Some products are instantly associated with a certain nation. France is famous for its wine, Columbia for its coffee, and the United States for its movies and music. Then there is Switzerland. The Swiss are known for their chocolate, cheese and army knives. But the product most people think of when they think of Switzerland is the watch.

The clock and watch industry was a relatively minor one in Switzerland in the middle of the 16th century. Both were considered luxury products and were produced by a small group of artisans, most of them located in the Swiss city of Geneva. Then a series of sweeping reforms implemented by the pastor Jean Calvin banned most kinds of jewelry, which put hundreds of jewelers and goldsmiths out of work. Since many of these trained artisans had experience with horology, they started making watches.

A half a century later, Geneva was the unofficial world capital of watch making. The Swiss were the first country to focus on horology as an independent craft or trade. They were also the first to create a watchmaker’s guild in 1601.

By the start of the 18th century, Geneva was known as a “city of watchmakers.” In fact, it was so crowded with watch shops and experienced watchmakers that many ambitious young horologists decided to relocate to less crowded and competitive towns. A region in the Swiss Jura Mountains became the destination of choice for these intrepid souls.

One of these watchmakers was a young man by the name of Raphael Picard. He moved to a small town in the mountains called La Chaux-de-Fonds and founded the Invicta Watch Company in 1837. At the time, the company was really nothing more than a small watch shop, one of many. But Picard had big ideas.

Even though competition and availability had increased, the watch was still an expensive luxury item in the early 19th century. It was worn, or rather carried, almost exclusively by well-heeled gentlemen. Pocket watches were simply too pricey for the common people. Raphael Picard wanted to change that. His dream was to create high-quality watches that anyone could afford. This was no easy task.

Watch making was a highly respected trade at the time, and experienced artisans were well paid. Material costs were also quite high, as was shipping. In spite of these obstacles, the company somehow managed to produce affordable watches that were shipped all over Europe.

Though the company never made much money, Invicta (Latin for “invincible”) was in business for over 140 years. Their timepieces gained a loyal following in most of Europe and in parts of Asia. But like most watch companies that produced mechanical watches, they were impacted by the Quartz Revolution.

This new electronic technology was introduced in the early 1970s. Ironically, it helped many new companies achieve Raphael Piccard’s long-held dream, i.e., it made timepieces affordable for everyone. Of course, these were not the timepieces he had worked with. The new digital technology was cheaper not only because it was electronic, but also because it relied on machines to make it.

Invicta continued making timepieces for about a decade after the Quartz Revolution before they threw in the proverbial towel. Mechanical watchmakers simply could not compete with the new technology with their higher labor and http://www.thewilliamsons.us/index.php?qa=4310&qa_1=best-selling-mens-watches-for-2016 – her latest blog – material costs. Thankfully, that is not the end of our story.

A few years after Invicta folded, the company and its name was sold to an investment firm from Florida. Now, you might wonder, what exactly is in a name, especially a relatively unknown one. After all, we’re not talking about Coca-Cola or McDonald’s here. But the investment firm bought much more than a name when they purchased Invicta. They bought a set of founding principles and philosophies that have helped them rebuild a once great company into one of the top brands available worldwide. Let us take a moment to discuss their most popular new model.

The Pro Diver Automatic Watch

A funny thing happened a few years after quartz or electronic watches became all the rage: people started to get tired of them. Because they were often cheaply made, they didn’t last all that long. Digital watches were seen by some as disposal timepieces. As a result, many watch aficionados began to request old-fashioned mechanical models once again.

The Pro Diver is one of Invicta’s bestselling watches. It is an automatic model, which means that it does not need to be wound. Made with quality materials like solid stainless steel, it is water-resistant up to 200 meters. Like most of their new timepieces, the Pro Diver is quite striking. It has a black watch dial and luminous white hour hands. The watch band is made of polished stainless steel links with a fold over clasp for comfort and security. There are Arabic numerals and white hour markers on the dial and a date window alongside the 3 o’clock hour marker. Invicta produces high-quality timepieces for watch lovers with discerning tastes. Find an Invicta model that suits your discerning tastes now.

Maxwell Bortz is a freelance writer who writes about fashion apparel and brands such as Invicta Watches.