Bought my Doxa 300T Pro last year for my 50th. I actually saved up for it like a kid over 18 months so it meant a bit more than 'just slap it on the card'. A year later...still very happy with it. Getting some nice scratches on it, like a proper Doxa should.
Pagani's house of design is too late - Seestern already has made an excellent Doxa 300 homage get the v2 and ask for the lumed date wheel. Hahahahaha ... Reginold was too slow ...
@@THEMADWATCHCOLLECTOR true ... it actually works both ways too .. often Pagani does an homage then another brand does one with better specs and/or finishing or movement.
As a kid I was a big fan of The Undersea World Of Jacques Cousteau documentary series, and when I found out about Doxa and his involvement with them, I had to have one. I got the 300t (Caribbean on blue rubber). The 300t is a modern replica of the "Conquistador", the successor to the 300 and is by far my most worn watch. Although not COSC certified, mine only gains 4 secs a day which isn't too bad. Loving your channel BTW!
I bought a aquamarine 300T, last year, on the BOR bracelet and love it. It has some wrist presence, 185gm, and a big bonus the wife loves it. In fact she wants a woman sized version which they used to make back in the day but not currently. The fish logo comes from the "Jenny" family that owns the brand and was used on their eponymous brand. There inclusion on Doxa watches is the source of some controversy. The sailing boat is the true Doxa logo. The only weakness is the lume as you mentioned and that the bezel can be a real scratch magnet. The build quality is right for this price point and you can get a reasonable discount from online retailers. In all a winner not binner...
the painted indices on these don't have as much lume as applied markers that are filled up to the brim (like a 200 buck seiko). Also looks a bit low spec. check 'watch guys' Doxa RU-vid review -when he inquired directly to the company Doxa said 'they don't actually make the watches, nor did they ever say that they were a manufacturer'. That threw me off this brand, sadly
My friend, you’d be surprised how many Swiss brands have certain parts manufactured elsewhere! This is the reason why the 60% rule was created!!! The Lume may not be special but it’s the dial colour and design of the indices sandwiched between the black that makes it pop underwater.
An orange Doxa has been a grail of mine since I started reading the Clive Cussler books as a little boy, I’ll get one sooner or later, kind of wish the 300T had the bubble crystal (like the 300) for the more vintage look but without the higher price, however, the beads of rice bracelet is a bit much for my taste too. The 600t is intriguing too.......Anyway, once again great job on the reviews mate, you’re killing it:)
Something about Doxa watches simply don’t look very good for the price… i get that they’re historically significant dive watches, but not very handsome, case finishing doesn’t look particularly premium, lume not great or evenly applied in various videos I’ve seen… this sounds harsh but I can’t help but think they’re mostly getting by off their name nowadays. Thanks for showing these three. Great video as always.
Hi Collin! First of all a brand like a Doxa or a Squale is entitled to use their brand history to elevate them in the market. What I would say is got to an AD (which you can do now with Doxa) and try them for yourself. They are built like Rolex’s my friend. Tough tool watches that come at a premium . That’s the price you pay . But if you truly are not sold into the history , colours and designs you ain’t ever gonna fall for a Doxa;)
@@THEMADWATCHCOLLECTOR thanks for the response! I’ll have to check one out in person sometime if I get the chance. I appreciate your experience and knowledge of watches as you’ve been hands on with quite a few at this point, so I’ll take your word for their quality. I did just get a Squale 60 Atmos and it’s definitely the nicest watch in my collection. I do understand that historical significance of a maker is an important aspect to consider; I suppose I would be concerned if a brand were to lean on that too heavily however.
Oh mate, you've cheered me up no end, had a s**t day got home late and got to be up at 5am but had to see the show, lmao again as always, Mr P and what the Mrs says, for me it'll have to be the tiffany on a tiffany rubber, like a bigger dial, thanks again for making my day
Fell in love with the orange faced Doxa in the late 1980’s when I found my hero in Dirk Pitt (Clive Cussler’s nautical James Bond!) always promised myself one and finally did so in 2010 when I got divorced!!! Wore my military 1000T for years until recently when I retired it and bought a previously owned professional 1000T chronograph. Absolutely adore them and both on beads of rice bracelets, so different from the rest, many homages now but none beat the original (provided you don’t look at the price!!)
