Watch Reviews
20737
James Robinson
The meteoric resurrection of DOXA over the last 18 months has been both exciting and heartwarming to witness. What started out as a strong showing at Baselworld 2019 (think solid gold SUB 200T and SUB 200) has been followed by a succession of compelling offerings that neatly bridge the gap between heritage and contemporary watchmaking.
And now we have a new Sub 300. And there is quite a story here. This watch drastically dials down the tool watch vibes and sees DOXA honing in on the hotter than ever steel sports watch market. It is more wearable, more refined, has a specced up movement and it has its eyes on the wrists of not just vintage or retro watch lovers already turned on to Doxa and its dive watch legacy, but also the luxury watch buyer in general.
Now, though, DOXA is, like so many other brands out there, looking to its past for future inspiration, but with a host of modern twists, and slick refinements. Enter the all-new SUB 300 – a vintage-inspired diver that looks like it’s been pinched right off Dirk Pitt’s wrist, circa-1970s, thrown in the trunk of a time-travelling DeLorean and dropped off at our doorstep.
Jokes about fictional hero-cum-womanisers and cars that slip the space-time continuum aside, the SUB 300 genuinely appears to be a much more faithful re-creation of DOXA’s early dive watches. It’s also a watch that we’re sure is going to confuse more than a few less-initiated folks, given its similarity to the existing SUB 300T model.
So, we’ve gone Hands-on with the new neo-vintage diver, to get to the bottom of what’s new, what’s old and what’s different about the SUB 300.
The case
Hewn from 316L stainless steel and featuring an eye-catching amalgamation of brushed and polished finishing, the classic tonneau-shaped case of the SUB 300, which still measures 42.5mm across, has gone on a diet … and been doing some laps at the local pool. The result? A case that’s no less than 0.6mm slimmer than its beefy 300T sibling. Now that may not sound like a drastic departure to those who don’t understand scale but, let me assure you, the delta between 14mm and 13.4mm, on the wrist, is more than merely noticeable.
In fact, we’re inclined to say that it wholly alters the personality of the watch. The slim visage, while certainly welcome to those with smaller wrists, has come at a cost. Unlike the 300T, the new SUB 300 has to make do without the fabled release release valve (HRV), a technology pioneered by DOXA and Rolex in the 1960s that ensures it does pretty much what it says on the label. Without the ingenious piece of engineering, the SUB 300’s water resistance is rated at 300 metres (down from 1200m in the 300T), which is a bit of a shame. That said, we reckon the depth rating will be more than enough for 99.9 per cent of buyers, and if it’s good enough for the Rolex Submariner and Omega Seamaster Professional 300M, it’s good enough for DOXA.
The bezel
Much like every other watch DOXA makes, apart from the SUB 200, the SUB 300 scores the patented diver’s unidirectional ratcheting bezel that incorporates both a standard 60-minute scale as well as what’s known colloquially as a “no-deco” scale. “No-deco” means no-decompression, and it essentially, rudimentarily, indicates the no-decompression limits for given depths, which is a handy feature, if you’re planning on testing the 300-metre depth rating. The bezel itself is a joy to interact with, providing smooth discernible clicks and not even a hint of play.
The dial
Just like the case, the dial of the SUB 300 has shrunk by a few mill too, and the effect is equally as profound as its slimmer dimensions. The watch now feels much smaller than 42.5mm, more like 41 or 41.5mm, which is a blessing. Don’t think for a second, though, that the more diminutive dial has affected legibility – it hasn’t.
In fact, thanks to its sector layout, which is shared with most of DOXA’s other models, the dial of this watch is as easy as ever to read, regardless of conditions. Also, like the rest of DOXA’s timepieces, the new SUB 300 will be made available in no less than six different dial colours, each with their own unique name and distinct personality.
As is always the way, “Professional” will utilise the iconic DOXA orange dial colour, while “Sharkhunter” denotes black, “Searambler” silver, “Caribbean” navy blue, “Divingstar” yellow and “Aquamarine” turquoise. Capping the dial of the SUB 300 is another hallmark of a DOXA vintage diver – a fat, box-style crystal that sits proud of the case by a couple of mill and permeates ’60s and ’70s charm. Unlike the crystal of a 50-year-old amphibious timepiece, however, the SUB 300’s crystal is sapphire, not plexi, which means superlative legibility and scratch resistance.
