Watches by Invicta and Elini have different histories and are made in different countries. Still, both companies reflect quality and design unique to European watchmakers.

Raphael Picard is said to have had a vision of offering a line of affordable precision timepieces that became the basis for his success. The Invicta watch had its beginnings in Switzerland, the watch making capital of the universe.  In eighteen thirty seven, Picard adopted the name Invicta which he must have felt was an adequate description of his vision and was taken from the Latin for invincible. For the next century and a half, the Invicta name became synonymous with Swiss craftsmanship that could be obtained by people of modest means.

The incredibly long run temporarily came to an abrupt halt in the mid nineteen seventies when the Invicta company failed to take advantage of new technologies sweeping the watch world of watch design. While other watch manufacturers were busy integrating microelectronics and quartz crystal into their watches, Invicta appeared to stick traditional watch movements just as the available number of those trained in traditional watch repair was beginning to dwindle. Despite an ebb in sales, Invicta has been recognized for unique bezel designs and beautiful jeweled museum pieces.

Efforts to breathe new life into the company appeared to begin anew in the mid nineteen nineties with a continuation and expansion of the Invicta line of sports watches and these reliable and affordable timepieces have continued to be extremely popular. Well known for producing rugged chronographic wrist watches, Invicta has reinvigorated its sales by recreating demand among divers and pilots.

Sporting a twenty one jewel movement, the Titanium series boosts a water resistance of up to two hundred meters, far farther than the free dive. In a move away traditional wind movements, Invicta also offers a model that requires no battery power since the watches power in derived from solar energy. Collectable Invicta models are still available though buyers should take care to ensure that they are getting the genuine article.

Elini Watch HistoryElini is not a well known brand name in watches, but for those who prize craftsmanship, precision and artful designs, Elini is indeed a brand known for perfection and precision.  In addition to watches, Elini handcrafts a variety of jewelry items all of which proudly carry the Elini name. The Elini brand has a very short history relative to other better known watch makers having only been founded in nineteen eighty nine, in the diamond capital of the world, Antwerp, Belgium.

The partnership of Nili and Nisso Barokas was strengthened significantly by their shared family background. Growing in a family with sixty years of jewelry design and crafting, Nili and Nisso found themselves seeped in a tradition of quality. Since nineteen eighty nine, Elini has focused on meeting the demand for quality diamond jewelry combined with unique and innovative designs. The company boasts a large workforce of over 700 people. Unlike some other manufacturers, Elini does not outsource their, preferring instead to keep an on all their operations in house.

Modern Elini wrist watch offerings feature fun and stylish designs with flashes of bright colors in the faces and bezel designs with a very modern flair. In a bold stroke of marketing, Elini signed an agreement with the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association to make Elini Watches the Official Watch of the Miami Heat organization.  Featuring the team colors, the unique watches were made available for purchase by both fans and collectors. The Miami Heat watches are produced in Switzerland and are said to be made to the same high standards the Elini is known for. Another interesting piece of marketing was the Elini philanthropic drive to support the Libby Ross Foundation which raises money for breast cancer awareness and research.