Yay or nay?
Discover what the internet is saying about PHOIBOS.
Upgraded Reviews scanned the web to find out what real users are saying about PHOIBOS.
See the highlights below and decide for yourself!
Table of contents
- ✅ Pros
- ❌ Cons
- ⚖️ Summaries
- 💸 Top Discount
✅ Pros
“It has interesting hands/indices.”
“Each watch has unique features, such as the Vortex’s twin-crown setup and the Great Wall’s minimalist aesthetic with a pop of color scheme.”
“Phoibos watches are known for their excellent design and build quality, combining meticulous Hong Kong watchmaking with reliable and accurate Swiss/Japanese movements.”
“With a glossy green gradient to black dial, polished applied indices, polished hands, glossy inner bezel ring and silver printed chapter ring, this watch sure does shine well in the light.”
“The hour markers are of a reasonable depth; and the hands are slightly pitched to provide a nice variety of reflections.”
“Something that surprised me was that you can change the position of the GMT hand individually from the other hands, so you don’t have to turn the inner bezel to see another timezone.”
“I want to highlight the water resistance on the Great Wall. It has 500 meter rating (pretty substantial) and goes to show the quality build of the piece.”
“The metal bracelet is actually pretty solid and hefty, while the clasp is well machined and engraved with both the Phoibos name and logo.”
“Watches are powered by reliable movements such as the Sellita SW200-1 and Miyota 9015, ensuring accuracy and a decent power reserve.”
“The back case, as is customary with GMT watches, features many of the popular cities and their time difference, so you don’t have to look it up on Google.”
“The watch comes in a very nice zippered case and includes an extra rubber strap that can be swapped on in place of the bracelet.”
“Powering this watch is the extremely popular SII NH35A automatic movement from Seiko’s Time Module company.”
“Perhaps the most prominent part of the watch is the large crown that juts out at 4’oclock.”
“The Great Wall has great dimensions and askews current trends in the size department.”
“The Phoibos Great Wall utilises a double-domed sapphire crystal.”
“The face of the dial is pretty neat because the hour points and the minute and hour hand feature a super lumi-nova finish.”
“The Wave Master is rated for 300 M W/R.”
“When it comes to the design of the Phoibos divers watch, travelers will quickly get a sense that they are looking at an homage watch.”
“The heart of the watch is powered by a Swiss ETA 2824-2 movement.”
“The Great Wall comes in a variety of different colourways.”
“I think the amber pairs very well with the grey dial.”
“What makes this a truly classic diver’s watch is the fact that it is water resistant up to 990 ft.”
“The Phoibos Great Wall boasts some of the brightest and longest lasting lume that I’ve ever experienced.”
“This easily has the best lume that I have ever owned.”
“You can easily see the attention to detail that the makers of this watch have put forth.”
“The engraving is precise; the bezel pip at 12 is rather pronounced.”
“Although relatively new, Phoibos has already proven that its watches can compete with other more well-known brands, especially in the affordable dive watch category.”
“Phoibos is proud of creating timepieces that are crafted using Swiss and Japanese movements and are utilitarian and enduring.”
“The sapphire crystal in place here won’t let you down, mirroring the scratch resistance offered by the case and the AR coating does a fair job of preventing obtrusive reflections.”
“It has beautiful color.”
“The Phoibos Eagle Ray GMT features large polished syringe hands that makes it very easy to tell time at a glance, even in the dark thanks to the impressive BWG9 lume (my favourite).”
“It’s very comfortable to wear and is quiet, barely a jingle to be had.”
“Your Phoibos watch will arrive in a sharp-looking strap clip box.”
“The Phoibos PY007C utilises a classic Submariner case shape.”
“I found myself playing tennis, going to the pool, gym, etc with the Great Wall, and it feels perfectly at home on my wrist.”
“The screw-in crown is a delight to use; with excellent, sturdy thread.”
“As expected, it performs admirably with a smooth motion and a long threaded section to aid the water performance.”
“The case, from the exception of the small outer bezel ring, is completely sandblasted which gives the watch more of a tool look.”
“The lume used is Super-Luminova C1: it is of a reasonable strength, probably slightly above average.”
“Phoibos watches are made by their very own watch manufacturer in Hong Kong.”
“Phoibos watches make for fantastic presents for underwater enthusiasts because they are water-resistant and made with durable materials.”
“Phoibos offers a one-year or two-year warranty on their watches.”
“It measures 42 mm in diameter, 48.5 mm lug to lug, 14 mm thick and the non tapering bracelet is 22 mm across, a very popular and comfortable sized dive watch, in my opinion.”
