I have done several reviews now for Phoibos and not a one of them have disappointed me. Phoibos recently contacted me about reviewing their new Phoibos Eagle Ray GMT. I was really interested in this one since – aside it being their newest – it lowers the entry point for the brand. Let’s see what you get for the money!
I am very partial to blue dials, so this is straight-up eye candy to me. The face on this Phoibos Eagle Ray transitions from blue to black and really looks sharp. The only real contrasting color on this is the red GMT hand and text. You get three time zones on this GMT (the main hour hand, GMT hour hand, and the inner rotating bezel each cover a time zone). All these hands are mounted to a SWISS RONDA 515-24H quartz movement. Protecting all of this is a double-domed Sapphire crystal with 3 layers of anti-reflective under coating. All of this comes together to make a pretty sharp looking time piece.
If you are planning on traveling to some nice tropical destination to dive, this watch can do that job. The case is made from 316l stainless steel and has an impressive water resistance of 1000ft. That’s fine for any recreational diving you plan to do. Case size is 41mm in diameter and 10.5mm thick. Not too big, or too small. The case uses both brushed and polished finishes, and has two screw down crowns (one for the time/date, and the other for the rotating inner bezel). As with all the Phoibos watches I have reviewed, the build quality was excellent.
Phoibos uses what they call a black tropical rubber strap on this Eagle Ray. The strap fits comfortably and unlike silicon straps, this does not collect lint. It’s a nice look and pairs well with this watch.
Lume is fanastic on this Phoibos Eagle Ray. They lume up everything on this watch. Only thing not lumed is the date. They use 12 layers of Super-LumiNova BGW9 on the hands, indices and bezel. That makes this pretty good looking in the dark.
If you are new to the whole watch collecting thing and want to start with a nice watch for the budget, then this might be good for you. It’s a GMT for travel, with a case that can handle all of your dives, and it can dress up too. For a price of only $200 this is a good intro to the watch world. If you like what you see, go check it out at phoiboswatch.com.
Review Summary
- Make and model: Phoibos Eagle Ray GMT
- Price: $200 USD
- Who’s it for? Travelers and new watch collectors.
- Would I wear it? For the looks, yes. Cause its quartz, no.
- What I’d change: Go automatic.
- The best things about it: Build quality and looks.
Tech Specs from Phoibos
- Dial:Blue to Black
- Caliber No.: SWISS RONDA 515-24H
- Case: 316L Stainless steel
- Band: 20mmwidth Black Tropical Rubber Strap
- Glass:Double Domed Sapphire crystal with 3 layers anti reflective under coating
- Water resistance: 300M(1000ft) suitable for Swimming & Snorkeling & Scuba Diving
- Case size: Diameter 41.0mm. Thickness 10.5mm. 47mm lug to lug
- Bezel:120-click bi-directional bezel
- Crown:Screw-Down crown
- Lume: 12 layers Super-LumiNova BGW9 on hands, indices and bezel marking
