Time On A Budget: Submariner* Showdown

A look at two Rolex Submariner Homage watches. And yes I know these are not actually Submariners because that’s a trademarked name. I’m referring to them as Submariners in the same way that you would refer to tissues as Kleenex.

The Rolex Submariner is an icon. Perhaps the most well known dive watch in the world. Maybe even the single most well known watch. But it is an icon that is a bit out of reach for many. And there are some fantastic affordable alternatives to the Sub that are not based on its design, such as the Orient Mako and Seiko SKX007/009. Honestly, if you are looking for one automatic diver style watch I would suggest one of those over either of the watches I review here.

Sometimes though you just want that Submariner look. That’s where a homage (a nice way of saying knock-off) comes in to play. Among some watch aficionados homages are considered anathema. If you’re like me though you the name on the dial is not as important as it looking good. And if you’re trying to scratch that Submariner itch for less than $150 I’ve reviewed two different options: The Invicta 8926OB and a the Parnis Submariner Homage w/ Sapphire Crystal and Ceramic Bezel.

To find a list of the gear shown in this photo just follow this link.

(Clockwise from top) Albert Falco (L) wearing his Rolex Submariner with Jacques Cousteau, Steve Mcqueen and his Rolex Sub, and Roger Moore as James Bond with his Sub in Live & Let Die.

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There’s something ineffably cool about the Rolex Submariner. Like the Fender Stratocaster and Ray-Ban Wayfarer it is a category defining object that transcends the test of time. This means astronomical sales and longevity for the original but it also means that imitations are going to be a dime a dozen. You can walk in any gas station in the country and buy a pair of Wayfarer knockoffs. Many people’s first guitar was some sort of variation on a Fender Strat (mine was a Dean Avalanche One for instance.) And you can walk into any dive shop in the country and half the staff will be wearing a Submariner knockoff.

However, being the standard bearer has its drawbacks. For instance, once a design becomes as ubiquitous as a Stratocaster or Submariner it becomes a bit…well…basic. Instead of seeing them on the wrists of Cousteau’s right hand man Albert Falco you see a Submariner on the wrist of your dentist who has never explored anything more than the deep end of his swimming pool. What was once a piece of coveted cool just becomes another part of the cultural wallpaper. There’s a reason that Bond switched to Omega from Rolex after all.

There’s still something about them though, these stoic cultural relics. You’ll see footage of Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock making that arctic white Stratocaster scream and it will hit you like hearing it for the first time. You’ll watch Live and Let Die and see Roger Moore using his Submariner (with the built in super-magnet) to pull down the zipper of Madeline Smith’s dress looking like the most suave man that’s ever lived. And then you think “shit…now I have to have one of those.”

Parnis Submariner Homage

Invicta 8926OB

Now, if you’re like me you don’t exactly have the cash lying around to go purchase a Rolex on a whim. That’s where those imitations come into play. And of course its these very imitations that have helped the original Submariner to lose some of its cool. Despite this little bit of irony I’ll be looking at two of them; the equally lauded and maligned Invicta 8926OB and a Parnis Sub homage.

I picked these watches for two reasons; 1) they are less than $150 and 2) they are both available on Amazon Prime so that I may easily return the one I don’t like. I’ve owned Invicta’s in the past (including the 8926OB) so I knew what to expect but it’s always nice to take a look with fresh eyes. The Parnis is a lot like the Corgeut Black Bay homage I reviewed in that it is a “replica watch” (aka counterfeit) that’s been rebranded to avoid US trademark laws.

I’ll be breaking up this review into a few categories including; overall look and feel, features and benefits, and technical differences with various other thoughts thrown in here and there.

Look and Feel

Both the Invicta and the Parnis carry the classic Submariner look with very little variation in the design. And to be honest the places where both watches deviate from the Sub is where they are weakest.

The Invicta is based very closely on the Sub 16800 which was produced in the late 1970s and early 80s while the Parnis which is based on a more modern Sub. Despite having roughly the same measurements the Parnis does wear slightly bigger than the Invicta. It does feel a bit chunkier on the wrist. It’s not a big deal but it is noticeable.

