BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
Founded in 1889, Doxa is a watch brand that has created a cult following for itself in the dive watch fraternity. As 2019 marks the 130th anniversary of the brand, it is celebrating in style by releasing a new edition of the Doxa SUB 200 dive watch. Limited to just 130 pieces this new watch presents some interesting vintage inspired elements in a modern package.
The case is made out of stainless steel and has a diameter of 42mm which is apt for a modern dive watch. Sitting on top of the case is a uni-directional dive time bezel which has been presented with gilt colored markings to evoke a retro vibe. Secured by the bezel is a curved sapphire crystal which has been designed to reciprocate the look of plexiglass crystals used on dive watches from the past and located at 3 is a screw down crown which would ensure that the watch remains water resistant to 200 meters. Flipping the watch over you have a closed case back which has the “130 YEARS” text deeply embossed on top of a blackened circular section surrounded by some other technical information and the individual limited edition number.
The dial is black in color and has been neatly laid out with a high focus on legibility, just as a dive watch should be. The minute track has been presented using printed white thin lines whereas the hour markers are these appropriately sized applied rectangles which give the dial a nice sense of depth. Time can be read comfortably using the baton-style handset which along with hour markers has been filled with custard colored superluminova once again highlighting the vintage ties of this watch. Doxa has also done a good job of adding some splash of color to dial which is evident through the orange-colored paddle style seconds and the 130th-anniversary text above 6. Powering this new watch is the famous workhorse Swiss automatic ETA2824-2 movement. It operates at a frequency of 4Hz and offers a decent power reserve of around 38 hours.
In the end, I would like to conclude by saying that the Doxa SUB 200 “130th Anniversary Celebration” limited edition is a well-equipped dive watch from the brand which has also been sensibly priced. The watch would come attached to beads of rice bracelet and would retail at a price of CHF 1,190 for the limited edition variant, whereas the regular version of this watch which is anticipated to be released later in the year would retail for CHF 990.
Visit Doxa here.
