Phosphor World Time Sport Watch review

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The Phosphor World Time Sport Watch is a plastic variant of the steel World Time Watch reviewed in December 2010.  These watches with e-ink displays made famous by those Kindle displays have been out for a while, but I’ve never seen this colorful model.  Let’s take a closer look.

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At first glance, the most obvious diference between the “sport” model and the non-sport variant is the super-bright, eye-catching red color.  (Black, White, Orange/Black are also available).  Instead of leather or polyurethane, the matching strap is silicone.  I’ve also been told by Phosphor that the crystal is plastic, not mineral crystal.

Features:

  • Case width: 38.0mm
  • Edge thickness: 5.0mm
  • Overall case thickness: 9.3mm
  • Water resistance: 3 ATM – 30m
  • Display: 12 hour large; 24 hour small
The watch comes in a velvety-lined black box with a pouch in the lid for the folded instructions.
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The instructions fold out into a single sheet.  You can also find the instructions here.
Since the buttons are “swipe” sensitive (not mechanical buttons found on the stainless World Time) setting the date/time is a little tricky at first.  Be patient and read the instructions carefully!
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When viewed from the side, the World Time Sport is curved, except for the flat battery compartment.
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The watch is listed at an overall thickness of 9.3mm.
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Closeup of the battery door.  It says “Made in China” at the bottom.
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I measured the strap width at 22mm.
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As the name implies, the watch can display world time as well as local time.  There are five display modes:
  • Time of Day + World Time
  • Time of Day + Calendar
  • Time of Day Large
  • Time of Day Small
  • World Time
To change display modes, simply swipe from the Mode (three dots) to Set (half moon) buttons (right to left).
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Time of Day + World Time. In this example, local time is 10:40AM.  London is 6:40PM.
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Time of Day +Calendar. Day of the week (Friday) on top, today’s date (Oct. 26th) in large digits, and current local time (10:40AM) in the middle. The square icon to the left of the large 10 indicates the Time of Day + Calendar mode.
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Time of Day Large, 10:40AM
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Time of Day Small, 10:40AM
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World Time (London, 6:40PM). On this screen, you can view a different time zone simply by swiping your finger from the Set > Mode button (left to right).
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Do you prefer a “normal” light background? Just swipe from Set > Mode (Left to Right) to invert colors.

I found the watch very comfortable to wear, thanks to the curved case and the ultra-soft silicone strap.  I did notice the silicone strap is a real dust magnet.  I could never seem to keep it clean.

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Red will definitely scream out for attention! Good thing it’s comfortable. My wrist measures 7 inches around.

Legibility is, as you would expect, excellent.  Except in the dark, that is.  No backlight.  This could be a dealbreaker to some.

One of the minor quirks about e-ink displays is that they leave some faint ghosting behind.  This eventually corrects itself the next time the pixels are “refreshed” but it was worth mentioning.

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A little ghosting can be seen in the right numeral 4.

In all the Phosphor World Time Watch has a high geek factor with excellent readability.  You’re sure to find a color you can live with if red isn’t your thing.  I had some trouble with the finger swiping control method- it’s certainly not a smartphone, and it took me a few tries to get it right. But once I had it set just right, I had little need to ever use the buttons.  This might be a good thing if you’re really active and you’re prone to accidentally pushing buttons.

 

Product Information

Price:$99 MSRP
Manufacturer:Phosphor
Pros:
  • Easy to read, nifty e-ink display. Very comfortable to wear. Mineral crystal curved glass. Comes in four colors.
Cons:
  • Some ghosting artifacts present but not too obvious. Controls are hard to master at first. Silicone strap is a dust magnet.

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