The movement
It may not be an in-house movement, but DOXA has gone to the masters of third-party manufacture, ETA, to source the movement for their new-old diver, and that’s fine by us. ETA Calibre 2824-2 is a bit of a legend in the world of horology – its ubiquity has enabled smaller watchmakers across the globe to create timepieces with accurate, dependable and robust movements without going bankrupt. As we’re sure some of the more learned readers will know, not all 2824-2s are created equal. And in the case of the SUB 300, DOXA has gone for the crème de la crème variant. That means chronometer certification, exemplary accuracy (-4/+6 seconds a day), 25 jewels, an operating frequency of 28,800 vph (4Hz), and no less than 42 hours of power reserve.
The bracelet
Perhaps the best thing about the new SUB 300s, though, is their new rubber strap. Available in five colours that each complements the different dials, the strap feels nothing short of amazing on the wrist, and you can tell that DOXA didn’t scrimp on it – it’s a quality item, akin to something you’d find on a Rolex or Richard Mille … yeah, that good.
Each comes equipped with a brushed stainless steel push-button deployant clasp with a ratcheting diver’s extension, which is very handy, especially if you’re planning to wear the watch over a wetsuit.
And if rubber bracelets aren’t to your taste, you needn’t worry, as the SUB 300s can also be had with a tapered stainless steel “beads of rice” style bracelet that feels weighty, solid and quite opulent on the wrist.
On the wrist
DOXA may have set out to create something that harkens back to some of their most famous vintage dive watches, but what they’ve actually done is make a wristwatch that’s waaaaaay more wearable and versatile than their 300T.
There aren’t many settings where the SUB 300 won’t feel right at home – its smaller proportions ensure it.
In fact, it could be argued that the SUB 300 is just as much a steel sports watch as it is a fit-for-purpose dive watch, and as long as you don’t wear it with a black tux, we reckon this could easily be a great daily.
DOXA SUB 300 pricing and availability:
The new DOXA SUB 300 has a recommended retail price of $3950 AUD on rubber and $3990 AUD on bracelet, and is available for preorder at the following links, depending on your location:
Link for America: https://doxawatches.com/collections/sub-300
Link for Australia / NZ: https://au.doxawatches.com/collections/sub-300
Link for Europe: https://eu.doxawatches.com/collections/sub-300
Link for Switzerland: https://ch.doxawatches.com/collections/sub-300
Link for Other: https://doxawatches.com/collections/sub-300
FAQs
Is Doxa 300T COSC certified? ›
The SUB 300's 42.5 mm case is made from the highest quality 316L stainless steel. The three-hand self-winding movement holds the prestigious COSC Certified Chronometer certification guaranteeing precision, robustness and reliability. It also provides a 38-hour power reserve. The date window is positioned at 3 o'clock.
What is the difference between DOXA SUB 300 and SUB 300T? ›The SUB 300's stainless steel case is 42.5mm wide, 45mm lug-to-lug, and has a thickness of 13.4mm. Its sapphire crystal protrudes in a “box” style, adding a retro feel to it. The SUB 300T, on the other hand, has the same 42.5mm diameter, but it has a shorter lug-to-lug distance of 44.5mm.
What movement does the Doxa sub 300 use? ›The Doxa SUB 300 is 42.5mm-wide with a 45mm lug-to-lug distance. The polished and brushed stainless steel case is 13.4mm-thick, and inside the watch is a Swiss Made ETA 2824-2 automatic movement that has been given a COSC Chronometer certification.
What movement does doxa use? ›The DOXA SUB 200 harks back to a golden era in recreational diving timepieces. Released in 2019, it's an affordable Swiss-made 200m water-resistant three-hander with an ETA 2824-2 movement, from a venerable brand with a rich association with dive watches.
Are Doxa watches made in China? ›EVERY DOXA IS SWISS MADE.
Is Doxa a luxury brand? ›Since 1898, DOXA has been producing some of the finest Swiss luxury sports timepieces on the market, with many of its models becoming firm favourites for collectors, beginners and professionals alike.
What watch does Dirk Pitt wear? ›For thriller writer Clive Cussler, his adventurer hero Dirk Pitt could only wear one watch, the model favoured by his creator: an orange dialled Doxa SUB 300T.
What is the accuracy of Doxa? ›Movement. Doxa is using a COSC certified ETA 2824-2 automatic movement in the Sub 300, meaning its 38 hours of reserve will provide you -4/+6 seconds of accuracy per day.
How much does the Doxa sub300 weigh? ›The case of the DOXA Sub 300 Carbon Whitepearl sits on the wrist at 42.5mm in diameter and with a height of 13.4mm and yet despite its imposing size, the forged carbon construction gives it a weight of only 87 grams.
Are Doxa watches COSC certified? ›Doxa have opted to use a COSC Certified version of the industry standard ETA 2424-2 automatic movement, which has a power reserve of 38 hours, with a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz).