Great review as always! I agree with you, the original 300 is the one for me and although expensive, it is COSC so perhaps not too expensive? However I’m not sure I’m “Diver” nerdy enough for Doxa. Perhaps it’s a watch for the diver connoisseur? On a separate note, I’ve just seen Longine’s Spirit Zulu Time true GMT release and that looks awesome! Check it out!
Hi.Russ.Id like to retrospectvely comment on this vid, and be positive, as a couple of days ago I couldn't help but make some silly comments on that Tissot desk diver youve just reviewed.It offended me because it was generic,blingy,ill proportionned etc etc.The daft T's on the second hand and band.Even the blue sunburst dial didn't really evoke the sea.Well these Doxas are the antithesis of that watch. Amazing,angular chunky tooly pieces of functional art!I love old seiko divers,and once had a sub,but these are my fav divers. I love em.But Ive never pulled the trigger on one because they are so specific to diving (you know whats coming.....) that's because im scared of the sea since I watched Jaws, I dont dive.I have paddled in the sea quite recently,as I live on the seafront in Cleveleys,but a Doxa is for real divers who swim among sharks.I think it might not be too cool to rock a Doxa while having damp rolled up trousers on...paddling.I really am loving your channel since I discovered it by chance a few weeks ago.Thanks very much for the laughs.
I dig the Doxa’s (or Doxi?). The price may be a little too steep for me, but I definitely see why a watch enthusiast would have one of these in their collection. Maybe one day I’ll pull that trigger. I just bought a Sinn 104, so the bank account needs time to recover.
Shame you didn’t look at the 200 series, 900 notes. Also, I think the fish on the crown looks like a bloke doing a sit up!! Great entertaining episode as usual. Chers 👍👍🏴
I just picked up a Sub 300 Caribbean because of this video. Tossed it on a black rubber strap and absolutely in love! Thanks for pushing me over the edge and keep the content coming!
Nice looking watches, I think I like the teal colored one the best, just my opinion. As for the other two, I actually own a Bulova Devil Diver (the limited, orange one with the Swiss movement) from a few years ago. It looks very similar to these as well. I do like my Bulova and I got it at a great price. So I do agree with you that they seem a bot overpriced for what you get. That said, I appreciate Doxa as a brand, with the history to back it up. Great video and thanks for the great review an the history behind them. Have a great day!
Thanks for the review. Just waiting on delivery of a 300T in aquamarine for a huge discount - £1350ish. Shame about the lume though. Always wanted one as I’m an occasional diver and huge Cussler fan, I have a 16600SD but it’s a little too precious for me to consistently take diving!
Seastern and Tactical Frog are made in same factory in China as most of Doxa's parts... and they cost $200. The ETA2824/SW200 movements cost around $250. That shows anything over $500 on a Doxa is a ripoff.
Please never stop doing "what the wife said! " it cracks me up every time haha, it sounds like my partner when I ask for her opinion haha. Greetings from Wellington NZ
I really like your watch reviews! They are informative and funny; not like the other’s many of which tend to be aimed at the snobby self important watch connoisseurs. As far as Doxa I personally love the brand and its history.
I still have the same version from when it was featured the Clive clussler movie where Matthew McConaughey played dirk Pitt. I had two of the very first 300t watches re- released in the 1999???? I think? Sold them but kept the hand signed poster Clive clussler gave his signature. Now that he has passed I imagine it's worth something
Love Doxa. By the way the bezel actually tells you how long you can stay at a certain depth without having to do any decompression stops on the way up.
I also like the Squale. I cheaped out and bought the one rated to 200 (?) meters. A good, tough watch with the look or thee Blancpain or Rolex divers, part imitation, and part convergent evolution. --Old Guy
I've owned a Sharkhunter in the past. Very nice watch but the orange as cool as it is can be tricky. What I mean is; unless you are a hardcore watch nerd that appreciates Doxa you may find that wearing an orange diver is sporadic and this would be way too expensive to have sitting on a winder most of its life. The Sharkhunter in black would be a better choice for most if you need that iconic case shape and beautiful beads of rice bracelet.
