Introducing the new Doxa Sub 200 Collection

Earlier this year at Baselworld, Doxa made a bunch of headlines for reasons they may, in retrospect, want to forget. We, of course, can never forget the introduction of a very limited Sub 200 T.Graph, with a jaw dropping retail price of $70,000. The entire watch community heard the record skip at precisely the same time, and furious debates ensued about the merits of a much beloved tool watch brand releasing a novelty product at a cost higher than many of the most sought after luxury timepieces in the world. It’s fair to say that while most were focused on the solid gold Doxa, one of the best value propositions of the entire fair went almost entirely unnoticed by many, including me. Here then, we have the reintroduction of the Doxa Sub 200 collection, a far less imposing watch than what ultimately drew the big headlines. Let’s take a closer look.

Doxa Sub 200 Collection

• Case Material: Stainless steel 
• Dial: Black, Orange, Silver, Navy, Turquoise, Yellow  
• Dimensions: 42 x 14mm
• Crystal: Sapphire  
• Water Resistance: 200 meters  
• Crown: Screw down   
• Movement: ETA 2824-2
• Strap/bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet or rubber strap 
• Price: $990
• Reference Number: Professional 799.10.351.10, Searambler 799.10.021.10, Sharkhunter 799.10.101.10, Caribbean 799.10.201.10, Aquamarine 799.10.241.10, Divingstar 799.10.361.10
• Expected Release: Full collection available December 15 

Doxa is a favorite of the enthusiast crowd, and seen as a kind of pure diver’s watch brand, that divers actually own and use. They’ve experienced a noted resurgence in recent years, and have been rereleasing many of their classic timepieces to a great deal of acclaim, often selling out their limited edition releases. The various watches in the “Sub T” series have a highly distinctive cushion case, with a small dial and a “no decompression” bezel, something Doxa patented in 1967. The Sub 200, though, has always been a little different, simpler, and styled more in line with what most would conjure in the mind’s eye when we think of a dive watch. It’s a little less intimidating, slightly more traditional, but still possesses the no-nonsense diving chops (and suite of color options) Doxa is known for.

The design of the Sub 200 is as straightforward as it gets. Regardless of the color chosen (more on those in a bit), you’re getting a classic dive watch silhouette, with short lugs that angle sharply inward toward the center of the case. It gives the watch a compact, squat appearance that minimizes the lug to lug length, allowing a variety of wrists to wear it, even though the diameter is a full 42mm. All of the modern tech you’d expect in a dive watch is here as well, with a sapphire crystal, and plenty of Super-Luminova on the dial and bezel, which is a great modern touch that I’d wish more contemporary dive watches would employ. The watch is powered by an ETA 2824, which Doxa tells us they decorated, but we’ll have to take their word for it, as the caseback is closed.

From the early days, Doxa has given fun names to their watches with different brightly colored dials, and the tradition holds true with the Sub 200. A total of six dial variants will be available, which are all technically different models in the Sub 200 collection within the Doxa catalog: Sharkhunter (black), Professional (orange), Searambler (silver), Caribbean (navy), Aquamarine (turquoise), and Divingstar (yellow). Each model name corresponds to the heritage naming conventions Doxa has been using since the 1960s. It’s nice to see the brand honoring their own history here, while simultaneously offering consumers a whole lot of options.

Most of the Sub 200 models are available now on Doxa’s website on their signature beads of rice bracelet, with some set to begin shipping in December. All models will become available on rubber straps as of December 15. Doxa.

Whether you’re Doxa fan or brand new to the brand, spend most of your time topside or are an enthusiastic recreational diver, we’d love to know your thoughts on this new line. Please feel free to comment below.