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The solid 316L 41MM case contains submariner style DNA but is not a 1:1 replica. We get a nicely mirror polished sides with brushed tops to match the bracelet. In terms of thickness, it is relatively thin at 13MM including the bezel and genuine Sapphire crystal. The wingspan is 50MM so it does wear a bit longer on the wrist then let’s say, a ceramic submariner. Heading to the 120 Click UniDirectional bezel, Phoibos gives us a lumed pip and excellent bezel action with no alignment issues and minimal backplay on my example. The crown is small and tucked away between crown guards for extra durability. Overall, the finishing and build quality is very good for a watch at this price, and is comparable to the Steinhart Ocean One divers, if not exactly the same. Lastly, this watch is 300M water resistant and pressure tested I have been told. Some assuring signs are the screw down crown and thick screw down caseback.
Dial
Our dial pretty much homages the ever so famous Rolex Submariner with applied BGW9 lumed markers and a cyclops magnifier over our date window at 3:00. The addition of the new Octopus logo at 12:00 printed in white is a nice touch, and helps give the watch a bit more character. The blue color used here has an incredible sunburst effect and looks marvelous in sunny conditions, yet remains legible due to the bold markers and chrome lips. One thing I must say compared to the older “Mark 1” model of this watch is that the lume has improved tremendously.
Movement
The movement utilized in this affordable diver is actually a Swiss Quartz Ronda 515 movement which contains 1 Jewel. Typically, at this pricepoint you will see many brands using Miyota Quartz movements or cheaper Asian sourced movements. This movement does run on a battery that will last around 2 years and accuracy stated from Ronda themselves at or around +- 10 Seconds a month.
Bracelet
The bracelet is another strong point of this affordable diver. It utilized an oyster style design with solid steel links and solid end links. It reminds me very much of the bracelet used on the Steinhart ocean one. A fold over stamped clasp is equipped with a signed polished safety. Thw bracelet feels durable and tough, keeping in tune with the steel case.
Conclusion
Furthermore, without a doubt this IS the highest quality dive watch you will find on the market today for under $150 USD, and Phoibos has really had quite positive feedback from this model. The case build and solid bracelet weighing in at 180 Grams feels great on the wrist. If you are looking for an everyday diver or just a beater as a backup for your Submariner - this is certainly the way to go. Thanks for reading.
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2 Comments
Michael Paris
2/21/2019 09:02:20 pm
I bought Phoibos PX002b a few weeks agp from Long Island Watch after I saw a review, more on their automatic's, as well as hearing decent things about the brand. It keeps great time, I changed the band to a matching color Barton Silicon band which is real comfortable. While I won't say I don't buy quartz watches, I do now and then and usually for a reason. Went quartz in this case to try the brand out, and at $120 to the door, it was well worth it. I do plan maybe in the summer picking up one of their automatics. For the money it's a great watch.
ck
11/1/2019 09:24:35 am
I bought an early version of the PX002B from Amazon. It's missing the Octopus Phoibos logo and sports only 'PHOIBOS under the inverted triangle marker. The deep blue dial is beautiful and it keeps solid time. Well done, Phoibos. Leave a Reply. |
