There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
I originally posted this watch as part of a previous wrist-check post I called Work Watch Edition where I featured all of my work watched, here’s the link: https://www.massdrop.com/talk/153/wrist-check/1796748
It still sits in my collection of work watches but I’ll admit that I only strapped it on for 3-4 days as a work watch then retired it quickly. It’s such a nice watch and I just didn’t want to see it get all scratched up like my other work watches from previous years did after serving my required 365-day run before replacement.
I felt this watch needed a separate mention because I really like this watch. You no doubt recognize it as a homage to the Rolex 16610 Submariner of which many watch makers have followed suit with their own versions. But this Invicta had a pretty good run as the most affordable 16610 homage and kinda still does coming in at an under $90. The build quality is surprisingly good, well actually it great! The watch has everything you would expect in a basic divers watch and at its core you’ll find a reliable Seiko 24-Jewel SII NH35A driving its heartbeat. That Rolex style coin-edge on the bezel gives off the perfect amount gleem & shine as it pairs well against the hi-polished black and silver finish of the bezel’s face. If I had to pick a downside it would be the Invicta engraving on the side of the case and the not so luminescent lume on the hands and hour markers. Overall this is a great watch and a great tribute to the Rolex 16610.
Movement: Seiko SII NH35A Japan Automatic
Movement: 24-Jewel DiaShock w/Hacking
Power Reserve: 41Hrs
Vibrations: 21,600bph
Complications: Date
Case: 40mm Polished & Brushed Stainless Steel
Case Back: Polished Stainless Steel w/ movement exhibition window.
Band: 20mm Polished & Brushed Stainless Steel
Crystal: Flat Scratch Resistant Mineral
Crystal: Raised Magnified Cyclops at 3o’clock
Luminescent: Hands, Hour Markers, and Bezel
Crown: Screw-down
Bezel: 120-Click Unidirectional w/
WR: 200-meters