And the Sentinel does those things quite well.

Please note: as of January 2021, The Phoibos Sentinel is not currently available.

Josh got in touch with me in Q1 2020, right before the pandemic really hit and before the reality of 2020 would set in for most of us, with an offer to have a look at the Phoibos Sentinel. Given that my watch reviews have slowed down in pace as my professional life has taken me elsewhere, I was happy to take on a review and add a timepiece from a microbrand that my extensive 100+ piece collection did not already have in it.

And besides, it’s nice to carve myself a little corner of WIAA. I like it here.

But then 2020 went right on being 2020.

Can We Pan Pandemics in a Watch Review?

In late March, the watch arrived at my home in Canada from Josh’s in the UK. By this time, the pandemic was in full swing and a lack of information about this new pathogen meant that it was indeed a weird time for all of us.

It was in the spirit of said pandemic that the watch went to my “decontamination room” (read: an area of my basement where things go to sit for a time before being further handled). After a week or so had passed, I brought the watch upstairs and did a preliminary photoshoot.

And then the Sentinel, true to its name, stood motionless for weeks, and then months, as 2020 dragged on (as an aside: it’s amazing how 2020 felt like both an eternity and an instant).

Since I began reviewing watches with regularity in 2013, I’ve learned that stainless steel loves to scratch and a macro lens loves to remind you of that. This matters because I don’t like to wear watches at all until I’ve had the chance to do both a macro shoot and a couple of lifestyle shoots.

But with nowhere to go thanks to a raging pandemic, and on-again-off-again lockdown orders, the Sentinel sat from March until… early December. Sorry, Josh.

A Military Field Watch That Deserved More of My Time

As I finally got a handle on 2020 (in mid-December, to be clear), the Phoibos again attracted my attention. Finally free of the personal and professional projects that dominated my year, I sat down with the intention of getting some of my passion projects out of the way.

The Sentinel was one such project, and as I got into the photos I had taken months prior, it became clear to me that I underappreciated a watch that checks off every box in the “Cam scale of watch awesomeness”:

1. The automatic movement is not a low-rent, non-hacking mystery movement; it’s a Miyota 9015, which powers at least a dozen pieces in my collection and has proven itself to be an admirable ally in the war against poor timekeeping.
2. The styling is conventionally unconventional, liberally borrowing major design elements field watches are known for while also adding some flairs of its own.
3. The presentation, which is a modest leather satchel that comes complete with a second rubber strap, a manual, and all the usual warranty bits; the novelty of the faff-heavy piano-finished watchboxes wore off many moons ago for this Canadian.
4. The price, which was a modest $350 USD when new.

One, two, and three are definitely appreciated, and that appreciation multiplies significantly the lower the price of the watch is. $350 for a well-constructed and automatic-powered field watch is very appropriate for a microbrand such as Phoibos.

Phoibos Sentinel Features & Specifications

• Size: 42mm diameter, 50mm lug to lug
• Movement: Miyota 9015 automatic
• Crystal: Sapphire
• Water Resistance: 200m / 660ft
• Features & Complications: Date display, a screw-down crown, C3 Super-LumiNova on the applied indices/hour markers and hands
• Strap: Two included, a genuine leather with conventional buckle and a water-ready rubber strap

Taking it All In

I’m a colourblind chap and so I try not to comment on colour choices. That said, I’ll never like the tan colour used for the hands and hour markers; it’s too washed out and hard for me to appreciate. For the record, I know that this is because I’m colourblind so I don’t fault the watch for it… but I wouldn’t blame you if you do.

The Sentinel is not a small watch. Sure, 42mm sounds “small” these days, but pair that with a squareish case and suddenly 42mm feels a bit more like 46mm. If you’re a fan of the oversized, then the prior statement is good news. If you prefer something smaller (and consider 42mm “small”), then you’ll likely find the supersized case a bit too big.

The case is a mix of textures and finishes, with a brushed accent filling out the hollowed out sections of the case near the lugs. This is a great accompaniment to the knurled and decorated crown, which is engraved with a star that is filled in with that tan colour I adore so much.

But colour scheme aside, both finishes are done well and free of imperfections as far as the naked eye can see. However, once I zoom in with the help of a 90mm macro lens…

… it appears that the finishing still holds up. Point for Phoibos.

