Invicta's Limited Edition Chronograph Watch Adds Invincibility

In Latin, “invicta” means invincible. It’s also the name of a Swiss watch company founded by Raphael Picard in La Chaux-de-fonds in 1837. His concept was that fine Swiss watches could be made and sold at a reasonable price.

Picard's company did exactly that, until the 1970s. When quartz watches became the rage, many watchmakers were put out of business. Invicta virtually disappeared, but never really died. In the early 1990s, the company experienced a revival of sorts.

Invicta did what many of the classic watchmakers couldn't do. Remain invincible.

Picard’s original vision—to offer a fine timepiece that people can afford—still holds true. Invicta makes a wide variety of watches, including sport watches, casual watches, and more dressy watches. They also make watches you can wear for any occasion.

One such find is the Invicta Women’s 4718 II Collection Limited Edition Diamond Chronograph watch. It retails for $695, but is available from several online stores for 50-80 percent less. You can shop around, but I found Amazon.com has the best price ($113.99 to $129.99, depending on the day) with free shipping.

It's a good deal, but not a watch for every woman. It's not dainty. It's heavy and bold. The band and case are stainless steel with a mother of pearl dial, and glow-in-the-dark hands and number markings, diamond and stainless steel bezel, and Swiss quartz movement.

The watch is water resistant to 330 feet, but I don’t plan on putting that to the test. What I did put to the test was the band. I took it to a jeweler to be adjusted down for people with even the smallest of wrists like me. After removing several links, it fit and looked great.

Do be aware that the diamonds around the watch look dazzling in the photos. But they are very, very tiny. So, while it might work, I wouldn't call this an evening gown match. But then again, I'm not looking to wear one and I can skip some carats for under $130.

As an additional bonus, all Invicta watches sold by Amazon.com are covered by a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. When I went online to register my watch with Invicta, I was automatically upgraded for free to the Invicta Platinum Warranty plan, which is good for five years. Perfect.

Invicta Women’s 4718 II Collection Limited Edition Diamond Chronograph Watch Ticks Up 6.0 On the Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Invicta has a nice variety of watches. As long as you are willing to do some price comparisons, you can find a great deal. Amazon generally has the best prices for Invicta watches, although it doesn’t carry every model.

While I opted for the Invicta Women's 4718 II Collection Limited Edition Diamond Chronograph Watch with a round face, my second choice was the Invicta Women's 5377 Square Angel Diamond Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch, which is virtually the same, except with a square face. Visit Invicta to see every collection or visit Mr. Watch for additional savings.

Triumph Is Timelessness In Your Own Way

When you hear the name Triumph in the United Kingdom, it inspires a certain vibe. Classic, iconic, unique, and cool.

The UK-based Triumph has been making motorcycles since the early 1900s, and today it’s the largest surviving British motorcycle manufacturer (second oldest in the world behind Royal Enfield). And in the United States, theirs are always the bikes people like to go head-to-head with Harley-Davidson.

Where Triumph has earned an edge recently is that it instills a sense of retro cool. Triumphs are ridden by celebrities and stars, ranging from Steve McQueen to Brad Pitt. Performance and design are what makes the bikes still feel special.

If You Can't Own The Bike, Wear The Accessories.

Since Triumph inspires loyalty and longevity, the company smartly began making a line of high quality clothing and accessories, including punched leather coats and the Triumph McQueen Special Edition jacket, inspired by its namesake movie legend.

McQueen famously took part in 1964’s International Six Days Enduro (ISDT), which was held in East Germany, and in which he rode a Triumph. The clothes are very cool. But it’s Triumph’s line of watches that has really caught my attention.

The styles are classic yet retro, and they have a very masculine feel. In choosing a gift, I went for the Triumph Motorcycles Men's 3036-01 Retrograde Collection Stainless Steel Watch because I found the combination of black and stainless steel (black/silvertone) striking.

The watch has a sturdy black leather strap with a buckle clasp, silver dial and subdial with black numerals and luminous hour and minute hands, date feature, and mineral crystal window. Swiss quartz movement and stainless steel case round out the particulars. It’s also water resistant to a depth of 165 feet.

Gift givers will appreciate the nice Triumph box that accompanies this timepiece, complete with warranty information and instructions. Add a black leather jacket and any biker or buyer with fashion sense will appreciate the adaptive quality of the leather.

Triumph Men’s 3036-01 Retrograde Roars To An 8.4 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

The 3036-01 Retrograde is a quality timepiece. It delivers what Triumph has done so well since the 1900s. Just be careful: beware of knock-offs and replicas, which are cropping up on various watch-selling Websites and on eBay. They’re not worth the time of day, pun intended.