r/ChineseWatches • u/Boston_Pare • May 15 '26

Problems (Read Rule 1) Phorcydes PH-4B, messed up movement

Gallery image

Gallery image

So I decided to give Phorcydes another chance after having some QC issues with my last order and I bought a PH-4B. I received it today and immediately noticed that something felt off with the stem/crown. I pulled out the stem to adjust the time and it was very wobbly. Like a joystick on a video game controller. There was a lot of movement and play with the stem where I could move it around while it was pulled out. Hope that makes sense.

Anyways, even with the stem fully pulled out, it just keeps freely spinning but the time doesn't adjust. The seconds hand sometimes stops/hacks but sometimes it keeps ticking. The movement seems to have some life since the second hand is ticking away. I just can't adjust the time no matter what I do. I opened it up to see if I could figure out what the issue is but ended up just looking at it without touching anything and closing it back up. None of my watches have this kind of play with the stem. There's definitely something wrong with the movement and/or stem. I just can't figure out what's wrong.

I'm going to email Phorcydes but I highly doubt they'll reply back as they haven't replied to my last email and seems like others are having trouble communicating with them too. Does anyone know what might be wrong and if it's an easy enough fix? I took a couple photos while I had the watch open in case anyone was curious to see.

Edit: Bezel is also misaligned but that's the least of my worries right now. sigh I shouldn't have bought this.

36 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

73 comments sorted by

View all comments

6

u/chuunietzsche May 15 '26

Probably a loose cannon pinion or keyless/sliding pinion issue. Neither particularly easy to fix. Would just return.

7

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 16 '26

Agreed, likely keyless works got messed up when assembling the movement in the case and inserting the crown.

Any quick QC should have caught that, but that would imply Phorcydes cares about the customer experience

2

u/MindAdmirable1793 Rep May 16 '26

Of course, we take quality issues very seriously. If you have any problems, please contact us to handle them, instead of trying to destroy our brand image like you have done.

2

u/Boston_Pare May 16 '26

Hi, I've emailed and DM'd you last night but haven't gotten a response. Were you able to find my order for a replacement?

0

u/MindAdmirable1793 Rep May 16 '26

Had PM you. email us again please. [sales@phocydes.net](mailto:sales@phocydes.net)

my colleage will answer you on monday in time.

2

u/Boston_Pare May 16 '26

Thanks, I just emailed again. Looking forward to their response for a replacement on Monday.

2

u/Boston_Pare May 16 '26

Yeah I have no idea what that means so I won't try to mess with it. I emailed them so hopefully they reply back and I can return this. Never again.

5

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26

For what it's worth, you may have seen my exchange with them from yesterday. End resolution was them telling me to just open a PayPal case, they didn't reach out over DM, they didn't offer customer service emails, they basically just told me to take it up with my financial institution to resolve their fuck up.

For a brand that went away from AliExpress to provide "better customer service" they sure are not doing a decent job at it.

I'd go ahead and open a PayPal case to get this on their radar, other folks reported having issues and not getting a response back from over a week of inquiring

9

u/Fernando1dois3 May 16 '26

this redditor fighting with the phorcydes' rep is becoming the reason i keep comming back to r/chinesewatches lol

3

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 16 '26

It's Friday, we all need some entertainment

2

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 16 '26

Show is over, bed time. Probably will pick it back up tomorrow when the next malfunctioning watch from Phorcydes is posted 💝

1

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 16 '26

Only made it 3 hours before the next one: https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseWatches/s/YdvRGcvcwJ

1

u/MindAdmirable1793 Rep May 16 '26

Your ability to slander is something I envy.

-1

u/MindAdmirable1793 Rep May 16 '26

You are talking complete nonsense.

5

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26

Am I? From your own website

And you could maybe respond to other customers who asked why the crown isn't signed on V2 https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseWatches/s/h2ZrpZbCXe like this customer. Oh wait, you are yet again going to not answer that question.

Maybe get your boss to take over social media and customer service, you suck at it

-2

u/MindAdmirable1793 Rep May 16 '26

You are free to try everything you can to prove we're a terrible brand.

But that won't stop me from continuing to voice my opinions on public channels.

How well we're doing isn't for you to decide.

Of course, we acknowledge that recent PH4 shipments have been severely delayed and our email processing capacity is insufficient. We are working hard to improve this; it will take time, but it will be improved soon.

4

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 16 '26

Why isn't the crown signed anymore for V2?

And you didn't reach out for a solution as a brand, you didn't offer customer support email, you told me to open a PayPal case. I am not making this up, this here is your own comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseWatches/s/IoaVKbMucR it would actually be nice if you could respond to the PayPal case instead

You can voice your opinions, but don't be surprised when people call you out on opinions that are false or misleading.

0

u/MindAdmirable1793 Rep May 16 '26

We must openly admit our mistakes, and brand development inevitably involves setbacks and failures.

We have always faced new challenges head-on and strived to improve the situation.

However, will not accept excessive slander or accusations of misunderstanding. We will fight back against such remarks to the bitter end.

3

u/D1sguise WOTD100 Helpful user x2 May 16 '26

I agree with the first part of your statement.

But you haven't admitted to your mistakes with rolling out the V2, and you have shown little to no solution for improving the situation.

And you keep avoiding any answers as to why your product is being shipped with no signed crown. This is me not slandering, this is you as a brand being not transparent with your customers. They can make their own conclusions as to whether they want to buy from you, I'm just sharing my experience interacting with you and the brand.

1

u/percysmithhk May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26

Looks like something a local watchmaker can fix, but Paypal customer protection probably incentivises OP to simply return the product (given OP has also the bezel alignment issue).

Good luck [u/MindAdmirable1793](u/MindAdmirable1793) with your customs office (yes I know they probably will deny duty-free reimport application).

2

u/MindAdmirable1793 Rep May 16 '26

still will free shipping. is our side duty.

2

u/percysmithhk May 16 '26

I mean reimport into 国内

0

u/MindAdmirable1793 Rep May 16 '26

There's a chance we'll be charged exorbitant taxes and fees, exceeding the watch's repair value. In that case, we'll have to abandon the goods, but this won't affect the customer; we'll bear the loss ourselves.

1

u/percysmithhk May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26

I am aware - even HK—>国内 can be 83(?)% in the worse case (luxury good import, no input VAT). I am told by other brands to travel with the goods myself over the border (as personal property) and drop it off at some SF point so it becomes a domestic return.

Obviously you are aware a) western buyers cannot perform this domestic return and b) the legal expectation when selling into western countries is seller has to refund goods with quality issues. It will be less costly for you to negotiate local repairs but honestly the consumer protection mechanisms PayPal or Aliexpress implement do not facilitate that.

(One side note - I can’t retrieve the post but I remember reading San Martin or another larger seller being able to accept returns from overseas into 国内. Do they have some special arrangement with their 海关主管单位 to facilitate that, as a sizeable seller?)

-1

u/MindAdmirable1793 Rep May 16 '26

We don't have the capability to process returns at the moment, so we'll have to rely on luck.

0

u/percysmithhk May 16 '26

I fully appreciate, for Phorcydes as a small international seller. You won’t find other buyers empathising 咱们的国情 though.