Getting Dialed In

The Sentinel makes good use of all the available real estate, featuring large Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock, with indices at the remaining hours; all are treated to a healthy dosage of LumiNova. The hands are also jumbo sword-style, with a hollow inner section and a C3-filled tip.

The entire affair is easily legible at dark thanks to lume that is bright enough to get you kicked out of a movie theatre… assuming you were allowed to go to one, that is.

The hour indices are applied, and you can see small imperfections in their application. The same is true of the red-dipped tip of the second’s hand, which is just ever-so-slightly imperfect.

Now we’re talking like… 10x zoom from what your unaided eye would see. To criticize these imperfections is more than just pedantic, it’s also unwarranted. The finishing here is as good as I’ve seen on some Swatch Swiss-made pieces costing twice or thrice the price.

Nice.

Below the 12 o’clock marker is the printed Phoibos logo, which upon closer inspection seems to show either a pissed off or a mischievous octopus. It’s all in the eyes, mate, and you can tell that octopus is up to no good.

A date window sits between 4 and 5 o’clock, rounding out the notable features of the dial.

Oh, and that gorgeous textured backdrop that sits unassumingly in the background, upon which the white minute markers, logo, and automatic livery are flawlessly printed. The entire effect looks great, and again, the level of finishing relative to the price is excellent to see.

Let’s Get a Move On, Shall We?

Before we talk movements, I want to take a moment to appreciate the caseback, which is a rare and welcome departure from the common exhibition we all know and love.

Now, this isn’t a knock against exhibition casebacks or open-heart dials – the mechanical underpinnings of a movement are more than just a little beautiful, in my opinion – but rather a tactical admission that Phoibos found something that looks better on the caseback than the exposed movement would.

A rarity indeed, but come on, just look at this caseback:

No, I mean really look at it super-duper closely. In addition to looking amazing to the naked eye, the finishing is – get ready for it – above what you’d normally see on a $350 watch from a mainstream brand.

The livery itself is certainly evocative, but also at home on a military-styled field watch.

Miyota Inside

When I first got into the watch scene 8 years (and a full hairline) ago, Miyota movements were both commonplace and generally distrusted (justified or not). Today, Miyota movements are both commonplace and generally appreciated as being robust movements that can do 80% of what the Swiss can for 25% or less of the price.

And I’d also argue that the reliability (and availability) of Miyota movements is a large part of what has helped drive the microbrand movement… and also the adoption of microbrand watches by the mass market (sorry, couldn’t resist that pun).

According to Caliber Corner, the 9015 sports a 42-hour power reserve, hacking, hand winding, and 28,800 bph for a nice smooth seconds sweep.

Accuracy is estimated at -10/+30 seconds per day, which isn’t anything amazing, but my experience with the 9015 suggests that they’re generally more accurate than that.

All told, for $350, I have zero complaints regarding the choice of movement.

Things I’d Do Differently if I Were Mr. Phoibos

If the world changed and suddenly I found myself controlling the design department at Phoibos, I’d make a few small adjustments to the Sentinel:

1. Shrink the case from 42mm to 40mm; it’d make this more wearable to a broader audience without detracting from it aesthetically
2. Ditch the tiny overhang from the circular portion of the case
3. Clean up the connection between the round and square case, specifically to remove the tolerance gap in the carved-out sections near the lugs (I have minor concerns that dust/etc. will make this part of the watch home).
4. Provide quick-release straps/springbars; I chuckle a bit every time I see a watch that comes with multiple straps without quick-release springbars or a springbar tool. The average person is going to scratch up the lugs when they change the strap… totally preventable with quick-release.

All told, small criticisms given what is otherwise an excellent and good-looking field watch.

A Great Water-Ready Field Watch… If You Can Find One

Sadly, my delinquency in getting this review ready, paired with the fact that the Sentinel wasn’t a new model last spring, means that you may have read this review getting all hyped up about this watch only to realize that you can’t easily find them brand new.

At least, not on PhoibosWatch.com – the product page has long been taken offline, and searching for Sentinel on the website returns nothing. It appears that the Sentinel’s life has been discontinued.

That is a Phoibos problem – that a watch could come and go and barely be a note on the register within just a couple of years – but it’s not exclusively a Phoibos problem. Microbrands are rife with models that came and went with little fanfare to mark their passage.

