New Phoibos Diver with CRAZY Lume and... a weird compromise!

Phoibos is a brand that loves to do its own thing — bold colors, strong specs, and original designs that stand out in a crowded market. But with this one… I can’t help but notice a familiar vibe. There’s definitely a hint of something iconic in here — you’ll see it straight away — yet at the same time, this watch feels very much like Phoibos doing Phoibos.The dial alone is proof of that. It’s quirky, full of texture and personality, and clearly the result of some serious thought. But is this a watch without compromises? Well, not exactly. There are a few things you should definitely know before you consider picking one up for yourself. Let’s take a closer look.

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Design

When it comes to design, this is where things get really interesting. Phoibos is a brand that usually marches to the beat of its own drum.

This model is called the Depth Hunter, and according to Phoibos, it takes inspiration from the angular, military aesthetic of submarines designed to operate at great depths. You can definitely see that influence in the case geometry — those strong parallel lines, sharp transitions, and purposeful surfaces all lend it a sort of engineered toughness. That said, I can't help noticing some familiar vibes here. There’s definitely a touch of that iconic Zenith diver revival aesthetic in the case shape — the angular geometry, the proportions, even the way the lugs flow into the mid-case. It’s not a clomage by any stretch, but there’s a similar design language going on, and I actually think it works really well here.

That said, Phoibos still makes it their own. The offset crown position, the crisp brushing, and those additional polished facets along the case sides all give it a distinctive character. It’s familiar yet original — a kind of fusion between heritage inspiration and Phoibos’s own modern tool-watch identity.

The dial, though, is where things get especially bold. It’s vibrant, textured, and full of personality — unmistakably Phoibos. The layout is highly legible, and there’s definitely no shortage of lume here either. As we’ll see shortly, the entire dial and handset light up impressively in the dark, which really drives home the true diver DNA of this piece. And It doesn’t just look the part — it’s built to be used as a genuine underwater tool, and the declared water resistance backs that up.

Another thing worth noting is how slim the case looks relative to its overall footprint. And There’s a good reason for that, which we’ll get into when we talk about the movement.

Now, a couple of the design choices around the bracelet - I’ll be honest - I’m not completely sold on. It’s nothing disastrous, but there are some limitations there that I think slightly hold it back. We’ll dig into that later in the bracelet section.

And as for the colorways, there’s plenty to choose from. You’ve got everything from vibrant, playful dials like this one to more conservative black or white versions if you prefer something understated. There’s even a DLC-coated black model, which adds a stealthy edge and only costs about thirty dollars more. So, no shortage of variety here either.

Dimensions

Looking at dimensions and the case diameter here measures at 40 millimeters, which on paper sounds like the sweet spot for an everyday diver. The case height, including the crystal, is 11.1 millimeters — just a touch over 11. The lug-to-lug distance on the case itself is 47.5 millimeters, and the lug width is a practical 20 millimeters, so strap options are wide open if you ever decide to swap it out.

However — and this is important — while the bracelet end links look inverted, they don’t actually articulate much. They curve down quite aggressively, yes, but the effective end-link-to-end-link span still stretches to around 57 millimeters, maybe up to 58 and a half depending on your wrist shape. That’s fairly substantial, and it means the watch will wear larger than the numbers suggest. On wrists under about 6½ inches, you’ll definitely notice that extra reach.

As for weight, it’s well managed considering the specs — around 180 grams on the supplied bracelet, dropping by about 15 to 20 grams once sized for about 7-inch wrist. So it has that solid, premium feel without crossing into brick territory.

Case

The Depth Hunter’s case combines sharp geometry with deliberate finishing contrasts. The main body and the tops of the lugs are brushed, emphasizing its tool-watch character, while the polished bevels flare outward toward the lugs, expanding into full facets of their own. This gives the case a distinctive, angular profile that catches light cleanly without becoming flashy.

The screw-down crown at 3 o’clock is slightly recessed into the case. There are no crown guards, but that shallow recess offers a touch of protection while keeping the silhouette clean. The threading feels secure and refined, working together with the screw-on caseback to achieve the 300-meter water resistance.

On the back, the familiar Phoibos octopus has been replaced with a silhouette engraving of a military submarine—a clear nod to the Depth Hunter’s design inspiration. The submarine itself features circular brushing, while the background is bead-blasted, giving the motif a subtle depth and contrast. The engraved specifications run neatly around the perimeter, keeping the overall execution tidy and functional.

Crystal

The crystal is a perfectly flat sapphire, set just a fraction of a millimeter above the bezel. The fit is precise and flush, giving the watch a clean, technical look.

The anti-reflective coating is quite effective, keeping reflections under control and maintaining excellent clarity across different lighting conditions. Legibility of the dial is completely unobstructed — exactly as it should be on a diver. There’s really not much to critique here. It’s a well-executed crystal that pretty much does what it says on the tin sort of speak.

