Invicta 9937 Swiss Automatic Diver

Today I'm wearing my Invicta 9937. You might recall I mentioned this one when I wore my modified 9937. The 9937 was created at least partially at the request of members of the Invicta Forum. Invicta had another Submariner-style watch called the 8926 and many people bought and loved it, but also knew it could be so much better with just a few tweaks. The biggest thing was the Japanese Miyota movement on the 8926: some people wouldn't even consider buying the watch because it didn't have a Swiss movement. So Invicta responded with the 9937 which you can read about here. On later models the "Swiss" was removed from the dial and replaced with "Swiss Mov't" in small text at the bottom of the dial. The reason for this is the specific requirements the Swiss government have for calling a watch "Swiss Made". It is generally agreed that this watch is not "Swiss Made" even though the "Swiss" on the dial seems to indicate otherwise. While it came on a high quality bracelet, I typically wear it on the black leather band in the pics. You can see the original bracelet and nice packaging at the review link. I've seen a number of Invictas that have caught my eye, but the only two I own are 9937s. I could see myself owning other Invictas in the future, but the combination of great looks, high quality and Swiss reliability make the 9937 a very attractive package that was impossible for me to pass up.

Alpha Automatic GMT Master II Homage

Today's watch is my Alpha GMT, pretty much a clone of the Rolex GMT Master II. Like the other Alpha watch I profiled these are exceptional quality for the price, but are very close to being counterfeits which makes some squeamish. Sorry about the haze on the inside of the crystal in the pictures. For some reason this seems to be common among my cheap automatic watches. I'm not sure of the cause, could be partially bad seals allowing moisture in, but it usually looks more to me like a greasy or oily haze, like the kind you see on the inside of new car windows due to the plastics and glues curing. In any case, I'll probably take this one apart (have to remove the movement to clean the crystal) and give it a good cleaning. The solid link bracelet is actually better than some real Rolex bracelets that used folded sheet metal links. The GMT function is a 24-hour hand (the red one with the arrow on the end of it) that allows you to keep track of a different time zone and is independently adjustable. It's a nice watch and I enjoy wearing it, but probably not the model I would choose if I was buying a real Rolex.

Citizen Eco-Drive Sailhawk Yacht Timer JR4034-53E

Man, what a day, and I'm sure I'll just get busier as we get into summer. I didn't really "forget" about posting, it just got pushed back further and further until I almost ran out of day. Anyway, today's watch is this Citizen Eco-Drive Sailhawk. It is said this is the official watch of the America's Cup team Stars & Stripes, but it doesn't make any mention of it on the watch or packaging like this watch does. The functions are pretty much the same but I actually like the looks of this new model better. It has a Rolex Yacht-Master-ish bezel (although in titanium instead of platinum) and even a similar bracelet. The dial is, of course, all Citizen, with inset digital displays as well as the function dial at 6 o'clock to show what mode the watch is in. The yellow accents are a nice touch, and work well with the dark dial, which is actually the very deep purple which is common to solar panels. Eco-Drives are all solar, if I didn't mention that before and you didn't happen to know. This being a more modern Eco-Drive than my GMT, it is supposed to keep time for 4 years(!) in total darkness on a full charge (vs. the 6 months for the older one.) It also has lots of functions, which I can't begin to describe here because I don't understand how they all work myself. I'll just copy from Amazon because I'm getting tired: "The large, silver-tone watch measures approximately 1.7 inches wide. Timing features include a yacht racing timer, time and calendar in twenty-two time zones, thirty cities, two world time alarms, a 99-minute countdown timer, one-touch interchangeable analog/digital time, and 1/100-second chronograph that measures up to 24 hours. The black face includes three subdials (24-hour, mode hand, and race timer/minute register) and large luminous hands. The band is joined by a push-button safety clasp. Other features include water resistance to 100 meters (330 feet) and a scratch-resistant, non-reflective mineral crystal." I have actually been in a few yacht races as a crew member, but that was years before I got this watch so I never had occasion to try out its yacht racing-specific functions for real. It's a really nice watch and is a great example of Citizen's ability to pack a huge amount of technology into a compact and attractive package.

Modified Invicta 9937 Swiss Automatic Diver

Today's selection is a modified Invicta model 9937 diving watch. This watch is very similar in design to the classic Rolex Submariner, although different enough to not be an exact replica. The 9937 is definitely one of Invicta's nicest watches. It has an 25 jewel Swiss ETA 2824 automatic movement, 200m water resistance and is "Swiss Made". It's also popular enough that it has been issued three times with slight variations. I have another one that is unmodified so I'll save the details of the base watch for when I wear that one. Both of mine are from the original issue of the 9937, so they are very similar. This watch has been modified with a Type 1 dial and Type 1 hands from MKII Watches and has been fitted with a very comfortable silicone rubber strap. The combination definitely gives the watch a very purposeful military-style look. In taking the photos today I noticed some damage to the bezel insert near 12 o'clock, so I think I'll shop around a bit for a replacement.