It’s this lack of legacy that many watch enthusiasts consider a dealbreaker for microbrands. “Without a legacy”, they say, “a watch is just steel, plastic, and glass attached to some rubber and leather”. And they (almost) have a point.

But you can find the Sentinel easily enough on grey-market sites, watch trading communities, and eBay. And despite the fact that you won’t find any mention of the Sentinel on Phoibos’s website, that doesn’t take away from what this watch does well: deliver $700 in value for half that price.

And, for this watch fanatic, the Sentinel added another brand to my list of micro’s to watch.

The post Phoibos Sentinel Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

I think they’ve done a good job on the design front, but is it good enough to justify the higher price tag of $519 / £400? Let’s check it out.

Video Review

The specs

• Dimensions: 41mm diameter x 13.2mm height x 47mm lug to lug
• Weight: 92g
• Water resistance rating: 30ATM / 300m
• Movement: Miyota 9015
• Accuracy: -8.5 sec/day
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: RRP $519 / £400; available for $359 / £275
• Available from: http://phoiboswatch.com/products/phoibos-eagle-ray-py017b-300m-automatic-dive-watch.html

The case

The case is a neat size, which is perfectly executed. It has shapely lines drawn along the sides and very neat edges – its makeup of finishing is of brushed sides and top, with polished shoulders.

The shark fin edging on both the bezel and the crown is not only functional in terms of it exemplifies grip, but it also adds a unique design which I really like.

The bezel insert is an eye-catching reflective ceramic, the markings are engraved within neatly. The action is beautifully smooth, and it’s so good to use thanks to that unusual but impressive shark fin grip.

Likewise with the screw-in crown; the grip is truly excellent to manipulate as well as in a visual perspective. It has a bulbous end to it with a typhoon type of logo engraved on the end – that’s not particularly relevant but it looks pretty good.

The screw-in caseback has the Phoibos octopus logo engraved within the centre, with various specifics surrounding it.

The dial

The main feature of the dial is the radial gradient emanating from the centre: a deep blue fading to a dark blue. It works effectively at drawing the eye to the centre of the dial.

The bold syringe shape hands have a polished border, allowing them to be legible and eye-catching when the light hits them.

The applied hour markers also have a polished border to match, so the dial as a whole is appealing.

The lume is strong – it’s quick to charge just from daylight and glows brightly.

Out of all the date positions, I really like 6 as it keeps the dial symmetrical. The date wheel is black which merges into the outer dial colour with minimal fuss. The window also has neat bevelling around the outer edge, which demonstrates good attention to detail.

The logo is printed in the centre of the top half, perhaps it’s a little too large? I feel that making it a tad smaller would make the entire dial a little classier. Other printing includes the water rating and automatic in the bottom half, and finally a minute track around the outside – all in white which is clean and crisp against the dark dial.

The strap

I found the strap to be really squeaky, to begin with – but it has broken in with time (although it has been a fair amount of time!).

I’m not sure on the top textured pattern, a kind of cross-hatch finish which is an acquired taste. I’m not entirely sure it goes too well with the diving theme.

It is thick, supple, and good quality, however. It’s also supposedly waterproof – but I never fully trust that statement regarding leather straps.

The tang buckle is fairly plain and standard, which is a disappointment. It has the Phoibos logo lightly engraved on the top bar (again, not the best for a watch costing £400). The brushed finish will be able to repel hairline scratches easily enough.

The movement

The movement powering the Phoibos Eagle Ray is the highly regarded Miyota 9015; a direct affordable competitor to the Swiss Made automatics such as the ETA 2824 and Sellita SW200. It’s not amazing to look at – but you can’t see it here anyway – but it does match the specs well: a high beat rate of 28.8k bph (8 ticks a second), 42 hours power reserve, 24 jewels, hacking seconds, as well as hand and automatic winding capabilities.

The movement is coming in at +8.5 seconds / day, which is perfectly acceptable for my liking.

Final comments

I’ve been very impressed by Phoibos’ first foray into original designed timepieces. The RRP of $519 / £400 is a bit too steep for my liking, but the fact that it’s available for $359 / £275 is much more reasonable.

Of course, with pretty much every watch there are negatives: the squeaky leather strap doesn’t quite go, and the buckle is a disappointment. Perhaps the logo is too big. But these are the only things.

