Review Invicta SubAquaNomaIII Model 4573
7
This review was originally posted in the Invicta forum and was written by Agent Orange:
Since taking delivery of this watch on March 5, the 500-meter water resistant Subaqua Noma III Chronograph has spent little time off my wrist. After a full week now, I thought I'd offer some impressions of the watch.
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My initial impressions out of the box was that this was a watch that was worth the price and anticipation, and made in such a way that it truly is one of Invicta's best.
The brushed steel links on the 26mm-wide bracelet - combined with a knurled pattern on the center links - give this watch a unique and decidedly quality appearance - moreso than a lot of the Invictas I've owned or seen here on the OIF.
But the watch does fall short on one area of the bracelet: the deployant clasp and especially the safety. The safety has a lighter shade of finish than the rest of the clasp. I'm not sure if that was done intentionally, but IMO it diminshes the overall elegance of the bracelet. Also, I was honestly hoping for something other than the standard Invicta deployant clasp, maybe somthing along the lines of a butterfly clasp.
With a case thickness of 18mm, the SAN III chrono is a very heavy watch. And with a 50mm case, it takes up a lot of real estate on the wrist. Because of its weight, I had to size mine to fit more snugly on the wrist than I'd normally do. Sizing was made easier because of the half links that come with the watch. But this is clearly a watch that only big watch lovers will appreciate, both because of its heft and case size.
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The chronograph functions as expected and is complemented by a big date function at the watch's 6 o'clock position. Invicta doesn't specify the type of Swiss movement inside, but I suspect it is manufactured by Ronda, since it powers many of Invicta's Swiss Made quartz chronographs. The chronograph functions are activated by screw down buttons on either side of the crown. The buttons and the outer screw-down rings function easily and with minimal effort.
Operation of the screw down crown is the best I've experienced yet on an Invicta. It's very smooth. The crown is protected by an embossed metal bar with a finish that is consistent with the rest of the watch.
However, it does require some effort to latch, and there is some up-and-down flexibility at the hinge. Clearly Invicta was not at the top of their game in this particular feature.
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Moving higher, the SAN III features a beautiful black carbon-fiber dial that appears three dimensional while moving the watch around in light at different angles. The conventional winged Invicta logo is perfectly centered at the 12 o'clock position.
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The dial is protected by a THICK sapphire crystal. It's so thick that at least 1mm of it protrudes above the bezel.
The 120-click bezel itself is easy to operate, thanks to the knurled pattern on its side as well as three small barrels - with inset triangular Tritnite markers- at the 12, 4 and 8 o'clock positions. But there is some play to the bezel, another demerit, IMO, to an otherwise exceptional timepiece.
If you want to talk about exceptional, turn the watch over and you'll see one of the most beautiful features of the SAN III: a relief of the Subaqua logo and dragon. To me it's an extra special feature:thumbup1:
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Finally the lume. I'd say the Tritnite lume on the SAN III is about the best I've seen from Invicta. It's good for at least 6 hours in the dark, and illuminates the main and chronograph hands, the hour markers and a circular tachymeter track that borders the edges of the carbon-fiber dial.
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Despite some shortcomings in a few small areas, this is a watch that will always stay with me and be on my wrist for years to come. If you're looking for an example of Invicta at its best, I'd highly recommend the SAN III Chrono.:thumbup:
Thanks for reading!
Since taking delivery of this watch on March 5, the 500-meter water resistant Subaqua Noma III Chronograph has spent little time off my wrist. After a full week now, I thought I'd offer some impressions of the watch.
My initial impressions out of the box was that this was a watch that was worth the price and anticipation, and made in such a way that it truly is one of Invicta's best.
The brushed steel links on the 26mm-wide bracelet - combined with a knurled pattern on the center links - give this watch a unique and decidedly quality appearance - moreso than a lot of the Invictas I've owned or seen here on the OIF.
But the watch does fall short on one area of the bracelet: the deployant clasp and especially the safety. The safety has a lighter shade of finish than the rest of the clasp. I'm not sure if that was done intentionally, but IMO it diminshes the overall elegance of the bracelet. Also, I was honestly hoping for something other than the standard Invicta deployant clasp, maybe somthing along the lines of a butterfly clasp.
With a case thickness of 18mm, the SAN III chrono is a very heavy watch. And with a 50mm case, it takes up a lot of real estate on the wrist. Because of its weight, I had to size mine to fit more snugly on the wrist than I'd normally do. Sizing was made easier because of the half links that come with the watch. But this is clearly a watch that only big watch lovers will appreciate, both because of its heft and case size.
The chronograph functions as expected and is complemented by a big date function at the watch's 6 o'clock position. Invicta doesn't specify the type of Swiss movement inside, but I suspect it is manufactured by Ronda, since it powers many of Invicta's Swiss Made quartz chronographs. The chronograph functions are activated by screw down buttons on either side of the crown. The buttons and the outer screw-down rings function easily and with minimal effort.
Operation of the screw down crown is the best I've experienced yet on an Invicta. It's very smooth. The crown is protected by an embossed metal bar with a finish that is consistent with the rest of the watch.
However, it does require some effort to latch, and there is some up-and-down flexibility at the hinge. Clearly Invicta was not at the top of their game in this particular feature.
Moving higher, the SAN III features a beautiful black carbon-fiber dial that appears three dimensional while moving the watch around in light at different angles. The conventional winged Invicta logo is perfectly centered at the 12 o'clock position.
The dial is protected by a THICK sapphire crystal. It's so thick that at least 1mm of it protrudes above the bezel.
The 120-click bezel itself is easy to operate, thanks to the knurled pattern on its side as well as three small barrels - with inset triangular Tritnite markers- at the 12, 4 and 8 o'clock positions. But there is some play to the bezel, another demerit, IMO, to an otherwise exceptional timepiece.
If you want to talk about exceptional, turn the watch over and you'll see one of the most beautiful features of the SAN III: a relief of the Subaqua logo and dragon. To me it's an extra special feature:thumbup1:
Finally the lume. I'd say the Tritnite lume on the SAN III is about the best I've seen from Invicta. It's good for at least 6 hours in the dark, and illuminates the main and chronograph hands, the hour markers and a circular tachymeter track that borders the edges of the carbon-fiber dial.
Despite some shortcomings in a few small areas, this is a watch that will always stay with me and be on my wrist for years to come. If you're looking for an example of Invicta at its best, I'd highly recommend the SAN III Chrono.:thumbup:
Thanks for reading!
