When you think back to a time before the Invicta Pro Diver it’s nearly impossible to remember any brand offering a true diver’s watch with a mechanical automatic movement for less than a couple of thousand dollars. The under-$1,000 market was dominated by quartz watches and if you wanted to get into a reliable automatic you had to plunk down some serious coin. Along comes Invicta and the rules have since changed, for around $100 you could wear a 200m diver’s watch and have the enjoyment of a true automatic movement.

Fast forward to today and we still see the Pro Diver as one of the most popular offerings by Invicta. We have seen innumerable color choices on the dials and bezels, exotic Meteorite dials, diamond bezels, and even solid gold bezels. The success of this series is no secret… Invicta merely offers what is needed: accuracy, reliability, durability, and affordability all in one package.

Now for the first time we see the veritable 21 jewel Miyota powered Pro Diver offered with a Carbon Fiber dial, and a Sapphire crystal. Offered as a true Limited Edition, each of the 1500 will be individually numbered on the customized steel case back.

Beginning life as a solid block of surgical grade 316L Stainless Steel the case is fashioned into a classic 40mm diameter in a brushed finish. Polished sides allow for a two tone effect, and engraved into the crown side of the case are the words: LIMITED EDITION.

The newly designed, oversized crown allows for easier grasping, and security in knowing that it is fully screwed down. Large crown protectors prevent damage to the winding stem caused by knocking the watch into hard objects.

From the top we see the newly designed scalloped edge bezel, which in my opinion is more stylish and sleek than the older coin edged bezels. A Tritnite luminescent dot sits high above at the 12 o’clock position to aid in marking elapsed time, and easy legibility in low light.

The Sapphire crystal is a great addition to this special piece, and will provide a nearly scratch proof protection. Ranking a 9 on the Moh’s scale of hardness, the only natural substance that can scratch a Sapphire is a diamond. Unless you’re in the habit of rubbing your watch with diamonds, you should expect the crystal to remain in new condition as long as you own the watch. A Sapphire date magnifier (cyclops as it is commonly referred to) provides 2X magnification of the date.

As with all Pro Divers from Invicta the bracelet is thick, and solidly built. In many brands the bracelet is the “weak link” but Invicta has long been known for their rugged and sturdy bracelet designs. The “Oyster style” bracelet consists of brushed outer links, and high polished center links with a tried and true diver’s fliplock safety clasp for added security on the wrist. With 8 removable links, and 4 micro-adjustment sections on the clasp this watch can easily be sized to fit anywhere from a 5.5” wrist up to about 9”. As always Invicta offers an additional 2 links at no charge if you should need them.

The custom designed, screwed in case back is machined from one solid block of 316L Stainless Steel and has a very beefy look to it. Engraved on the back are designations for 200M water resistance, the stainless steel construction, and Sapphire crystal. Also included is the model number, Invicta logo, as well as the Limited Edition marquee. What I have to test is a prototype so there is no LE status designation, but on the production models it is safe to assume that the status (#0000/1500) will be just below the Invicta moniker.

Under that case back is a reliable, and accurate automatic movement. The Miyota 8215, 21 jewel mechanical automatic movement. Invicta has used this movement since the inception of their Pro Diver line and with the 8215’s exemplary record they see no need to ever change. Boasting an impressive record of reliability the 8215 is often likened to the most popular Swiss automatic movement in current use, the Swiss ETA 2824. This workhorse of a movement has been proven to resist adverse conditions that produce shock, varying high and low temperatures, and just about everything else ever thrown at it.

All that is well and good, but the big deal about this watch is the stunning dial, and new indications on that dial.

Carbon Fiber is comprised of exactly what the name says… a series of micro woven fibers that provide unmatched tensile strength. While the purpose of Carbon Fiber as a watch dial is merely ornamental, it is nice to know that such an impressive looking material is also very tough, and exotic.

The new wedge shaped hour indices and Arabic numerals are made entirely of Invictas proprietary luminescent material “Tritnite” and has been reformulated to appear white. Stronger than older versions of Tritnite you should expect many hours of low light visibility. The skeletonized broadsword style hands and winged sweep hand are also dipped in white Tritnite and provide superior legibility in bright and low light. And yes, for those curious… the Invicta winged logo on the sweep hand does indeed glow.

Also added to this dial are Tritnite luminescent dots around the outer ring which add more of an “ooooh, ahhhh” effect when viewed in low light. Nearly everything on this dial lights up, and is hand applied.

Last year Invicta found incredible success by offering what at the time might have been the lowest priced Limited Edition, automatic diver’s watch ever produced with the S1 Pro Diver. They have all long since sold out in their various colors, but now lightning may strike twice with this new inexpensive Limited Edition Pro Diver. Upgrades such as the Sapphire crystal, and white Tritnite (previously only seen on the high ticket LE Ocean Ghost) are sure to make this more collectable than the S1. Another added bonus is the fact that we will only see one version of this model… natural (black) Carbon Fiber and black bezel. Once all 1500 are sold there will be no more.

I readily admit to being a sucker for anything that is limited, but to know that in this case a true Limited Edition can be had for under $200 makes me want to “invest” in more than one!