Key elements I really like are: firstly the movement, as at the lower price, the alternatives are all housing the lesser specced Seiko NH35. Visually, though, they’ve done a great job. I love the shark fin style grip on the bezel and crown – very unique in looks, but also extremely functional. The crisp, reflective ceramic bezel insert is a plus, and the gradient dial is eye-catching.

It’s a decent, solid effort from Phoibos that is sure to impress.

The post Phoibos Eagle Ray Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

At a glance it packs a punch in the specs department; sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel insert, Seiko NH35 movement – all under £200. Let’s check it out.

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 14mm height x 48mm lug to lug
• Weight: 107g
• Water resistance rating: 30ATM / 300m
• Movement: Seiko NH35A
• Accuracy: +12.5 sec/day
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: $229 / ~£170 direct; €205 / ~£180 from Europe
• Available from: http://phoiboswatch.com/products/phoibos-reef-master-py016b-300m-automatic-diver-watch-blue.html or http://phoiboswatcheurope.com/products/phoibos-reef-master-py016b-300m-automatic-diver-watch-blue.html

The case

The case is a standard slab barrel shape, overall it’s well machined and finished. It is primarily brushed, bar the polished shoulders on the top edges / corners of lugs. There is very good definition between finishes.

The 120-click bezel is very well crafted – with great toothed grip which works well with the case. It is smooth to use, however a bit too easy to rotate for my liking as I’ve noticed a few times it’s been spun by something like my jumper. The ceramic insert is a lovely blue and all markings are accurately drilled out, and filled with lume. It’s slightly unusual to have makers every 5 minutes (usually they’d be at every 10 with dashes at every other 5), but I think it works well visually.

Sitting on top of the case is a double domed sapphire crystal. It has an anti-reflective coating underside, however it still has a fair amount of reflections during day-to-day wear.

The screw-in crown has no crown guards, but is sensibly proportioned so it doesn’t look out-of-place; with a very smooth thread so it’s easy to use. Good, tactile grip makes it easy to use; the Phoibos logo being very accurately engraved on the end considering the size and detail of it.

The screw-in caseback markings are a little light for my liking, I would have been very impressed if the motif in the centre was deep-stamped but we can’t have everything. Saying that, the current detailing is accurate and well designed.

The dial

This dial would be classed as a sandwich dial, as the hour markings are all at a lower level than the top segment, and filled with lume.

The lume used across the watch (dial and bezel insert) is Super-Luminova BGW9 – apparently 15 layers of the stuff. BGW9 is a blue lume; which of course fits in nicely with the dial and bezel.

The Phoibos motif logo is printed in the centre of the top half; I personally think it’s a little too large however, and seems to unbalance the dial a tad.

The hour markers are all at a lower level as mentioned previously, providing a measure of depth to the dial as a whole. The numerals used at 6, 9 and 12 are an interesting design and well cut out – the only minor complaint I have is that I wished the baton markers found everywhere else were the same height. They’re a small amount shorter and I think they look slightly off because of it.

The hands are extremely bold and legible: thick white batons with pointed tips – can’t really get more straight forward than that. They have a blue base to create a “hovering” effect. The seconds hand is a white stick and a lume filled disc near the end, all of the hands are pretty much flawlessly constructed.

The date window is a bit plain – it is simply cut out of the dial, no border or edging to neaten it up. The date wheel seems to be the stock Seiko movement wheel and is also set quite deep due to the height of dial thanks to the sandwich aspect.

The strap

The strap is made with crazy horse leather (the reason it’s called crazy horse is that it has a special wax on a full grain surface, which is popular on horse saddles). It’s black with matching black stitching; and thick – when handling the strap it’s obviously well put together using good quality materials. This means it’s quite stiff to begin with but it has broken in well. It has a soft texture on top, matte in appearance.

The tang buckle is pretty plain and a bit boring which is a shame. It’s fully brushed, with the Phoibos text logo deeply and accurately engraved on top. I would have much preferred a custom buckle, or at least anything that was a little bit more interesting.

The Reef Master also comes with a black rubber strap, which is much more suitable for wearing under water. It’s very soft and comfortable, and seems to be an off-the-shelf strap as I’ve seen the style many times before (check out the video review). The buckle is more interesting and angular.

