I've wanted a new gold watch for quite some time, but can't (like many others in today's financial world) afford to dish out for a solid gold watch. While searching Amazon.com and many other online vendors, I came across this Invicta Lady Abyss watch, plated in 18K gold, and quite elegant-looking, from what I could tell online.

In person, the watch doesn't disappoint. If you have a preference for daintier ladies' watches, you might prefer&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Invicta-Women-s-7063-Signature-Collection-Pro-Diver-Two-Tone-Watch/dp/B000YW2H6E/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Invicta Women's 7063 Signature Collection Pro Diver Two-Tone Watch</a>, which I bought from Overstock before I found it here. Overstock also doesn't offer Amazon's great, free four year warranty extension. If that's your preference, then this watch might be a bit large for you, but I've always preferred my watches a bit more substantial (I'm quite hard on my jewelry), and more on the larger side. This one isn't quite as large as a standard men's watch, but it's larger than your standard women's watch. It's actually exactly the size that I prefer, so I'm very pleased with it.

The only thing that initially seemed to be an issue was my inability to get this watch's "screw down crown" to engage. Long story short, the first watch that I got from Amazon didn't seem to have a working screw down crown. I called Amazon Customer Service immediately and asked to speak to someone in their watch department. The agent there was very helpful, and immediately sent a replacement out next day air. I was lucky enough to receive it the next day (a pleasant surprise, since the order was initiated after 6 pm EST), but chagrined and frustrated to experience the same problem with this model. And, since I'd never before purchased an Invicta and didn't/don't know much about the company, I really didn't know what to think. Well, I called Invicta Customer Service (954.921.2444) and was told by Marvin in their Technical Assistance Department that Invicta stopped shipping this model with a screw down crown in 2010. So, if you happen to pick this little beauty up, but are wondering what you're doing wrong with the screw down crown, rest assured it's not you. Your watch probably no longer has one, and from what Marvin told me, you don't need to worry about the warranty being voided out if the screw down crown isn't engaged. Since there isn't one, it's obviously not going to be held against you.

Outside of this, I quickly and easily sized my watch myself using a watch tool very similar to the Invicta watch tool sold here, but mine came in a kit I got a few weeks ago:&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/SE-16-PCS-Watch-Tool-Kit/dp/B001NLGTJ6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">SE 16 PCS Watch Tool Kit</a>. Following the suggestions made by K. Seaver (thanks, K.!), I had my watch sized perfectly within five minutes time. I was slow and careful with removing and replacing the pins and links, and my watch is now a perfect fit. Speaking of the watch, it IS on the heavy side, but I consider that to be a good thing, as it'll make me more aware of its presence, and (hopefully) less likely to whack my arm/watch up against any walls. I DID only wear it today, and noticed a few light scratches on one of the more exposed polished links on the bracelet, but any watch link with a polished finish in a more exposed area is bound to take some wear and tear. And none of those soft scratches look to extend deeper than the 18 K gold plating, so it's all good.

Overall, I'm very pleased with this watch. The mother of pearl face is a very elegant soft blue-grey with a light purplish cast to it, in my watch's case. The bracelet and case look and feel substantial, and the safety clasp is very snug and secure. As I don't know much about Invicta, and have read both good and bad on them, including commentary that they create essentially knock-offs of higher end watches such as Rolexes, Tag Heuers, Breitlings (whose logo the Invicta logo reminds me suspiciously of...) et al, it's just going to be a waiting game for me to see how this watch holds up over time. But with Amazon's bonus four year free warranty extension, I'm confident that I'll have plenty of time to determine just that.

Looking forward to many years of enjoyment of this lovely watch!

*UPDATE*

Haven't owned this watch for more than a few days, but I constantly find myself looking down at it to admire the lovely MOP face, and the watch itself. Overall, this is a beautiful watch. In fact, I love the gold-plated version so much that I felt compelled to order one in the two-tone color combination, as well:&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Invicta-Women-s-2961-Pro-Diver-Collection-Lady-Abyss-Two-Tone-Watch/dp/B000FVC5LG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Invicta Women's 2961 Pro Diver Collection Lady Abyss Two-Tone Watch</a>. It's a lovely watch as well, and, size-wise, both are better suited to my particular taste than the more diminutive Invicta Lady's Pro Diver Two-Tone watch, whose product link I added above.

Again, for those who prefer a smaller ladies' watch, the #7063 Pro Diver cited above may be more to your taste. With a case that's just about an inch across, it's smaller than this model, whose case is slightly larger, at around 1 1/4 inches. For me, though, that quarter inch, and the Mother of Pearl face, made the difference between a nice timepiece, and one that I look forward to seeing on my wrist on a daily basis. Either way, you really can't go wrong, but this style is just what I was looking for!