I heard parts are made in china then send to Switzerland to be assemble making it a “Swiss watch” anyone know anything about this? If that’s the Case I wouldn’t be interested in one
As usual a brilliant video!! My personal favorites in the current Doxa line up is the 600T and sub 200 as well as Sub200 chrono! Just brilliant watches Makes me wanna buy all 3 ( ummmh 12😅)
Hello Russ this is a bit strange but i just seen a vid posted by just horology don't no if you no this guy but I think someone needs to reach out to him I did try finding a way to contact you personally about it he's not his normal self you could be the man to help his mental health
Great review! You look like you have SO much fun! Doxa is a brand that I would not spend 1500 pounds (2500 Canadian Dollars) on unless I was diving with professionals. Give me a desk diver with a 50-100m limit, and I am fine. #WWC 10:54 GREAT MARATHON. Blame Canada... Sorry. ;-)
Great review,Russell. My bro has half a dozen or so,of those from the mid 70’s. He used to collect them when he was a submariner. He also has a Submariner,or two.
love the format/editing/production. Also, incredible history on Doxa. 6 years into the hobby, and never heard any of that. well done! wife comment is hillarious
Awesome review as always MWC! Doxa are a bit too funky for me but I can totally see why people love them. I agree that the asking prices are probably a little bit higher than I’d expect but they seem like amazing watches for dive watch nerds!
I own one of these and like it but I have to say that Doxa are not a good deal at all. I would put my Squale, CERTINA and Christopher Ward ahead of them every time. take the history away and what are you left with?
Lol 😂 you crack me up 😂! Great review… I’ve been eyeing Doxas, the Sub 200 is enticing due to the price but I think in the end the Sub 300 T in the Tiffany blue! I like the signature bright colors they do and the history behind it is what makes watch collecting fun for me! Who wouldn’t want that nostalgic feel of That iconic shape on your wrist?
If ur a Diver then this is the Cheapest part of ur KIT, bar a used Wet suite..! Not expensive at all...! 🙏😎 Defo a watch to see in the FLESH ...! Maybe a MARMITE Watch..!
Date was perfect for the Aquanauts (experiments about living for extended periods under sea) ... also made a fantastic kids toy (one of my favorite toys when I was young).
@@bigboiganiga8356 lol ... no problem ... as a kid the Aquanaut watch would have been hated and wasted - and probably destroyed ... I was a rough and tumble outdoor kid lol.
Haha, your wife doesn't mince words! Good to see the lume is decent on the 600T, but disappointing about how it wears. I know James Stacey at Hodinkee found wearability issues. I really like the look of the watch though. I have an AD with them now, so I need to see if they've got the 600T available to try out. I like the COSC certification on the Sub300, but the dial looks too tiny to me (in person). I would lean toward the 300T, but I need to get all on the wrist. Too bad about the lume on the 300s though. For a brand known for their dive watch history, one would think they'd put some more focus on that. The mix of milled/pressed on the claps is a bit disappointing at the price, but not a deal breaker. It was nice to see the screwed links on the 300, but I guess they saved some money going with the pins on the 600T. It is impressively priced compared to the 300s though. Thanks for this thorough look at the main Doxa divers. I like the 200 as well (even without the history), but it also apparently doesn't have great lume.
Thank you so much for watching Sean! Appreciate your comments to! Yes I had a look at the 200, just didn’t have the show biz feel of the 300’s . Actually would prefer the Bulova devil diver , almost the same case shape !
"There's always ways round patents" That cracked me up. And can I just say, that Mr Pagani looks an awful lot like you, but I can't be 100%. The accent I think throws me off. 😂Think I prefer the 600T out of this trio but my favourite doxa is the 200. Awesome work mate, another highly enjoyable review.
It's weird that these are the epitome of professional divers, and they have so mediocre lume(apart from the 600). I mean, my Cronos at 220usd has amazing lume, surely they could've done much better for the 300 and 300t as well?
