I reviewed the red Phosphor Appear last year, and I had so much fun with it that I bought one in black. Recently Phosphor began combining their popular Appear watches with nylon bracelet wristbands, and the result has been a bit of a transformation. Before, the Appear relied upon a leather wristband that had to be bucked — in my case on the last hole; now there is a lightweight and fashionable bracelet which can be sized (by removing individual links) to perfectly fit even the smallest wrists.
The bracelet Appear features a modern, fashionable resin band finished with a metal deployment buckle. It’s a great fashion accessory that’s versatile enough you can wear everyday.
Driven by Micro-Magnetic Mechanical Digital (M3D) technology, the Phosphor Appear watch utilizes miniature-sized rotors adorned with Swarovski™ crystals that revolve to reveal numerical or chronological information. With each minute, an electrical pulse generates an electromagnetic field that changes the position of the crystals on the face of the watch, to elegantly display the passing time, while producing a distinctive sound unique to the Phosphor Appear digital watch line.
The basic “time” mode features a 12-hour display, with the hours positioned above the minutes on the face. The watch face also offers a “seconds” mode and “off” mode, showing an entire face of crystals with no time display.
The first thing that I noticed about the new braceleted Appear right out of the box was how much lighter it seemed than the original matte black leather-strapped version; where the black one weighed 2.9 ounces, the new nylon-bracelet version weighs only 2.6 ounces. I’m not sure why the missing 0.3 ounces seem to make such a difference, but they do. Both watches have the same 1.8″ diameter face, but the new Appear has a clear nylon (plastic) case where the original’s was metal … and yet it has retained it’s water-resistant features. The gold-colored numerals are a bit lighter than the red or black on the other Appears I’ve used, and there is no backlight; all the same, I didn’t have a problem telling time.
You’ll notice that the watch uses 12-hour time, and while it will show seconds it does not show the date. If you’ve forgotten what day it is, you can always check your mobile phone … and yes, I know you could also check the time there, but let’s face it — if you are wearing a watch anymore, then it is as much about fashion as it is about function. Am I right? 
Features
- Case diameter: 44.5mm
- Overall case thickness: 14.7mm
- Water resistance: 5 ATM – 50m
- Display: 12 hour only
- Functions: Time, Seconds, and Off
Make no mistake about it, the Appear is much larger than a standard watch, even sportier women’s styles. The nylon bracelet with rose gold combo that I received makes the Appear seem even more blingy than before.
The Appear still relies upon the same technology as before:
The Phosphor Appear watch line skillfully blends design and technology to craft the ultimate fashion timepiece. Driven by M3D [micro magnetic mechanical digital] technology, the Phosphor Appear watch utilizes miniature-sized rotors adorned with Swarovski crystals that revolve to reveal numerical or chronological information. With each changing minute, an electrical pulse generates an electromagnetic field that changes the position of the crystals on the face of the watch, to elegantly display the passing time, while producing a distinctive sound unique to the Phosphor Appear digital watch line.
And it still has the pffft — pffft — pffft I enjoy listening to as the numerals flip over.
The new deployment clasp makes getting in and out of the watch a breeze — you simply squeeze the two buttons on either side …
… and the clasp swings open. This is much easier to manage than the buckle on the regular version’s leather band.
Once the Appear is on, the result is an eye-catching bit of wrist-candy. Although I can’t help but wish that the Appear was available in a slightly smaller size, the Appear is not too large for my frame.
And what better place to wear a glittery watch than under the bright lights when announcing models in a fashion show? Which is exactly what I did while in Las Vegas for CES …
Perhaps it helps that at 5’10″ I am not a tiny woman, but I think that the new Phosphor Appear with its lovely nylon bracelet looks great.
The Appear is a watch that people will either love or hate, as there seems to be no in-between ground on the issue; but everyone will notice it. Is that a good thing? Only you can decide, but I think that it’s a very good thing.
The Phosphor Appear Rose Gold Crystal Watch with Clear Nylon Bracelet is available directly from the manufacturer. It is also available in the following color combinations: Pink Crystal Watch Pink Nylon, Rose Gold Crystal Watch White Nylon, Amber Crystal Watch Black Nylon, Silver Crystal Watch White Nylon and Black Crystal Watch Black Nylon.
MSRP: $229
What I Like: Lighter than the other leather-banded Appear models; Deployment clasp makes putting it on or taking it off much easier; Eye-catching design that people will notice (be prepared!); Water-resistant; Looks beautiful under bright lights
What Needs Improvement: The non-backlighted golden numerals can be harder to read in poor light; No date feature; May be too large for women truly petite women to carry off
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