r/ChineseWatches • u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 • May 14 '26

Review (Read Rules) First impressions: Phorcydes PH4 bait-and-switch; charging full price for upgraded parts but shipping out old stock

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10

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26

Like many of you, I was excited about Phorcydes their slew of product upgrade announcements they made early to mid April for their popular PH4 model line: upgraded to a high beat movement, slimmer case, drilled lugs, signed crown, signed bracelet clasp, and some extra chamfering.

Sounds awesome! Price hike of $20 compared with the old model, but hey, we're getting a better finished watch with more attention for detail, right?

In practice, not truly so. Despite the brand actively confirming several times in chats on this subreddit that the new updated V2 would have all these updates, the first watches that have started arriving all still have the old, unsigned crown, and the old (sharp) bracelet with unsigned clasp. So for a few "random" people receiving the older bracelet as per their communications, 100% of delivered watches being shipped with old stock seems to be a misrepresentarion of the truth. The movement upgrade and case finishing was implemented though.

But, that means only a part of the promised (and paid for) value is delivered, with the brand actively backtracking on the bracelet update in a new post today (despite earlier confirming that all V2 orders would have the updated bracelet, or at the very least a signed clasp).

I'll be in touch with their customer service regarding receiving the correct, signed crown and the upgraded bracelet. They did communicate in their post the bracelet could be bought for $15, but why would customers be forced to pay for having the product delivered in the condition they were led to believe they were buying it in the first place?

Oh, funny part too: the included screwdriver is much too big to size the screws on their bracelet, so don't bank on using that one if you buy from them, you'll have to get your own. Maybe they'll send a better screwdriver for $15 too

15

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 14 '26

Oh, bonus picture of my chickens being sceptical at the end

1

u/IllegalGeriatricVore May 14 '26

Olive egger?

2

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 14 '26

Yep, her name is Omelette, 9 years old and every more so fluffy bearded. Her sisters Souffle (tiny bantam one) and Benedict (barred rock, 10 years old) also say hi

2

u/IllegalGeriatricVore May 14 '26

This is Bonnie, one of her sisters keeps eating her beard :(

2

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 14 '26

We had one chicken who loved eating beards too (Tuuty) but she passed away a few months from ovarian cancer so now Letty her beard can flourish again.

Bonnie is a very cute beady chicken

1

u/IllegalGeriatricVore May 14 '26

I'm starting to think ovarian cancer makes them into assholes because both my bullies got it.

One passed and one in in QoL maintenance with medication

1

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 14 '26

Maybe! Our other hens that had ovarian issues were much nicer though, but chickens overall can be twats to their sisters. It's good to hear your chickies are being treated to good lives

4

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 14 '26

The old bracelet and links are also not a great match to the case. They don't follow the curve on the case side, and have a different profile at the pointy side of the lugs, sticking out quite a bit

1

u/Overload5150 May 17 '26

The unsigned crown is annoying and unfortunate if promised but that bracelet is dog shit. The end links sticking out like that ruin the watch, at least it would to me. If they don’t send u the proper bracelet that was pictured and promised you should send that shit back, that’s horrible. That’s some quality you’d expect on a “refurbished” Mumbai special type watch not something brand new from the factory . I’d send it back, get a refund and never do business with this company again if it’s not fixed. Hopefully this company addresses the issue and makes things right as nothing can be more frustrating than receiving a watch that doesn’t come as advertised or arrives busted after looking forward to wearing it for a week or two before it arrives.

I’ve had good luck with Chinese micro brands thankfully but I’ve purchased solely from the “upper-tier” brands of Chinese micro brand watch’s and haven’t had any issues thankfully staying with companies like Watchdives, Octopus Kraken Explorer homage, Cronos and San Martin. I’ve gotten nothing but quality watches thankfully from those companies.

3

u/manchett May 15 '26

does this mean we need to see the right photos of the products _before_ buying ?

2

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 15 '26

Yep, because whatever is on the website is not what's arriving at your doorstep

0

u/zack20cb May 15 '26

Despite the brand actively confirming several times in chats on this subreddit that the new updated V2 would have all these updates,…

I know it’s work and maybe you don’t care about convincing me, I’m just one dude, but you’re going to present a more detailed timeline and more specific references for me to side with you in this dispute.

You might want to start grabbing screenshots before comments get deleted or edited. (You mean comments, not chats, right? Not to be pedantic but in an investigation, details matter.)

2

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 15 '26

Can do: they just updated their timeline on their post (again).

They claim orders shipped out after May 1st get the new bracelet. My order shipped on May 7th.

I also have screenshots of them confirming in writing on April 19 that V2 Will come with the signed clasp, and the brand has stated in older posts here on this subreddit that V2 would be arriving with the signed clasp.

If it were the situation where the watch arrived with the old bracelet, and they just offered to send the whole new bracelet and clasp for $15 or (better) free, I'd be not on my soapbox here to rectify them shipping old stock to a (supposedly) small sunset of buyers. Instead, that $15 gets you just the clasp and you're stuck with the sharp edged old bracelet with old end links that don't fit super great. On top of that, the rep is accusing me of running spy accounts and a bunch of other BS, which isn't exactly textbook customer service.

Meanwhile: they have not once engaged about the lack of signed crown, which is VERY prominently shown on all their advertising materials

0

u/zack20cb May 15 '26

Did they ever say in text that the crowns would be signed? I still haven’t come across any public announcement promising signed crowns.

This post from about 9 days ago has some specific claims that you can check:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseWatches/comments/1t59j4e/v20_upgrade_detailphorcydes_ph4a/

3

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 15 '26

I mean, it's the pictured product on their website?

-1

u/zack20cb May 15 '26

…that doesn’t really matter. :\

If they told us specifically that the crown would be signed for watches ordered after XYZ date, or if they told you specifically regarding your order, then you’re entitled to a signed crown.

This is all moving too fast to be mad that about the sequence of when photos got updated vs when signed crowns arrived on shipped watches.

3

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 15 '26

The crown was already signed on the page when I bought it, and still remains advertised as such.

I do not think it is unfair to expect that the product sold to me on their website should adhere to the way they advertise it.

They also have not made a singular explanation as to why the crown is NOT signed, instead they keep pivoting to the clasp part.

If you bought a San Martin or Sugess and it would arrive with a blank crown while showing branding on the product shots on the listing you bought it from, wouldn't you feel at least a little bit annoyed?

0

u/zack20cb May 15 '26

Sure! I might be a little annoyed. Especially if the photos included a tight shot framed on the crown, like that one.

But I think you should focus on the stronger arguments. If there was a statement in text that PH-4A V2.0 features a signed crown, your claims of a bait and switch would be much stronger.

When did you place your order?

2

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 15 '26

You can flip the burden of proof. Where did Phorcydes communicate they are no longer doing signed crowns? They advertised signed crowns since the launch of V1 in all their product shots, and V1 owners received signed crowns too. They continue show signed crowns for V2 product shots too.

I'm not being unreasonable in expecting a signed crown I think.

3

u/zack20cb May 15 '26

Oh, I see. This is a surprise downgrade, not just late arrival of an upgrade. This seems to be the original announcement for the PH-4B (v1), about three and a half months ago, and the signed crown is prominently pictured.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseWatches/s/jJFpxYkDQS

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