Doxa ranks among the most respected diving watch brands ever. Founded towards the end of the 19th century, almost a century before the race for the first diving watch started, it is synonymous with Swiss Made professional instruments since the late sixties. Today’s core business (Doxa has new owners and vision) feels authentic, thanks to a product portfolio that looks equally attractive to the broad and experienced fan base and new buyers, whose legacy is the original 1967 Doxa SUB engineered in collaboration with Jacques–Yves Cousteau.
To professional diving, the French oceanographer is what Gérald Genta stands for in the steel luxury sports segment, as far as watchmaking concerns. Indeed, all the wristwatches developed and tested under Mr Cousteau are icons, and so is Doxa as a brand of accessible luxury diving watches. The last in the series is the eighties-inspired timepiece pictured here, yet another hot seller from Doxa revamped as an almost one-to-one re-issue.
The Doxa SUB 600T is the epitome of the eighties, showcasing sharp edges and the crown placed at four, as seen on equally professional products by Citizen and Seiko, the unquestionable game rulers when it comes to engineering a diving watch. The new 600T is in keeping with the ultimate-diving-watch vision despite revealing a more contemporary and stylish approach in size and materials than the quintessential tonneau-shaped Doxa watch.
The Doxa Sub 600T Pacific Limited Edition debuts titanium case and buckle, which looks more marketing ish rather than a performance-driven approach, at least by quickly scrolling the specs sheet; the case is 40 mm across, and 47.60 mm from lug to lug; in contrast, the thickness stops at a considerable 14.15 mm, which measures too much given the Sellita SW 200–1 calibre beating inside. Nevertheless, it looks purposeful since the watch is rated at 600 meters. The template is distinctive; from indexes to the flat, no-date dial, the new Doxa Sub 600T Pacific Limited Edition adopts a unidirectional rotating bezel whose ceramic inlay has two scales, in meters and feet, respectively. I’d love to find out whether the case, bezel, and buckle all come in Grade 5 Titanium; case in point, we’re waiting for additional info.
Thumbs down for not using a pin buckle; the folding clasp looks as cool as not in keeping with any diving watch, from recreational to professional ones; it proves the 600T aims at attracting a different kind of customer. The new Doxa Sub 600T Pacific Limited Edition is limited to 200 units worldwide and comes as an exclusive collaboration with the Australian Time + Tide media; I believe it is a capsule collection to be further extended, while ideally find its place right below Doxa‘s flagship “hardcore” models. Additionally, I praise the brand for such a bright Pantone called “Pacific Blue”; Doxa’s designers nailed it with a kind of vintage-inspired dial and bezel colour. The new Doxa Sub 600T Pacific Limited Edition retails for 1890 Euros.
(Photo credit: courtesy Doxa)
Gaetano C @Horbiter®
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