The movement

The Seiko NH35A is a movement found in so many affordable automatic watches nowadays; with little wonder. It’s cheap, reliable and easy to regulate. Specs include manual wind, 21.6k bph (6 ticks per second), 24 jewels, and ~40 hours power reserve.

I’ve seen many come within COSC spec, which is why it’s a shame that this one’s coming in at a slightly wild +12.5 sec/day.

Final comments

Any watch with these specs for under £200 is worthy of close examination. There’s no denying it, the Phoibos Reef Master is excellently constructed to boot.

It’s good that Phoibos have created a more individual design; however along with that comes the only minor complaints I have: the logo being too large and the baton hour markers being too short. I say minor as that’s my personal opinion of course, and I’m sure many won’t be too fussed – indeed, I’m not sure they’re even big enough issues to stop you buying one, as it’s still a great watch.

The post Phoibos Reef Master Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

The specs

• Dimensions: 44mm diameter x 15mm height x 48.5mm lug to lug
• Weight: 210g
• Water resistance rating: 100ATM / 1000m
• Movement: Seiko NH35A
• Accuracy: -6.3 sec/day
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: $399 / £290 (currently on offer for $299 / £220)
• Available from: http://phoiboswatch.com/products/phoibos-ocean-master-py005b-1000m-automatic-diver-watch-blue.html

The case

Like the quartz, the Phoibos has a real Deep Blue Pro Sea Diver vibe due to the shape and linear detailing, with a light sand-blasted finish.

It’s rather chunky, mainly due to 44mm diameter, but also the height of 15mm doesn’t help it much in terms of wearability – I personally don’t think it’s a particularly easy watch to wear in anything other than casual (and diving of course).

The helium release valve at 2 is simple, with a knurled grip. The crown at 4 features large crown protectors. It is not signed, and due to the limited real estate available to use the crown it’s actually a little tricky to use.

Sitting on top of the case is a flat sapphire crystal, the anti-reflective coating is effective.

The bezel is very functional – simple and bold print on the insert, excellent grip, and a beautifully smooth action which provides solid clicks. A lume pip at 12 draws your eye and acts as another reference point in the dark.

The Ocean Master has a pretty epic water resistance of 1000m. I’m not going to test it, but I can confirm it is still ticking after being underwater in a sink.

The caseback is quite bulbous and is a key reason behind the height of the case. The Phoibos octopus motif is accurately engraved in the centre, surrounded by various specifics.

The dial

Available in 3 colours, the dark blue sunburst effect of the dial is subtle but catches the eye. It’s also available in green and black.

The Super-LumiNova C3 used on the hands and hour markers is very good indeed and provides great legibility against the dial base. It doesn’t take long to charge, and glows very bright.

The hands are a slightly unusual shape; quite aggressive and bold. Perfect for a diver as the legibility is very good, the orange minute hand certainly stands out.

The date wheel is white, with a gentle border around the window. Again, legibility is key here.

All printwork is fine and in a silvery colour, a nice differentiation to the usual white, making it all look a little classier.

The bracelet

The bracelet quality is exceptional for the price. The shape and design reminds me of the bracelet on the Omega Planet Ocean (within reason of course); the links are super think, all interlocked smoothly and with very tight tolerances. It’s fully brushed with standard pins so will be rather resilient to scratches.

The double locking buckle is simple and unexciting – with the standard Phoibos text logo lightly engraved across the top. With a top flap and side buttons to release it, it is very secure.

The movement

The Seiko NH35A is found in so many affordable watches now; it’s hard-wearing, reliable, can be regulated very well, and of course doesn’t cost the earth.

This one is coming in at -6.3 sec/day according to my Lepsi Watch Scope, so it’s certainly well regulated. Other specs include 24 jewels, 41 hour power reserve, hacking seconds and hand and automatic winding.

Final comments

The Phoibos Ocean Master Automatic certainly packs a punch at its offer price of $299 / £220. At the full RRP of $399 / £290 there’s a few other diver options that are probably a better option (for instance Helm or Draken), but for £220 you are getting a hell of a lot of steel. It’s very well manufactured too; I’ve not spotted any flaws or improvements I’d like to see (which is unusual) so it passes that test.

