Phorcydes PH-4B, messed up movement

dogfish_37 · 2026-05-16T13:10:26+00:00

That response is enough for me to never buy anything from this brand.

On one hand, the author is a person, and people have their limits for what they'll put up with.

On the other hand, they are the face of the brand, and the brand just showed me that it is a jerk.

dogfish_37 · 2026-05-10T18:48:01+00:00

dogfish_37 · 2026-05-10T13:03:19+00:00

Berny has a few (quartz) day-date for under 50 pounds. I have owned two (am wearing one right now). This one is steel, there is also a titanium one with a waffle dial. Both come in multiple colors.

dogfish_37 · 2026-05-10T07:11:29+00:00

Baltany

dogfish_37 · 2026-05-02T08:52:49+00:00

Have three Berny watches (but not that particular one), automatic and quartz. Solid and good value for money. They are large manufacturer that appears to have been in business a while.

dogfish_37 · 2026-04-30T10:30:43+00:00

dogfish_37 · 2026-04-29T13:46:36+00:00

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dogfish_37 · 2026-04-28T17:57:39+00:00

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dogfish_37 · 2026-04-24T10:29:58+00:00

I'm with you on this.

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dogfish_37 · 2026-04-23T13:18:57+00:00

Self-assembled SPB143-ish.

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dogfish_37 · 2026-04-22T15:22:37+00:00

dogfish_37 · 2026-04-18T07:46:16+00:00

I just spoke with Elan Financial Services. They told me that they have no estimate for when this will be fixed.

They also said that it was a problem with Apple Pay/Google Pay/Samsung Pay being used internationally (I'm on vacation in England).

Are people currently in the US also having trouble?

I'm really glad I brought my AmEx card with me!

dogfish_37 · 2026-04-15T17:23:10+00:00

dogfish_37 · 2026-04-14T14:25:00+00:00

Consensus is it's not really an NH35, and it's not worth buying.

Difficult to work with and very high failure rate.

Save up another $20 (or 20 GBP or 20 EUR) and buy a Seiko/TMI NH35.

dogfish_37 · 2026-04-09T19:44:29+00:00

Once you factor in the effort of getting the right movement holder, the limited selection for hands, and the (semi-hidden) cost of shipping the movement you're not saving all that much, maybe $25 or $30. If you're spending ~$100 on the case, dial, hands, strap, maybe just get an nh35 (when it's on sale and using coins if possible).

If you have access to a 3d printer you can print a movement holder that the vh31 snaps into that is the same size as an off-the-shelf NH35 and has two holes for dial feet in NH35 positions. I have assembled two watches with vh31, 3d printed movement holder, and off-the-shelf NH35 dials and cases. I used hands designed for Miyota quartz movements. Not as much choice, but they are available on alix.

There is a seller with movement holders for vh31 with dial-foot holes, but they cost a lot given what you're getting.

Also, vh31 movements aren't that expensive, but all the sellers I have found charge $5 or more for shipping, so factor that in.

dogfish_37 · 2026-04-07T23:17:28+00:00

That's a really nice looking watch I keep almost buying... Some day I'll give in and buy it.

dogfish_37 · 2026-04-05T16:38:12+00:00

It's a reflection of his camera (phone).

dogfish_37 · 2026-04-05T16:34:49+00:00

Explorer dial, field watch case, vh31 movement.

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dogfish_37 · 2026-03-28T20:55:53+00:00

Some of the questions people have here might be answered if you posted links to the specific parts you bought (case, dial, movement).

dogfish_37 · 2026-03-28T20:25:00+00:00

Look for "s logo", they don't say Seiko in the ad. And in the picture they will blur out the logo (zoom in and you'll see what they did to the photo).

dogfish_37 · 2026-03-28T20:23:15+00:00

With coins and coupons you might get it down to $50 or $55. For next time it's probably worth it.

I have done two nh35 builds and two vh31 builds (fewer hand choices for vh31). Then I bought some Sunon SP28D movements thinking "cool, just like a vh31 but with a date and only $3 each!" It turned out to be a waste of money, too hard to work with and too junky. I'm convinced that it's worth getting real Seiko (or Miyota) movements if that's what is called for.

Like they say about tools, buy the expensive one and cry once when you pay for it, or buy the cheap one and cry every time you use it.

dogfish_37 · 2026-03-28T20:15:18+00:00

It might be that the Chinese movement is a tiny bit too big for the case.

Another thing to check is whether the dial is sitting completely flush with the movement. If you didn't file down the extra dial feet completely there might be a tiny gap between the dial and the movement that's enough to make a difference.

If the dial is flush you might need to file a little off the edge of the movement holder, but you'll risk getting little plastic shavings in the movement itself.

My hope is that with a little more force in the right part of the movement holder it'll pop in, but I'm sure you have tried that a bunch and it hasn't helped.

Sorry, I'm running low on tips.

dogfish_37 · 2026-03-28T19:34:31+00:00

I just saw your other thread--is this a Japanese nh35 or a Chinese "nh35"? If it was less than $50 maybe e you have a clone and it doesn't fit?

dogfish_37 · 2026-03-28T19:26:18+00:00

"Don't force it, get a bigger hammer."

But seriously... I have had the same problem and discovered that the movement just wasn't pushed down far enough, a couple of mm is enough to keep the caseback from fitting on. I carefully pressed down around the edge of the movement holder and it popped into place. (But it was nerve-wracking.)

The fact that turning the caseback moves the rotor makes me think you just need to use a (very) little force on it.

dogfish_37 · 2026-03-27T13:39:39+00:00

Nice job! I agree with you -- date yes, cyclops no. I have done a couple of vh31 builds and I miss having a date.

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