Invicta plasters the 8926OB with their name and logo. The logo in and of itself is serviceable. A cross on a watch crown equipped with wings. Not too over the top but nothing terribly iconic about it (unlike Rolex’s crown.) However, not only is it on the dial but the tail end of the second hand sports it as well. That takes it a step to far in my eyes. It’s an unnecessary adornment that takes away a bit of the sleekness of the watch.

In addition to the logo on the second hand their name is engraved on to the side of the watch opposite the crown. To be honest for less than $100 I can ignore these bits of tackiness. What I have a harder time ignoring is the awful color of the lume on the markers. Rather than the white markers that the original Submariner is known for the Invicta’s hands and dial markers are a pale sickly green. It’s not a pleasant color and it’s usually the reason I don’t keep Invicta watches for very long. Even if the watch is great looking in every other respect I just can’t get past that green color.

Where the Invicta goes over to the top in its branding the Parnis goes in the complete opposite direction with striking minimalism. The dial has a simple, sans-serif “PARNIS” and “AUTOMATIC.” Add in a cursive P on the crown and Parnis Watch Co on the clasp of the bracelet and that’s about it. It’s as utilitarian as can be. To be honest I wish it had a little more to it. Maybe even a more interesting typeface selection.

The back of the Parnis with its plain caseback and solid bracelet end links.

The Invicta has an exhibition caseback and hollow end links.

The back of the Parnis is equally plain as the dial. While the Invicta has a rather nice exhibition back that allows you to see its Seiko movement. The overall fit and finish of both watches is very nice for the price point with smooth, well-finished edges. Honestly, I could not find any major imperfections with the finish on either watch. They’re no Rolex but they are both well done for the price.

Look and Feel Winner: Parnis

The overly busy dial, sickly green lume, and rattly bracelet of the Invicta really work against it here. These are nitpicks but they are things that tend to bug me. The Parnis dial is a bit underwhelming but it at least it isn’t offensively over-branded. Add the solid bracelet to the the Parnis’ good looks and it’s the clear winner.

Bracelet

The Parnis bracelet with its push button release of the buckle.

The Invicta has a friction buckle with a safety clasp.

The Parnis’ bracelet with its matte finish and solid end links feels sturdy and the matte finish gives it a great tool watch look. The polished links of the Invicta looks a bit out of place to my eyes. The hollow end links and overall rattly feel is definitely a weak point for Invicta bracelets. However, I do prefer the safety clasp on the buckle on the Invicta. It makes the watch feel a bit more secure the the push button clasp of the Parnis. The Parnis always has a bracelet that uses screws to hold the links together rather than push pins. This makes it much easier to resize and gives it a more solid feel overall.

Winner: Parnis

Movement

Miyota 8215 Movement in the Parnis

Seiko NH35A Movement in the Invicta

Both watches are equipped with very well known Japanese made movements. The Invicta is equipped with the well-regarded Seiko 24-jewel NH35A automatic movement which is both a hacking (second hand stops when you set the time) and hand-winding movement. The Parnis surprised me by having a Miyota 8215 21-jewel movement rather than one of the many Chinese made movements available out there. While it does not hack or hand-wind the Miyota is incredibly robust and equally well-regarded as the Seiko that powers the Invicta. Other than that the movements are very comparable with about a 20 second per day variation and a 40 hour power reserve. One nice thing about both movements is that they are made by massive Japanese watch conglomerates so parts, service and replacement should be easy to come by.

Movement Winner: Invicta

Being able to hack and hand wind the watch makes a difference if you want to keep the watch running even when you’re not wearing it for a few days.

Bezel

While they look incredibly similar there is a big difference between the Parnis and Invicta’s bezel. The Invicta is your average aluminum bezel with more of their sickly green lume in the 12 o clock arrow. The Parnis, on the other hand, is a ceramic bezel. Ceramic, unlike aluminum won’t scratch or fade and it has a fantastic sheen to it. The Invicta wins out in smoothness of the bezels turn. It took a few days and turns to really get the Parnis bezel moving well but it’s now a lot smoother to turn than when I took it out of the box. Neither moves as smoothly as a Rolex but with 120 clicks they are accurate and get the job done.

