27, 2019
Hey—that’s how I ended up with two too!
ED61
1650
Aug 27, 2019
I have a turtle that I messed up the 4r36 movement so I swapped it out for a nh turns out to be one of my most accurate watches and one of the most pleasurable movements to hand wind i paid $23 for the movement changed over the day wheel dial hands spacer ring bottom line i would sell any of my other watches before the nh36 turtle goes
RayF
22218
Aug 27, 2019
Looks like a million bucks from here ;- )
ED61
1650
Aug 27, 2019
RayFThanks bud
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