Does the doxa 300T have a helium release valve? ›
In 1969, DOXA launched the SUB 300T Conquistador, the first general public diver's watch equipped with a helium release valve.
What size is the Doxa sub 300? ›The DOXA Sub 300 Carbon features a 42.5mm diameter, 45mm lug-to-lug case that is 13mm thick and composed of forged carbon, with an internal titanium casing.
Who wore Doxa watches? ›Jacques-Yves Cousteau wearing a Doxa. While Cousteau is without doubt DOXA's most famed real-world wearer, the brand also has a powerful fictional advocate.
Are Doxas good watches? ›The consensus is that Doxa makes good quality watches.
It has 1200M water resistance, a helium release valve and a Swiss-made ETA automatic movement with a power reserve indicator. Although Doxa watches are colourful and have fun names, they are designed as tools to be used in extreme environments.
Doxa, founded in 1889 by Georges Ducommun, began as a maker of dress watches and other timepieces. Over the years, Doxa gained in size and branched out into other timekeeping markets. In the late 1960s Doxa decided to devote resources to create a watch to be used for diving.
Who owns Doxa? ›More than 130 years after its creation, DOXA is today owned by the Jenny family, who acquired it at the turn of the century.
What are the big 3 watch brands? ›Also known as the 'Big Three', the holy trinity of watches includes Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin.
Who is the largest watch manufacturer in the world? ›The Swatch Group is the world's largest watch company and employs about 36,000 people in 50 countries. The group owns the Swatch product line and other brands, including Blancpain, Breguet, Certina, ETA, Glashütte Original, Hamilton, Harry Winston, Longines, Mido, Omega, Rado, and Tissot.
What is the number 1 luxury brand? ›| 2022 | 2021 | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Porsche |
| 2 | 3 | Louis Vuitton |
| 3 | 2 | GUCCI |
| 4 | 4 | Chanel |
What Are the Best Luxury Brands of 2022? The best luxury brands of 2022 are Dior, Michael Kors, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Nordstrom. Each of these eight luxury brands excels in different areas, such as material quality, fashion design, product variety, or brand popularity.
What is the most high end designer brand? ›
- Ralph Lauren. ...
- Giorgio Armani. ...
- Yves Saint Laurent. ...
- Prada. ...
- Chanel. ...
- Versace. ...
- Christian Dior. ...
- Louis Vuitton. Initially known for their luxury luggage trunks and other leather goods, this famous French brand was established by Louis Vuitton in 1854.
What Kind of Watches Was in Steve Jobs's Watch Collection? Despite his immense wealth, Steve Jobs was known for his minimalist sense of style, and many of his watches reflect that, including his Seiko Quartz that he was famously photographed wearing in 1984.
What watch does Brad Pitt wear in Oceans 11? ›In the first of these films, 'Oceans Eleven', Pitt's character sported a two-tone 'Rolesor' Rolex Submariner, with a black dial. This model then returned in 'Oceans Twelve', although the character also wore a 36mm Rolex Day-Date with a 'glacier' dial at another point in the same movie.
Does Brad Pitt wear a watch? ›This week, he was seen wearing the Vacheron Constantin 222, a new release—and one of my absolute favorites—from 2022. This isn't the only tasty watch treat Pitt has given us this month, either. The actor wore what appears to be a Patek Philippe World Timer to the Golden Globes.
What does doxa stand for? ›Doxa (Ancient Greek: δόξα; from verb δοκεῖν, dokein, 'to appear, to seem, to think, to accept') is a common belief or popular opinion. In classical rhetoric, doxa is contrasted with episteme ('knowledge').
Is doxa better than episteme? ›An important principle of doxa is that it is culturally contingent, it changes from culture to culture so it excludes some part of a general audience. Episteme differs from doxa in this sense, it deals with less subjective views and uses objective observations to make arguments more substantial.
What is the difference between doxa and Endoxa? ›Whereas Plato condemned doxa as a starting point from which to attain truth, Aristotle used the term endoxa – in the sense of "commonplace", "everyday", "consensus" – to identify a group or population's beliefs that had previously withstood debate and argument (and were, thereby, more stable than doxa). dbt:Pp.
What is largest Doxa watch? ›SUB 300T. The big dog of Doxa reissues, the SUB 300T is based on the venerable 1969 SUB 300T Conquistador, which included the aforementioned dual-scale rotating bezel with depth in feet (not meters), and is thus compatible with the US Navy dive tables.
