Switzerland has been the unofficial capital of watchmaking for centuries. Ever since the first watchmakers’ guild was established there in 1601, the country has been a magnet for ambitious craftsmen. Geneva was so swarming with them that it was dubbed “a city of watchmakers” in the 17th century. Competition was so fierce that many talented watchmakers were forced to move to towns in the Jura mountains. One of the most popular destinations for watchmakers was the town of La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Founded in the 17th century, the former village is now the third largest city in Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Its growth and wealth are inextricably linked to the watch industry.
More than three and a half centuries after they began to arrive, watchmakers now employ most of the local residents. There are more than a dozen world-famous watch companies in this sleepy town with a population of less than 38,000.
The Invicta watch group
In a recent article on the watch industry in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the author listed a litany of famous names. There were Cartier, Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer, Movado, British Masters and Juvenia. And then, when he got to the end, the writer used the familiar phrase “and others.” Invicta is one of those “others”, which means they are not as popular or well known as the ones mentioned above.
But they’ve been around longer, and according to most watch enthusiasts, they make better products.
Raphael Picard founded the Invicta Watch Company in 1837. Before this time, watches were considered luxury items. Only wealthy men could afford an average watch. But Picard wanted to change all that. He was one of the first watchmakers to design pocket watches for the common man. It was not an easy task.
At that time, all watches were made by hand. Watchmakers spent decades acquiring and honing the skills they needed to practice their trade. And they didn’t work cheap. The only answer for Invicta, which means “invincible” in Vulgar Latin, was to increase sales volume. In other words, they had to sell a lot of watches because the profit margins were so thin. Although they never made much money, Invicta produced some of the best watches in the world. They were widely known and highly respected throughout Europe. But they never made much noise in America.
Like many of the best watchmakers in Europe, Invicta was affected by the quartz revolution of the 1970s. Cheap machine-made watches with digital technology put most of the old guard out of business. Invicta was cunning and stubborn enough to survive the initial wave and continue for about a decade before companies like Timex and Casio took over the industry. Fortunately, that’s not the end of our story.
More than a decade after shipping his last watch, an investment firm in Florida contacted the relatives of Raphael Picard. Although they were not Swiss, the new owners promised to follow the founding principles. For one, they agreed to hire real watchmakers, instead of relying on machines. Let’s take a moment to review some of their most popular models.
Pro Diver Collection
Invicta is very good at designing elegant watches that have a sporty edge, and the Pro Diver collection is no exception. The watches in this collection are not only good diving watches with water resistance up to 200 meters (660 feet), but they are also powered by automatic movement. That means they don’t require batteries or even winding. The 8926 is a bold and distinctive watch with a black dial and luminous white hands. The Arabic numerals and hour markers are also white and there is even a date window next to the 3 o’clock hour marker.
6621 II Collection
Chronographs are terribly busy watches. In addition to their usual timing tasks, they also offer stopwatch features.
The 6621 is a strong and durable watch with a stainless steel case and a beautiful silver bracelet. The cobalt blue subdials measure 30-minute increments and there’s even a calendar window next to the four o’clock marker. The watch is water resistant to 330 feet (100 meters).
Collection 1206 II
As one of the company’s most active and attractive watches, the 1206 has a lot going for it. The three subdials register the seconds, minutes and hours with chronograph functions. The watch case and watch strap are silver stainless steel. The watch face is rose gold-tone, as are the hour hands and hour markers. It can be safely submerged in up to 330 feet (100 meters) of water.
The 1206 can go from the boardroom to the beach without missing a beat.
Invicta offers a full line of finely crafted wristwatches for the fashion conscious consumer. Consider these featured models when choosing your next watch.