Any Doxa owners here?

[pete26]

[pete26]

I kind of regret not taking my Doxa to Noosa, there were not many nice watches up there. I did see a guy with gold chain and a Rolex Sub sitting on the beach reading a newspaper in his speedos, everyone else seemed to have smartwatches and casio's

[russtmurray]

Apr 14, 2022 23:41:58 GMT -8 pete26 said:

I kind of regret not taking my Doxa to Noosa, there were not many nice watches up there. I did see a guy with gold chain and a Rolex Sub sitting on the beach reading a newspaper in his speedos, everyone else seemed to have smartwatches and casio's

I'm betting that guy was probably from Quebec!

[japroe]

Great thread! Following this one closely - I just discovered Doxa myself and have to admit, the history and design of both the Sub 300 and 300T are appealing. Especially after reading this article:

www.doxa300t.com/sub300/300searambler.htm

As far as ‘re-issues’ go it appears the sub 300 is quite true to form based on the original from the 60s.

The problem is I can’t decide between a Doxa and the tegimented Sinn u50 with the badass bead-blasted and tough case.

Oh and Seiko lume blows everything else out of the water as we know which is something I always look for in a diver/tool watch. Why don’t I just get myself a MM300 or the classic SBDC007 Shogun???

And there’s the circle we all know and love in this hobby…

[dapellegrini]

I'm in for a 300T Professional (orange dial) on BOR... moments ago.  Hope to receive it this coming week - and will post pictures.  FWIW - its cheaper (in the US at least) to purchase direct than through Watches of Switzerland with $100 off - as direct you don't pay tax.

Also, these use the ETA 2824-2, a great workhorse movement that will be easy to service and maintain for many lifetimes to come.

[russtmurray]

Apr 30, 2022 14:28:05 GMT -8 dapellegrini said:

I'm in for a 300T Professional (orange dial) on BOR... moments ago.  Hope to receive it this coming week - and will post pictures.  FWIW - its cheaper (in the US at least) to purchase direct than through Watches of Switzerland with $100 off - as direct you don't pay tax.

Also, these use the ETA 2824-2, a great workhorse movement that will be easy to service and maintain for many lifetimes to come.

Good stuff, looking forward to your unveil!

[dapellegrini]

It arrived yesterday via Fedex (free shipping from manufacturer)

First impressions...

1 minute in:
Well, the box is pretty cheap compared to an Omega box for example - but who cares, its going in a closet anyways. The less space it takes up the better!  The zip pouch inside the box is done in the "Caribbean" color scheme - and is a nice (enough) travel pouch - if you want to use it for that.

I ordered this on a weekend - it shipped first thing Monday and was in my hands Wednesday before 10am.  Excellent and easy buying experience.







5 minutes:
There is a nice heft to this watch.  And I am so happy I got the 300T.  My preference is this slightly more modern, flat crystal and larger dial.  






30 minutes:
The bracelet is really nice.  Its a step down perhaps from an Omega (maybe two from a Rolex), but does not feel cheap.  Resizes with screws.  The way the bracelet gets wider right after the end links (to line up with the width of the case edge) is nice.  I have (arguably) the smallest wrist you might want to put one of these on - at <6 inches, and the additional "flaring out" is not a problem.

Resizing was quick - in my case removing 7 of the 8 removable links! 

Here's something I have never seen before... the bracelet is actually on backwards from the manufacturer.  I had to google around to be sure, ya - the bracelet was on wrong.  So I removed it and put it back on right.  Strange.

Anyhow, I think it looks good on my wrist










The crown feels good, a little hard to get at it, but has a nice feel to it whether screwing/unscrewing it, winding or setting the date/time.

60 minutes:
This orange is REALLY orange.  I am not sure you could find a brighter/stronger orange.  This is my first (and only) orange dial watch, and it doesn't disappoint.  I believe (someone correct me if I am wrong) that Doxa pioneered this dial color, and perhaps this specific shade as the most legible in the murky depths of an open water dive.  I love it.







3 hours:
So I've had time to play with the lume - very bright (green) when hit with a black light, also gets a good glow after a minute in the sun.  Seems it would be easy to read if you hit it with a light underwater, say during a night dive.  The orange lume dot on the bezel however is very dim - I am not as convinced that would be very useful in figuring out where the bezel has been set in the dark.



Speaking of the bezel, it has a nicer mechanical click to it while rotating.  I prefer the larger/thicker knurled edge of the 300 vs this 300T, from the side there is a lot of polished waste land between the grippy part and where the bezel meets the case.  I only notice, because I think they did that part better on the 300.



This one has the Doxa boat on the back (cool touch) - but you still get the Jenny fish on the bracelet.  It doesn't bother me, but I know it bothers some.  It is not subtle



The next morning:
On my wrist now and still very happy with it.  I set it to my atomic clock yesterday, around 6pm - about 15 hours later it is ticking to the exact second.  Points for that.

[inboost]

Excellent review dapellegrini , thanks for that! I've been intrigued by these too, so maybe one day I'll be here mulling it over with my wallet out. That will be a ways off still for me

[Groundhog66]

dapellegrini, great review, color me jealous for sure.

[rossr]

Really nice watch. My family gave a 300T to my brother for his 50th birthday a couple of years ago.

There’s something about Doxas that everyone likes.

[russtmurray]

Congratulations and a terrific write up too! Your observations regarding the thickness of the grippy part of the bezel were the same as mine because I too thought it was thicker but didn't realize it was one of the fundamental differences between the 300 and the 300T. You learn something new everyday, eh? Enjoy!

