The "Pledge"smell others refer to is the smell of the new plastic band (kind of like 'new car smell') ie  Not worth mentioning. I bought this watch because I like the design of many Invictus watches as well as the prices. I wanted to see what I would get for my money. This watch has made me an Invictus fan!  I bought two more for my wife and am going to start a collection. I like big, heavy, strong looking, and bold watches, and am delighted to have such a range of choices in prices I can afford.