I like how it looks too – the blue sunburst dial is pleasing to the eye, and the legibility is very good whilst being well designed. The lume is a pleasant surprise too. The only negative really is the size, in particular the 15mm height which seems a bit excessive for an automatic (although it’s likely to be required to be that thick for the 1000m water resistance.

The post Phoibos Ocean Master Automatic Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

Well, they’ve done the thing that we all had hoped for – introduced an automatic. It’s still a Submariner homage, but the Phoibos PY007C has genuinely great specs – the incredibly popular Miyota 9015 movement, ceramic bezel insert, sapphire crystal, and an RRP of $399. Let’s take a look to see how it stacks up against the competition.

The specs

• Dimensions: 40mm diameter x 13mm height x 47mm lug to lug
• Weight: 168g (with 3 links removed)
• Water resistance rating: 300m / 30ATM
• Movement: Miyota 9015
• Accuracy: +2.5 s/d
• Lug width: 20mm
• Warranty: 2 years
• Price: RRP $399 / £305, offer at $279 / £215
• Available from: http://phoiboswatch.com/products/phoibos-py007c-300m-automatic-diver-watch-black.html

The case

The Phoibos PY007C utilises a classic Submariner case shape. It has a sultry side profile with polished edges and bottom and a brushed top.

The bezel features a ceramic insert, rotating with a lovely smooth 120 click action. The engraving is precise; the bezel pip at 12 is rather pronounced.

Sitting on top of the case is a sapphire crystal. with very good anti-reflective coating on the underside. It does a great job of doing what it’s meant to do – keeping reflections to a minimum and creating a splendid impression.

The main and pretty much the only issue of the Phoibos is the date magnifier. It’s wonky and misaligned, which is really disappointing. I’d approximate that it’s a 1.5x magnifier which is useful and makes the date extra readable.

The screw-in crown is a delight to use; with excellent, sturdy thread. I know it’s not really the most exciting part of a watch, but it’s actually one of the nicest winding / setting experiences I’ve had in a very long time. It has the P logo engraved in the end.

The dial

What can you say about the dial? It’s an homage to possibly the most popular and well known timepiece ever – the timeless Rolex Submariner.

It has a matte, jet black base with applied hour markers and mercedes hands. The hour markers are of a reasonable depth; and the hands are slightly pitched to provide a nice variety of reflections.

The lume used is Super-Luminova C1: it is of a reasonable strength, probably slightly above average. It charges reasonably quickly and lasts a fair amount of time.

The date window is a simple cut out of the dial; with a slight bevelled edge to keep it neat. The white date wheel is keeping with the Submariner and ensures good legibility.

The printing is fine. It has the logo within the top half and “Diver’s 300m” and “Automatic” in the bottom half. It’s a shame the logo isn’t better than the name in plain text; I personally find it a bit plain and boring.

The bracelet

The bracelet utilises solid end links, and all are secured with standard pins. They sit snug within the lugs, however I feel there’s a bit of a gap and unusual alignment before the first link. They all have a brushed top and bottom, with polished edges.

The watch is secured thanks to a double locking clasp: it has a top flap and then two side buttons to release the clasp. The top flap has the P logo engraved on, and the top of the body has the name engraved. The buckle also gives you 3 point micro adjustment, so you can get the perfect fit (which I did).

The movement

The movement found within the Phoibos PY007C is the Miyota 9015, one that can be found in so many affordable / microbrands nowadays. It has the specs to match the most reliable Swiss alternatives – high beat 28.8k bph, hacking seconds hand, hand winding, 24 jewels.

It’s been incredibly well regulated, coming in at +2.5 s/d.

Final comments

Submariner homages are the marmite of the watch world – you either despise them or understand them. Personally, I love the timeless Submariner look and I’ll never get to own one – so watches like this allow me to get that style that has proven to be so popular on my wrist.

At the full RRP, I’d actually probably say it’s on the high end of what I’d like to pay. At $399 / £305, you could just pay an extra £40 and get a Steinhart Ocean 1, which is fully Swiss Made and an incredible timepiece. However, at the offer price of $279 / £215, it is a very compelling option. Apart from the misaligned date cyclops, it is a remarkably well built watch that I’ve really enjoyed wearing. The specs are all spot on too; and in fact when you think about what you’re getting for £215 the Phoibos PY007C a very good buy: Miyota 9015, ceramic bezel, sapphire crystal with splendid AR coating.

