I’ll get right to the point, Phoibos Watches has been absolutely crushing it. I’ve reviewed 11 models since 2019, and there was nary a dud in the bunch. Each time, they have delivered an attractive, well-finished watch with tight specs at an excellent price – essentially everything The Bum looks for. This time, they gave me the latest Eagle Ray, the PY029 Compressor, in black and gold, and it is yet another winner.
The Eagle Ray line has grown rather diverse, now incorporating GMTs and conventional divers (bronze too) with water resistance ratings up to 500M. This one is rated for 200m and sports a 41mm wide, 47mm long, __mm thick case similar to, but not the same as, previous Eagle Rays (it is also used on their latest single-crown divers).
I actually like this one better than the others, as its crisp, polished chamfers provide an extra level of dimension and coordinate nicely with the polished coin-edged bezel and knurled crowns, features it shares with the Eagle Ray GMT.
You will note that the dial and handset also mirror those of the GMT. This is a good thing because it is a lovely arrangement. Phoibos offers the watch in glossy black, green, blue, red, and black/gilt like this sample. I love details like the Roman numeral railroad index, the engraved glossy internal bezel, and the gold frame on the date window. The dial’s main area is uncluttered, letting the gold syringe hands and bars-and-dots markers do their work. Red accents on the lollipop second hand, triangle frame, and “Automatic” text offer a pleasant contrast. In true Phoibos fashion, all the key elements – hands, markers, and bezel – are treated with 15 layers of Old Radium SuperLuminova for a powerful glow.
It’s almost too pretty to be a diver, but not quite. All the requisite dive features are in place. The face is perfectly legible at a glance. A double-domed, AR-coated sapphire crystal protects the face. Both of those signed and knurled crowns screw down.
New to this incarnation of Eagle Ray is a 20mm brushed stainless steel bracelet tapering top 18mm at the push-button clasp. A pair of polished recesses in each of the two narrowest links ties it back to the shiny elements on the case. I’m pleased to say that the signed clasp is proportionate to the bracelet, something I’ve found sorely lacking on many divers as of late.
Around back, we have a solid case back featuring a cast image of Angry King Octopus (my name, not Phoibos’s), one of my all-time favorite watch logos. He also graces the dial and both crowns. Behind him is a 21.6k bph Seiko NH35 Automatic, my movement of choice for tool watches. It’s durable, reliable, and inexpensive- everything you need for a workaday watch.
As I mentioned above, the Eagle Ray Compressor is pretty. Maybe not dress-diver pretty, but certainly, wear-it-with-a-suit pretty. Of all the variants, I think the black and gold cleans up the best when you are looking for something to wear out to that nice restaurant on date night (I remember restaurants … good times), particularly on that sharp-looking bracelet. At 41mm, the Eagle Ray is on the larger end of mid-sized, but I felt it fit my 6.75” wrist just fine, thanks in no small part to its relatively compact length.
The new Eagle Ray is an all-around winner in my book. It’s handsome, comfortably sized, and the bracelet is a big plus. Best of all, it’s priced just right. You can get one directly from PhoibosWatch.com for $360, and I recommend you do just that.
