I usually go for small, elegant watches, so I was initially taken aback by the size and weight of this Invicta ceramic watch.  Yes, I should have expected a face the size of an average man's watch simply because it's an Invicta, and that's their style:  large, a little flashy, and, yes, expensive-looking.  What I didn't expect was how quickly this became one of my favorite watches.

Because of its size, this watch draws attention to itself, so you want it to look worthy of the attraction.  The gold accents, some 18K gold-plated and others just "gold-toned," add warmth and elegance to the otherwise stark white of the ceramic band and the face.  Like the watch itself, the numbers are large and bold, making it easy-to-read at a glance, even if you otherwise need reading glasses to check smaller watch faces.  The date display is also larger than what you'd see on an average to small face, simply because there's more room for it.

The watch arrives with a linked ceramic band that should fit even large wrists, although, of course, that causes a bit of an issue for those of us who have smaller wrists.  I had to remove five links from mine.  If you don't want to take yours to a jeweler, you'll need two jewelry screw drivers (one to unscrew and the other to keep the post from rotating while you do it.)  The 18K gold-plated clasp is heavy-duty and secure, with a latching system that keeps the metal plate against the delicate skin of your wrist, to prevent the links from pinching it.

Yes, the watch is heavy.  You won't likely forget that you're wearing it.  If you size the band, correctly, however, it's not uncomfortable -- unless, of course, you're prone to wrist tendonitis or arthritis.  I also don't like wearing it when I'm doing a lot of computer work, mostly because of the inflexibility at the wrist.  I find that I can wear it with casual clothes as well as with a dressier outfit, although I tend to go for one of my small watches when I'm really getting dressed up.  It all depends on what I'm wearing.

My only caveat about this style is the obvious:  getting the white ceramic dirty.  So far, I've been able to clean any marks/dirt with a damp, soapy cloth, but I cannot attest to how long it will keep its clean look.

Note:  I received this watch as part of the Vine program, but because of an order problem, this review is missing the green Vine banner.

-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann