Its been a few years since I’ve had a new Prometheus across my desk. The Lisbon-based company may not be the most prolific brand, but when they turn out a new model, they do it right. Their latest is the Eagle Ray, a 300m diver that celebrates their 10th anniversary. It is offered in black, silver, white and blue with an optional date window and a choice of three-hand or GMT ETA automatic movements. I got a turn with a blue, date, three-hand prototype.
Right out of the box, I could see they had done something special. The watch is simply stunning, drawing compliments from both veteran watch snobs and admiring civilians alike. It is not hard to see the Eagle Ray’s inspiration; that sloping, barrel-shaped case was a popular choice in the 1970’s (Doxa, Certina, and Aquadive come to mind). The case measures 42mm wide and 14.75mm thick. This is by no means small and the twin, knurled signed, screw-down crowns at 2 and 4 o’clock do nothing to minimize its size.
Still, I found the watch to be quite comfortable. Stubby lugs keep the overall length to just 49mm, allowing smaller-waisted folks like myself to carry it off. Given the Eagle Ray’s sporting nature and my 6.5” wrist circumference, I would certainly think twice about pairing it with a suit, but I did manage to fit under my shirt cuff.
It’s bigger the two similar watches in my collection, the Doxa SUB 300 reissue, and the NTH Devil Ray, but not by a considerable margin. Beefy through it may be, Prometheus employed some visual tricks to slim it down. In classic turtle style, the case tapers at the corners and shows a defined curve in its profile, arching over the much smaller, raised case back. A polished chamfer running the length of the case, breaking up the circular (top) and longitudinal (side) brushing. The result is appropriately assertive, but not oversized or obnoxious.
The external bezel is brightly polished and sparsely textured, offering only 24 scalloped indentations. It affords less grip than other, toothier bezels but still, I had no problem rotating through its 120 clicks. The insert is glossy ceramic, and yellow-white RC Tritec C3 X1 lume fills every engraved marker— just the way The Bum likes it. Beneath the domed, anti-reflective sapphire crystal is an internal brass bezel (more on that later) that is fully lumed. This second bezel steps down to a dark blue dial marked with applied, polished triangle and bar markers, much like those of the Eterna Kon-Tiki and other 1960’s divers. They too are filled with C3. As you might expect, the dial explodes with light at night.
Dial text is restrained, just the attractive Prometheus logotype and orange flame up top and the water resistance and movement identifier down below in a tiny sans-serif typeface with tight kerning. This variant has the optional framed date window at 3 o’clock. Given the bold markers and bezel, I am glad that Prometheus went with simple, polished and lumed pencil hands. A polished second hand with an orange tip and lumed lollipop complete the layout with a bit of retro flair. The GMT adds an orange arrow for that second time zone.
It is a truly handsome lovely face. The blue is dark, deep, and rich, appearing slightly brighter and bluer than some navy dials, especially in sunlight. The pale yellow C3 is a perfect complement and those tiny orange accents deliver just the right spark. I absolutely love this dial. The only thing that might make it better is to delete the date window. Lucky for me, I have that option.
Behind the Maori Devil Ray engraved case back, you will find one of two Swiss ETA movements: the 2824-2 three-hand, or 2893-2 GMT. Both are 28.8k bph automatics with ETAchron regulators and hacking and hand winding capabilities. The 2893-2 has 21 jewels while the 2824-2 has 25. Both are well regarded, reliable, and should be well known to your local watchmaker when the time comes for regular service.
On the three-hand model, the internal bezel is marked for 12 hours so you can align it with the hour hand to track a second time zone, kind of like a poor man’s GMT. Of course, the GMT model’s second hour hand takes care of that function, so that version is marked for 24 hours, giving you one more dimension to play with. One may reasonably ask why anyone needs this function in a diving watch, but as I mentioned in my review of the BOLDR Globetrotter, the fact that you won’t use a function underwater does not mean it is useless, and a rugged, go-anywhere diving watch can be a rather handy tool for even moderately adventurous travelers.
Eagle Rays come standard with a 22mm 5-link bracelet. The ends are solid and fitted to the case. Echoing the mixed finishing on the case, the outer links are brushed, and the inner ones are polished. It terminates in a 22mm push-button clasp with a ratcheting extension. That too is brushed and polished, and also signed with the flame logo. I love the bracelet. It is solid, attractive, and between the small links, extension, and micro adjustments in the clasp, it is almost impossible not to find a perfect fit. My only gripe is that the boxy clasp. Like many others I have reviewed, has sharp corners that make me wary of damaging the furniture around me.
Drilled lugs facilitate bracelet removal and replacement, although strap swappers might want to think carefully before forming something else as there is precious little space between the spring bar and the body. Frankly, I think the bracelet looks so good, I’d likely leave it as it is.
The Prometheus Eagle Ray three-hand will sell for $750 at full retail and $950 for the GMT. Considering what you are getting, these prices are more than fair, especially for the GMT. To my eye, the Eagle Ray gives up nothing to some of its better-known competitors except for maybe the “Swiss Made” label on the dial, and to me, that is hardly worth the $1000+ premium it would likely command. The Eagle Ray is quite a deal, and at pre-order pricing, it’s a bona fide bargain. If you place a 50% deposit now, you can get the three-hand for $555, and the GMT for $675. Full payment up front shaves off another 10%. Delivery is expected in March 2019.
Should you take the plunge? I did. I’ve got a blue, no date, GMT coming my way and I can’t wait. For more information or to order your own, visit PrometheusWatch.com. ⬩
