Prototype Example of the 1966 Doxa SUB-300 – Photo by Marco Their For all the details about the history of the Doxa SUB 300, check this in-depth article. In the same vein, Doxa patented a unidirectional bezel (remember that many vintage divers still featured bidirectional bezel back then, the Submariner included) with a double-scale for calculating and monitoring the dive time to ensure a safe ascent without decompression stops – the famous no-decompression bezel.
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This watch proved its capacities on the wrists of many professional divers, including Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, co-inventor of the Aqua-Lung breathing apparatus and spiritual father of modern scuba diving. Doxa created a 300m watch with unique features, such as the signature bright orange dial, which is the result of both a design choice but also from field tests at various depths. Prototype Example of the 1966 Doxa SUB-300 – Photo by Marco Theirīut these watches were not traditional, or simple copies of the watches that were reigning over the category back then (Submariner, Seamaster, Fifty Fathoms and the likes). In 1967, the brand presented the SUB 300 and SUB 300T, pro-oriented dive watches designed to be affordable to a broader public. A project initiated in 1964 by Urs Eschle, head of development for Doxa, the idea was to create, from the ground, a new tool dive watch that was both ultra-functional but also accessible.
Sort of a hidden gem, a niche brand producing watches for professional divers first and foremost, it has created a watch that will have a strong influence on this community, the SUB 300. The Doxa Army is back on duty, with a black ceramic case and modern movement, but still the same ultra-cool military look.ĭoxa, the SUB 300 and the Doxa Army Watchĭoxa might not have been part of the pioneers of the dive watch concept (which has to be credited to brands like Rolex, Blancpain or Zodiac), it remains nevertheless one of the most influential brands in this field. But now, and in partnership with Watches of Switzerland, the brand brings back this cult watch. A slightly controversial watch (it caused some discussions last year…), the Doxa Army was delivered in the late 1960s to the Swiss Army’s elite divers and somehow remained a bit of a mystery.
So is the case for many vintage Doxa models, and the watch that has inspired today’s new (and very cool) release is just that. Yet, it doesn’t remove anything from their cult status. Some historical watches, on the other hand, have a bit more complex story and somehow remain known only by a small group of seasoned collectors. Some watches are emblematic and known by most watch enthusiasts.