New from the microbrand Phoibos Argo

Friends, hello everyone, you are on the channel about Feeltime watches, with you as always Stanislav, and we haven't had a review of the Phoibos microbrand for a long time. And then one day the newest Argo model was delivered to my store in Ukraine, so we have an excellent opportunity to correct this misunderstanding.

The name of the Argo model comes from ancient Greek mythology. This was the name of the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts set out on a long journey for the Golden Fleece.  

I always find it interesting to watch the growth of the Phoibos brand. The guys haven't grown as much in popularity as, say, Spinnaker, but in my opinion, in terms of design and the quality of the racing over the years, it's just incredible.  

That is, for me today this is probably one of the best microbrands in the price budget up to $500. With the obligatory condition of its own, individual design. And Foibos has long been making only its own designs.  

The Argo model was released in 5 dial colors in the "sunbeam" texture. According to the established tradition, I will examine the watch in detail using one color as an example, but during the review we will definitely look at the dials of other models in detail and how they look on my hand.

Therefore, I suggest not to delay and move on to the clock.  

Let's start with what I think is the Phoibos way of making this watch that is similar to the Zelos microbrand.  

Zelos have quite rough, sharp bodies, and it's exactly the same story here.  

Plus, the polygonal element between the glass and the bezel makes me think of the similarity with Zelos.  

In general, this is my perception. Please write in the comments if you saw the same thing.  

Of course, from Phoibos Argo we rather expect casual divers in terms of style. In general, the brand has found its face and is pressing in one direction.  

As I said earlier, the case is quite brutal, angular. Completely satin-finished. The quality of the finish is excellent. I don’t know about you, but for me the watch has a specific vintage feel.  

The crown is quite comfortable. It is screwed for better tightness, and the watch has a water resistance of 200 meters. You can go diving in it.  

Mirror polished head with micro octopus logo.  

Bezel with scratch-resistant ceramic insert. Very comfortable grip, fairly sharp, confident clicks. Counter-clockwise movement of 120 clicks.  

The back cover, as always, will delight you with an expensive engraving of the Octopus brand logo.  

Let's take some measurements:

Diameter - 40.5 mm, from lug to lug - 48 mm, thickness - 12.5 mm, weight - 177 grams.

  The watch is quite heavy and in general sits perfectly on my thin hand of 18 cm in circumference. But in general the ears are straight and here the potential is of course for a wider hand. That is, as it seems to me, the watch will sit better on a larger hand.  

I just noticed that the lugs are faceted in several layers and with a complex transition. These are the little things that are used to assemble expensive watches. Small nuances, but it is very nice to see this.

The bracelet is made very cool.  

Well, first of all, its design. Excellent quality of finishing for its money. Satin finish mostly and a thin strip of mirror polish on the sides, which is not the most standard solution and looks quite unusual.  

It all looks expensive and voluminous.

The links are on screws, which is also a plus. The bracelet itself is like silk.  

Plus, the updated clasps with a wonderful and convenient diving extension are pleasing. I have already appreciated this thing on my Phoibos Wave Master.

The only thing I would like is a quick-change system. Especially since Phoibos has gradually started to implement it.  

Phoibos's characteristics are almost always the same.

• Water resistance - 200 meters
• On board, as expected for this budget, is a Japanese mechanical movement with automatic winding Seiko NH35A
• Sapphire crystal with 3 layers of anti-reflective coating
• 15 layers of Swiss Super Luminova on hands and markers

In fact, it seems to me that this is the maximum in terms of characteristics that can in principle be in a watch for such a price. That is, it is difficult to jump above this bar.  

The watch dial is extremely simple and pleasant.

Expensive gradient base plate in sunray texture.  

Brutal hands, applied hour markers, which create cool volume.  

And the readability here is excellent.  

The logo is very unobtrusively placed at the top and a couple of characteristics at the bottom + a date aperture at the 3 o'clock mark.  

The readability of the silver dial is, in my opinion, even better.  

There is simply a gorgeous contrast of colors here. The boldly highlighted hands and hour markers greatly affect readability.  

I definitely liked this color too.

The blue dial has a plus-minus readability, just like the Bardot.

It's such a soft sea green color here.  

In fact, blue has been one of the most popular colors for many years and this trend has not changed much.  

Of course, there was a new fashion for yellow.

I think it could very well become trendy in 2025.  

Everything here is done according to the principle of the silver dial. Black edging, lacquered hands. The readability is gorgeous.  

And although the color is an acquired taste, it looks very nice.

The new Phoibos Argo does not feature the classic black dial.

Made a gray gradient. Probably, this is the most familiar color of the 5.  

What's unusual here is that the hands and markers, with the exception of the orange minute marker, are edged in white. And it's not immediately noticeable, so it might seem like they're solid white elements, but they actually have varnished edges.  

In my conclusions I will not tell you anything new.  

The price in my online store Feeltime in Ukraine today is 15800 UAH, which is equivalent to $380.

If you like this watch design, you will never regret your purchase.  

First of all, I always give Foibos a big plus because the design is their own.

Secondly, the quality of the watches themselves, their detailing and the highest possible characteristics in this budget very favorably distinguish this brand not only from well-known Japanese and Swiss competitors, but also from microbrands themselves.

I repeat that for me Phoibos today is one of the best microbrands for its budget.

Well, you can buy original Phoibos watches in Ukraine from an official dealer with an official 2-year warranty.

Links to the watch will be at the very bottom of this article. And I will leave a link to my personal telegram .

When purchasing, you can use payment in installments from Privat and Mono banks without % for up to 6 months.

What do you think about this watch? Share in the comments, and I hope that it was useful to you, if so, don't forget to support the channel with a like, subscribe, and with you as always, Stanislav. Until next time. Bye!