I looked at several different watches when shopping for a black-out model, but always came back to the Luminox. After wearing it for some time, I can say it was the correct choice. The pictures seem to make it appear almost more a designer watch than it is. What it is a very large, very solid, very heavy, military-styled field watch. You get a substantial leather band the thickness of two ordinary bands, and a two-pronged buckle that would hold up your pants. A screw-down crown with "bump guards," and a luminous feature that'll blow you away the first time you see it. There's no extra dials, buttons, rotating bezels, or needless gizmos. Look at the dial, learn the time, day, and date. Think you need to know the time in Rangoon, Singapore, Adelaide? It won't help you. It's blacked-out, elegant simplicity; everything I wanted in a watch. Downside? Hard to see the numbers? A little, but remember - it's blacked-out; it's not supposed to be high visibility. Moot point anyways, since the tick marks around the outside aren't. Not water-resistant to x-number of meters like it says? It's not touted as a divers watch either. And the size ... it's a big watch. How big? imagine a silver dollar laying on your wrist - pretty close. Don't think there would be any wrist showing on either side? probably too big for you then. But the big question - will it do anything your $20 Timex wouldn't? I doubt it ... then again, do my Persol's do anything your $10 pair of Foster Grant's can't, or my $50 Ralph Lauren T's anything that $5 Hane's your wearing won't? Who cares, that's not the point. What's the point? if you gotta ask, you probably wouldn't understand. You need a watch of this quality only if you appreciate the better things of life. If you "don't get it," don't waste your money, get an Average Joe brand and be happy with mundane.