[vinylgreek]

Thanks for the thorough write-up OP. I wish I were patient enough to do that when I get a new watch I've excited about for a while. You make me feel a little guilty for not wearing mine right now.

[dapellegrini]

Thanks everyone for the kind words.  It's been a month today since I received it - and no regrets.  Great watch that has a unique spot in my collection / rotation.  I like watches that have a story to tell - and this one fits the bill nicely.  I can definitely recommend to anyone on the fence.  I can't see how you would could be disappointed - especially if you have read other reviews - it is exactly as described. 

I won't be shocked to eventually own a couple other colors of the same watch, but I think I would want the Jenny fish on the crown to either be uncolored or replaced with something else.  For instance,  I can see myself owning a yellow and turquoise version - but I would not like those with the orange jenny fish on the crown.  If the fish color matched, that would be ok - or if it was left uncolored - also fine.  The orange fish crown on the dark blue/Caribbean version would work as orange is the accent color on that one.  I think that's my only hang up with the other colors.

[mirrorman]

I've had a love affair with this brand since first seeing a Doxa sub300.  Somehow though have never pulled the trigger on one, and now can't see myself spending that sort of money on a watch again.  

I've stopped working since Dec last year, and don't see myself buying any new multi-thousand dollar watches again. In fact I have made up my mind to move my Omega Semaster 300 and Tudor Royal on to other players.
I'll be keeping my vintage Seiko stuff though.  

I discovered these products from Seestern - which seem to scratch the itch for me. Both run a Seiko NH35 




 

 

[dapellegrini]

Ya, I've stumbled across those before.  From what I hear they are surprisingly good for the money.  I would struggle owning one though. I am sure there are great Invicta and Pagani watches too - but just not my roll.  Seiko, Citizen, Orient and others in the lower price range have all found their way into my collection with original watches of interest and value/quality - it's the blatant copies I think just don't do it for me...

[mirrorman]

Nov 16, 2022 17:41:02 GMT -8 dapellegrini said:

Ya, I've stumbled across those before.  From what I hear they are surprisingly good for the money.  I would struggle owning one though. I am sure there are great Invicta and Pagani watches too - but just not my roll.  Seiko, Citizen, Orient and others in the lower price range have all found their way into my collection with original watches of interest and value/quality - it's the blatant copies I think just don't do it for me...

I certainly agree in most cases - a copy of a Rolex Sub for example does nothing for me. PLUS that design is ICONIC , and even a non watch wearer from the general public would recognised it. The question would then be - "real or fake? 

I figure with these 2 Seestern watches , and the ProPlof I have ordered, I can satisfy my yearn for this style of diver watch without spending over $15,000, and it is only a certain type of watch fan who would even know what the originals are. So it's safe to say that the general population would see these on my wrist and just think "that's a colourful watch". 

[scubarob99]

Nov 16, 2022 22:07:03 GMT -8 mirrorman said:

Nov 16, 2022 17:41:02 GMT -8 dapellegrini said:

Ya, I've stumbled across those before.  From what I hear they are surprisingly good for the money.  I would struggle owning one though. I am sure there are great Invicta and Pagani watches too - but just not my roll.  Seiko, Citizen, Orient and others in the lower price range have all found their way into my collection with original watches of interest and value/quality - it's the blatant copies I think just don't do it for me...

I certainly agree in most cases - a copy of a Rolex Sub for example does nothing for me. PLUS that design is ICONIC , and even a non watch wearer from the general public would recognised it. The question would then be - "real or fake? 

I figure with these 2 Seestern watches , and the ProPlof I have ordered, I can satisfy my yearn for this style of diver watch without spending over $15,000, and it is only a certain type of watch fan who would even know what the originals are. So it's safe to say that the general population would see these on my wrist and just think "that's a colourful watch". 

If they were cheaper, I'd get one just to see if I would bond with the real thing.
I have quite a few watches I love, but just don't do it for me on the wrist. Would hate to have a $2000 paperweight (I'm also really bad at letting go of watches, so a paperweight it would be)

Rob

[small]

Nov 17, 2022 9:22:56 GMT -8 scubarob99 said:

Nov 16, 2022 22:07:03 GMT -8 mirrorman said:

I certainly agree in most cases - a copy of a Rolex Sub for example does nothing for me. PLUS that design is ICONIC , and even a non watch wearer from the general public would recognised it. The question would then be - "real or fake? 

I figure with these 2 Seestern watches , and the ProPlof I have ordered, I can satisfy my yearn for this style of diver watch without spending over $15,000, and it is only a certain type of watch fan who would even know what the originals are. So it's safe to say that the general population would see these on my wrist and just think "that's a colourful watch". 

If they were cheaper, I'd get one just to see if I would bond with the real thing.
I have quite a few watches I love, but just don't do it for me on the wrist. Would hate to have a $2000 paperweight (I'm also really bad at letting go of watches, so a paperweight it would be)

Rob

Someone had mentioned buying a Tudor Black Bay Homage to see if they really like the watch, as much as they thought they would, before buying the real deal...I guess if you have several thousand your willing to spend on a watch, paying a couple hundred, to make sure seems like cheap insurance. I can't afford the real deal when it comes to the 6105 divers, didn't even know if I'd like it, bought a Sharky and fell in love. I still can't afford the real deal but it definitely satisfies my taste. There are plenty of Forum threads discussing knock-off, counterfeits and homages and there value or harm they cause to the watch market...I dig the Doxa look and have my eye on a homage.