Dial & Lume

The dial on the Depth Hunter is fully printed, with crisp, well-defined markings and a clean, balanced layout. A nice detail here is the date window at six o’clock, which features an applied circular frame made entirely from luminous material—a small but thoughtful design choice that ties in visually with the rest of the dial.

The hour markers at twelve, three, and nine use the same approach. They appear to be cut directly from solid lume, giving the dial a distinctive look and an especially powerful nighttime presence. It’s a concept that Christopher Ward explored on one of their recent diver designs, and needless to say, the lume performance there—just like on this Phoibos—is excellent.

There’s no printed minute track on the dial itself, but the minute scale on the bezel fills that role nicely.

The hands are large, semi-skeletonized, and generously filled with lume, offering strong contrast by day and excellent visibility in the dark.

And that lume performance is exceptional—bright, even, and long-lasting across the hands, markers, and lume-filled bezel insert. It’s easily one of the most impressive lume executions I’ve seen from Phoibos. And Phoibos watches lume is always very good.

Bracelet and Clasp

The bracelet mirrors the case finishing, giving the watch a cohesive, integrated look. It’s an H-style link design, fully brushed with a smooth satin texture that feels consistent throughout. There’s a slight taper from 20 millimeters at the lugs to 18 at the clasp, and the articulation is good — the links move freely and sit comfortably on the wrist. The screw-connected links are a welcome touch, typical of more premium construction, and they make sizing straightforward.

The main caveat lies with the inverted end links, which have limited articulation. A bit more movement here would have helped the bracelet contour better. This likely comes down to a design trade-off — the quick-release spring bars are very convenient for strap changes but occupy space that restricts the pivot range. It’s an interesting compromise, and I’d love to hear your thoughts: would you prefer fully articulating end links or keep the quick-release system for convenience?

The clasp is very good - a double-pusher milled clasp with a built-in on-the-fly adjustment mechanism, allowing easy fine-tuning without tools. It’s solidly built, practical, and neatly signed with the engraved Phoibos logo.

Wearability

In terms of wearability, the watch sits comfortably and feels well-balanced on the wrist. On my about seven-inch wrist, it fits just about perfectly — any smaller and we get higher risk of those rigid end links overhanging. I’d say six and a half inches is probably about the lower limit for a proper fit. For anyone above that, though, it should wear comfortably and well planted.

Verdict

At $470, and especially with the 20% early-bird discount, the Depth Hunter comes in at a very competitive price—particularly considering all the premium materials and the Miyota 9000-series movement inside. At that discounted price, it becomes a genuinely strong value proposition.

The only real caveat remains the fit. If your wrist is under six and a half inches, those protruding end links might make it wear a little awkwardly, so it’s worth measuring your wrist width to be sure. But for anyone above that range, this is a well-built diver with excellent lume, and a distinctive design.

I know there are plenty of Phoibos fans watching, and honestly, this feels like another great addition to their lineup.

Bezel

The bezel here looks and feels solid. It features a matte ceramic insert with lumed markings, which give it a clean, functional appearance while keeping reflections to a minimum. The overall execution is very good — the alignment is spot on, the tolerances are tight, and there’s virtually no back play or side play to speak of.

The bezel action itself is smooth and consistent, offering firm resistance with a reassuring click. ??? It’s precise and well-damped, exactly what you’d expect from a capable diver. ???

Where it falls slightly short for me is in the grip design. The outer edge alternates between gear-shaped knurled sections and smooth segments. When your fingers catch the knurled parts, it is grippy and the operation feels very good. But when my fingers land on the smooth areas, it becomes noticeably harder to turn. And this effect will be most likely even more noticeable if my hands were wet or if I was wearing gloves. It’s not exactly a dealbreaker by any means, but it’s something definitely to be aware of.

Aside from that, it’s a pretty decent bezel — both visually and mechanically well executed.

Movement

Powering this Depth Hunter is the Miyota 9015, part of Miyota’s premium 9000 series. It’s a high-beat automatic running at 28,800 vibrations per hour, known for its reliability, solid rotation feel, and tighter accuracy compared to entry-level calibers like the NH35 for example.

It also features hacking and hand-winding, and while the finishing on this movement is a clear step up, we don’t get to admire it here due to the solid caseback.

One small observation, though — the rotor noise is a bit more audible than I’d typically expect from a 9000-series movement. It’s not distracting, just slightly more noticeable than usual — something you’d more often associate with the Miyota 8000 range. Could be just this sample, but worth mentioning.

That aside, the 9015’s slimmer, more compact profile allows for a lower case height - just a smidge over 11mm in case of this diver and that is with the 300-meter declared water resistance.