Is Doxa Sub 200 worth it? ›As a package, while it lacks the funky oddball charm of the Doxas I've long known and loved, the Sub 200 is a really solid offering. As an extension of Doxa into a lower price point, I think they've done an excellent job. It's not perfect, but when you factor for $990 on the steel bracelet, it is seriously good.
How much is a doxa sharkhunter? ›Doxa Sub 300 T-Graph Sharkhunter for $4,100 for sale from a Trusted Seller on Chrono24. Be one of 4,000 successful private sellers each month.
Is COSC certified worth it? ›
The COSC is vital to Swiss watchmaking as it ensures a level of excellence is maintained within the industry. Only the most accurate and well-made timepieces receive the COSC Certification, meaning that only about 6% of all Swiss watches exported are certified.
What is the most precise watch brand? ›Omega Planet Ocean
When it comes to the most accurate watches, Rolex's long-term rival has always been Omega. Both brands have been pioneering what many consider to be the best high-production movements in the history of mechanical watches. One of the very best is Omega's calibre 8500, first released in 2007.
COSC is an acronym for 'Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres'. This organisation acts as a third party to determine the accuracy and precision of luxury watches using several parameters. In English, this organisation is translated as the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute.
Is a helium escape valve necessary? ›Once in the watch, this gas can't escape quickly enough, unless the watch is equipped with a helium release valve to let the helium escape from the watch during lowering the pressure. This is necessary to prevent the watch from exploding during decompression.
Why do divers watches have helium valves? ›Helium escape valves keep diving watches from getting damaged during saturation diving. During the decompression process, this safety valve allows any helium molecules that may have entered a watch to escape.
Why does Omega Seamaster have two crowns? ›The second crown (at 10 o'clock) is a Helium release valve to allow helium out of the watch after wearing the watch in a diving bell with an atmosphere rich in helium.
How tall is the Doxa 300? ›The 300, with its boxed sapphire, has a height of 13.4mm. The 300T, with its flat sapphire, comes in at 14mm.
What size is a Doxa watch? ›The Doxa Sub 300 is a steel dive watch with a case that measures 42.5 x 45 x 13.4mm. Using an ETA 2824, the SUB 300 is an automatic watch with a sapphire crystal, a dive-specific "no deco" bezel," and 300 meters of water resistance.
What movement is in the Doxa Sub 600T? ›Finally, beating away at the heart of the 600T is the Sellita SW200-1 movement. This Swiss-made automatic movement comes with 38 hours of autonomy, 28,800 vph, and has reliability front and centre.
Can I get my watch COSC certified? ›To have a watch pass the certification, the movement must be sent to one of the COSC labs where it immediately goes through the following: tests the numbers engraved on the movement (in relation to the list supplied by the applicant), the movement is placed in a 5-slot clasp, the movement is wound according to the ...
What is a COSC certified watch? ›
COSC is just an acronym which stands for Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres — aka the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. Essentially, this body is responsible for certifying the precision and accuracy of high-precision wristwatches made in Switzerland, typically found on luxury watch brands.
Who owns Doxa watches? ›The Jenny family of Switzerland now owns the brand. Doxa began production of 92 limited edition Sub1000t series watches to support Project AWARE in 2008.
Does Doxa make good watches? ›The consensus is that Doxa makes good quality watches.
It has 1200M water resistance, a helium release valve and a Swiss-made ETA automatic movement with a power reserve indicator.
Each movement is submitted to COSC (the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute) for its official certification, after 15 days and 15 nights of testing involving seven eliminating criteria in five static positions and at three temperatures. All Rolex movements obtain this official Swiss chronometer certificate.
How long does a COSC certificate last? ›How long does the COSC retain the results of its measurements ? The results for to a chronometer are kept for 10 years, from the day of the end of the tests. Beyond this period, no more information can be issued about a chronometer.
How hard is the COSC exam? ›The COSC examination is a very very hard examination. Luckily, I have the whole realm of orthopaedic surgeons (>100), so I have a great overall knowledge of the specialty and sub-specialties, but it still requires tons of work. I truly believe that anyone can anything, as long as they want it bad enough.
How much does it cost to get a watch COSC certified? ›At US$1,160, the COSC-certified versions are an absolute steal. Just a reminder: COSC-certified watches are quite hard to come by and especially at this price point.
What is the difference between COSC and Metas? ›One important thing to note is that while COSC certification pertains to just movements, METAS certifies complete watches and most tests are conducted after the movements have already been installed into their cases.
How accurate is a certified chronometer? ›One of the criteria for « chronometer » certification is the average daily rate on the first 10 days of testing: from -4 sec to +6 sec., or up to 10 seconds per day. A tolerance which, as such, may appear high, but which, in reality, is the result of an extraordinary requirement.