The post Phoibos PY007C Automatic Watch Review appeared first on 12&60.

Phoibos have gradually become more popular recently as they are discovered more and more. But the question, as always, remains: are they good for the price or is your money better spent elsewhere? Let’s take a look at them both in closer detail.

Video review

Phoibos Ocean Master

The specs

• Dimensions: 43mm diameter x 13.5mm height x 49mm lug to lug
• Weight: 116g
• Water resistance rating: 1000m / 100ATM
• Movement: Ronda 515
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 1 year
• Price: RRP $299 / £237 (currently available for $180 / £144)
• Buy Phoibos watches on Amazon

The Phoibos Ocean Master as a whole is reminiscent of that usual scuba watch design. Deep Blue, Citizen, Seiko; all have watches that are of a similar ilk to the Ocean Master. Personally it’s not really my ideal daily wear, but rather I view it as a utility diver that you’d only really wear for the purpose of scuba diving.

The case is matte finished and relatively unusual, with a matching detailed bezel with ridges and toothing. It’s obvious the bezel toothing is completely utilitarian in design to allow decent grip to rotate it; but I can’t help but think it’s more than that and is also nice unusual detailing.

The dial in itself is rather straightforward; no applied elements and painted hour markers with a green sunburst effect base. The hands are the most unusual thing about it.

The lume used really is great for the price of the watch, I’m very impressed with its performance.

The rubber strap is soft and fairly good quality compared to a lot of other rubber straps I’ve seen. It’s soft and supple and has extension grooves to allow stretching to occur whilst diving. The buckle has the Phoibos logo engraved on the top bar.

Phoibos PX002A

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 13mm height x 50.5mm lug to lug
• Weight: 159g
• Water resistance rating: 300m / 30ATM
• Movement: Ronda 515
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 1 year
• Price: RRP $199 / £159 (currently available for $99 / £79)

The Phoibos PX002A is a really interesting one. For some, a straight up Submariner homage is a no-no, for others it’s a real interest. Personally, I’m always happy to see affordable Subs pop up.

I’ll be honest, the quality of this watch is pretty impressive for the price. It almost makes me think that they’re using similar casing and bracelet to the Steinhart Ocean 1 – it’s a very similar shape, and the quality of finish and manufacture is similar. There’s a couple differences such as the crown, caseback and buckle, but it’s all surprisingly similar.

This is obviously the green dial and bezel combination, but it’s also available in black and blue. I really like the green look, it’s a little bit different but a deep luxurious colour.

The dial is well executed in general, the only thing I’ve noticed is that the applied elements and the hands are little bit on the thin side. They look good at distance, but up close you can tell they’re made on a budget.

The lume’s not as good as the Ocean Master, it’s average as you’d expect.

The bracelet is nice and chunky, 22mm wide down to 20mm. The double-locking buckle is a little flimsy in comparison though.

The movement(s)

The movement used in both watches is the Ronda 515. I’ve seen it a few times, such as the Christopher Ward Trident 300 and Scurfa Diver 1 Silicon, both of which are excellent watches. It’s a well-known Swiss Made workhorse quartz movement; one which will serve you well for many years to come. It’s a pleasant surprise that this has been used rather than something cheaper such as a Miyota.

Final comments

There’s no doubt about it, both watches are very good value for money, especially at their offer prices.

The Ocean Master is probably one that you’d only want to wear actually scuba diving or swimming, as it’s not really a casual wear – more of a utility watch that’s designed for a certain thing, which it is of course. I personally don’t find it too attractive so I wouldn’t don it regularly at all.

The PX002A is a much more wearable timepiece. It’s obviously a Rolex Submariner homage, so that will be attractive to certain people looking for one at a decent price that’s well built.

Either way, if you were to get one then you’d be getting a watch worth the price. The Ocean Master, with it’s 1000M water resistance is a very good affordable alternative to other dedicated scuba watches. The PX002A is a very pleasant surprise too in terms of quality for the price.

It’s a shame they’re quartz, but at least they’re using a decent movement – the Ronda 515. I have also been informed that Phoibos are going to be releasing an automatic soon, which will likely be an even better proposition as long as they’re kept within the same price bracket.

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