“Another nice touch is the color match date wheel which partly makes up for its awkward position far to the left of the chapter ring, which is likely necessitated by the movement used.”
“Many Phoibos watches offer high water resistance, with models like the Vortex and Leviathan reaching up to 200M and 500M respectively.”
“Watches like the Vortex and Great Wall feature 15 layers of Grade-A Super-LumiNova, ensuring excellent night-time visibility.”
💸 Top Current Discount
❌ Cons
“The Tudor’s 70 hour power reserve and COSC accuracy is superb, but at a price that is at least 14 times higher.”
“The Leviathan series is specifically designed for men with large wrists, which might not be suitable for everyone.”
“The indices on the face could be a little larger, the hour and minute hands could be a little bit bolder and the 12 o’clock octopus logo on the face could be a little smaller.”
“It is easy to strike on the sides of office buildings.”
“The tone of the bracelet is a far worse match to the case than the similarly afflicted RZE.”
“Unfortunately, the seconds hand isn’t perfectly aligned with the printed silver markers on the chapter ring and there is nothing I can do about it.”
“Red date is illegible.”
“It is thicker than a Jaffa cake.”
“I would also have liked to see an integrated case that surrounds the crystal, instead of an attached polished outer bezel ring, but this is more of a subjective critique.”
“The main and pretty much the only issue of the Phoibos is the date magnifier. It’s wonky and misaligned, which is really disappointing.”
“When I received the Phoibos Eagle Ray GMT, the hour hand wasn’t aligned with the hours indices.”
“While the watches are reasonably priced, they may not be within everyone’s budget, especially considering the high-quality materials and craftsmanship involved.”
“Some models, like the Great Wall, are limited to a total of 800 pieces, which might make them less accessible.”
⚖️ Final Say
Read the summaries of what reviewers think about PHOIBOS below.
“The Phoibos Eagle Ray GMT keeps the spirit of Phoibos in a very affordable and good looking watch, with functionality in mind. If you are a traveller, or simply want your first GMT watch without spending too much money, this watch is for you. You can get a slightly cheaper GMT watch if you visit Timex, but it doesn’t look this good and doesn’t have applied indices, 300M water resistance or that cool “compressor” look with the inner bezel. Simply put, you get a lot of fun, style and functionality for the money! And i am not surprised, because this is what Phoibos stands for”
“You don’t have to sacrifice quality and style when it comes to the Phoibos watch. Phoibos has so much to offer that goes beyond a typical homage watch. Phoibos offers a pristine quality watch that really delivers when you are packing together all your scuba diving gear. Whether you are looking to get a watch for yourself or looking to get one as a gift, the Phoibos underwater divers watch is a great place to start.”
“In conclusion, Phoiboswatch.com offers a wide range of high-quality watches and provides excellent services to their customers. They are committed to delivering superior quality products that are stylish, durable, and reliable. Their watches are designed to meet the needs of different individuals and are suitable for various occasions. They are a trusted brand in the watch industry and continue to innovate and improve their products and services.”
“If you’re looking for a fun weekend dive watch – that happens to be built like a rock – the Phoibos Great Wall is a terrific option. When I first reviewed the Phoibos Eagle Ray, I commented that it was heartening to see Phoibos moving away from cheap – albeit well-built – homages to more original designs. I think the Great Wall is indicative of Phoibos’ coming-of-age, and cements their position as not just a watch manufacturer, but as a designer as well.”
“In comparison to more popular swiss brands like Tissot or Japanese brands like Seiko, the China-made Phoibos may appeal more to the budget-conscious watch aficionados while the two more renowned brands may attract those who value the more well-established brands.”
“It’s a tremendous all-around watch! What edges it out to be a pack leader is the original design. There is no mistaking what’s on your wrist when you look down. From the bold markings, neat dial details, tough looking bezel and overall wrist presence, it’s the total package.”
“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.”
“I am just a few days into this watch. It is heavy and thick. It is very different from what I normally wear and any perceived problems with the watch may just be problems with me. It is hard to move so radically from small to large. Oh, but the red. Whatever quibbles I may have disappear when I see that dial.”
“All models, except the green, are offered with or without the date window. Green is only offered without the date window, according to the Phoibos website at this time. This watch has been getting lots of press and reviews lately and I can see why. Who else offers a great looking, comfortable, well built and finished, 316L dive watch with engineered bracelet, Seiko or equivalent powered automatic movement with a fully lumed face, ceramic bezel, sapphire crystal and a 300M W/R rating for the price?”
“Overall, I think this Apollo is a well-built watch, but some divisive, questionable design decisions would push me towards their other offerings or a large alternative diver.”