Yeah the only negative on the specs for me however i think the dial with the black handset would make up for it . If I were Doxa I’d definitely address the C3 lume
I own 3 Doxas, a 300T (Professional), a 200 (Aquamarine), and 200 C-Graph (Sharkhunter). Bought the 300T first and was incredibly impressed with the quality. Comfort from the beads of rice bracelet was brilliant, and accuracy wasn't bad at +5 sec per day. Next came the 200, and I was really disappointed with the obviously lower quality. Considering that it's the same movement (ETA 2824-2) movement, the accuracy was piss poor, +10 sec or more per day. The bracelet was identical as far as I could tell, except that the clasp was utter crap in comparison....Having said that, it was almost £1000 cheaper, so what can you really expect. Got my eye on a couple of vintage ones next, ideally a WW2 DH Doxa, and a champagne dial vintage one ideally with small seconds......WHEN suitable candidates pop up on Ebay!
Great video Russell! I just realized that when you do your bezel face, I do it too. The missus was looking at me very concerned! lol. I had a Doxa in the past, lovely watch though on mine the lume on the hands went totally dark within 30 minutes but the dial markers lasted a long time. It looks like the problem has reversed itself. I'd definitely go for the Tiffany,,,,I mean Aquamarine today!
I have 5 they are my sub collection within my collection . Love the colour , character and stance on the wrist . At a bit over nine hundred quid the 200 is a good way to get into the brand at a decent price ., really enjoy the brand as a whole . I passed on the 600 as felt it was a top heavy when I tried it on . Great video Russell , much appreciated..
I love Doxas. I am lucky enough to own the orange Sub 750T, which was re-released around 2003, I think, and once I was on the sales list, I was offered a yellow-faced limited-edition Sub 750T Divingstar GMT with a 24-hour skeletonised fourth hand. It is a knockout combination. All up with the rice bracelet it weighs in at over 100 g, if I recall correctly. I joke that you have to alternate which arm you wear it on, so you won't bulk up on your left biceps. The metal band is comfortable, but I could not get a link out of the orange watch, so I put it on a $12 Nato strap, also bright orange. It is bold looking, and easily adjustable at the gym. I recommend Doxas highly. --Old (U.S.) Guy
Great show! I love the idea of Doxa, but not ready to own one yet. I'm surprised they didn't disclose what movement is actually in them. The lume is disappointing, and they're a bit expensive. The look of the 300 are so classic though, I frequently dabble with the idea of owning one at some point.
Yes Russ, bloody love Doxas. So cool you can try before you buy now as well. I’ve toyed with the idea of the Sub 300T for a while. I know you lose COSC but I prefer the slightly larger dial personally.Always a bit of a punt when they were online order only.
Excellent review. I knew absolutely nothing about Doxa and wasn’t really attracted to them, but I have to say the orange on rubber is gorgeous!! Great movements too, just how Tag started with their divers with the 2824. Thanks again
Russ - Great review and keep em coming - its a proper watch with a unique look {excluding these rip off copies} I am with you on the lume and date improvements
Love Doxa ❤ I added a Doxa 200 Orange on the bracelet it’s gorgeous eye catcher get more attention than my Rolex Submariner & my Omega Seamaster 42m blue l love the history of Doxa going to add another Doxa to my watch collection more Doxa videos please 🙏
Pagani have just released a half decent version of the sub 300. It's the first homage I've bought that actually makes me want to buy the real thing even though they are seriously overpriced.
It’s starting to sound like Mr. Pagani is a crook. I ordered one of his T-shirts. I hope he didn’t borrow that design. Thanks for the Doxa education. I knew they had history but I never looked into it.
Researching Doxa for a potential future purchase and came across your channel. I appreciate the compare and contrast format of your review. It was especially informative and helpful. I’m always on the hunt for lesser known niche watch brands and have subscribed to your channel in hopes that you will continue to cover these. Excellent video. Well done!🥃
Love that 300T....if only they didn't have the pointless date complication I'd have bought one. Went for the sm300 heritage instead. Really dislike date complications, especially useless on a diver. Excellent video as always, thank you 👍🏻👍🏻
@THEMADWATCHCOLLECTOR I think it's because companies are aware of the fact that most dive watches aren't going on the wrists of divers. You find them on vintage divers as well, I've owned plenty of serious pieces actually used by divers from the 60s and 70s with day/date complications. In that case I believe the designers wanted their product to have greater functionality that extended beyond diving time.
Great review Russ. I'm in the market for a heritage-styled diver. These watches had my attention until...the prices. A Squale 1521 has similar heritage for much less $$. That's where I'm leaning.