Winner: Parnis

Can’t beat that ceramic

Crystal and Cyclops

This is an easy win for the Parnis which is equipped with a sapphire crystal and fantastic cyclops magnifier for the date. The Invicta is equipped with a mineral crystal and a comparatively weak cyclops. The benefits of a sapphire crystal (will not scratch) outweigh the drawbacks (potentially easier to shatter.) Honestly, the Parnis is one of the few watches I’ve seen that clocks in at less than $150 with a sapphire crystal.

Sidenote: If you want to check if your Chinese watch actually has a sapphire crystal that it was advertised with give it the water droplet test. Splash a bit of water on the crystal. If distinct droplets form and maintain their shape it’s a sapphire crystal. If they create a puddle on the crystal then it’s mineral. It was raining a bit when I took a lot of these photos and you can plainly see the water droplets form on the Parnis’ sapphire crystal.

Winner: Parnis

Again, that sapphire crystal is a great deal on a watch at this price.

Water Resistance

Unfortunately, this is a place where the Parnis falls short. While it has the look and feel of a dive watch the Parnis is only rated for 30m (which is only good for washing your hands) while the Invicta is rated to 200m which makes it appropriate for scuba diving. Now, with that being said I would not be surprised if the Parnis would survive a 200m pressure test by a watch maker. The screw down back on the Parnis is solid and the o-ring on back of the case is very robust. The weak points would be at the crown (possibly no o-ring) and the crystal. I plan on taking the watch to my watchmaker and having it tested. In the past I was pleasantly surprised to find that my Corgeut Black Bay homage was rated to 200m after the pressure test. Maybe the Parnis will surprise me and live up to its looks. That o-ring on the back of the case makes me optimistic.

Winner: Invicta

Can’t beat 200m on the Invicta.

Conduction the droplet test. Notice how the droplets stay distinct on the Parnis’ sapphire crystal and makes a puddle on the Invicta.

Lume

Time-lapse of the Parnis lume

Time-lapse of the Invicta lime

Honestly, I would be hard pressed to pick a winner in this category. They both suck and neither would pass ISO certification for a dive watch. You can see for yourself that even at full charge (flashlight held to the dial for 30 min) neither watch lasts more than a few minutes. As it is the Invicta manages to edge out the Parnis but not by much

Winner: Invicta

But that’s not saying much

Just for comparison here is the lume on my SKX009 after a full charge. It’s not as good as some other watches but it’s definitely better than the Parnis and Invicta.

Warranty

This is kind of a tricky category. Technically the Parnis does not have any kind of manufacturers warranty. However, because it is sold by Amazon it comes with their two year warranty provided by Asurion. I’ve had items replaced under this warranty plan and it is one of the easiest customer service experiences I’ve ever had. They sent me the replacement item before I ever even packed up the original to return. Invicta on the other hand comes with a 1 year manufacturers warranty. However, Invicta’s warranty service is notoriously difficult to work with and will often charge for warranty repairs. Because of the unusual warranty situation I call this one a tie.

Final Score:

Parnis: 4

Invicta: 4

So they come out tied based on my fairly loose criteria. When it comes down to personal preference I am very impressed with the Parnis Sub homage. Like the Corgeut Black Bay homage I reviewed it’s one of the better watches at it’s price point. The moral trade off you have to make is that you are helping to support companies that’ create fake luxury watches intended to fool people. The Parnis branded watches are just another revenue source for those people. If you don’t care about that the ceramic bezel, sapphire crystal, and Japanese movement all work in the Parnis’ favor.

That’s not to say that the Invicta is a bad watch by any stretch. It also features a fantastic movement and its 200m water resistance makes it a great outdoor watch. On a personal level I just can’t get past the sickly green lume on the dial markers and hands of the Invicta so I’ll be keeping the Parnis and returning the Invicta and hopefully the Parnis will perform as well on the pressure test as the Corgeut Black Bay homage.

Thanks for reading. You can read this post with links or find a list of all the gear, straps, belts etc. by clicking here.