Pro Diver 8926OB
the gateway automatic
The 8926OB is the automatic diver most people meet first: a 40mm steel case, NH35A movement and 200m rating, usually found for about $100 street.
Scored by the published HypeScore formula from the specification and the street price. Never edited by hand, never influenced by affiliation. Read the formula →
Invicta is the brand enthusiasts love to argue about, and the 8926OB is why: it is a real automatic diver that most people can afford on a whim. It looks like the watch everyone wanted before they knew better.
The facts are plain. Invicta lists a 40mm steel case, a black dial, a 200m rating, a mineral crystal and an NH35A under the IM-A-005 label. The NH35A is a common, well-understood automatic, and it is the best thing about this watch. Invicta does not publish a thickness, a lug to lug or a power reserve, so I will not guess at them for you.
The weakness is everything around the movement. Mineral glass scratches where sapphire would not, and the dial and bezel are the sort of work you judge by what you cannot see in a product shot. Measure the real thing before you trust a photo. Invicta’s own page shows a $495 list price, which is not what the watch sells for. Retail listings I checked sit around $85 to $120.
Would I buy it? As a first automatic, or a beater you will not fret over, yes. At the money, though, I would look at the Steeldive in the rail below, which sits only a little higher.
- Invicta: Pro Diver 8926OB product page · Case size (40mm), movement (IM-A-005, NH35A automatic), 200m water resistance, mineral crystal, exhibition caseback, and 20mm by 205mm steel band. The page does not list thickness, lug to lug or power reserve.
What reviewers say.
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Where to buy.
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