Doxa, one of the most important but largely unsung pioneers in the history of diving watches, celebrated its 130th anniversary in 2019 with the release of an extremely limited (13 pieces) gold-cased version of its revolutionary SUB 200 T.Graph. Now the Swiss brand follows it up with another special edition more suited to its tool-watch pedigree, housed in a stainless steel case and powered by a vintage Valjoux 7734 movement.
The watch is a contemporary take on the original T.Graph, which debuted in 1969 on the heels of its groundbreaking predecessor, the SUB 300 Professional from 1967. The latter watch was the first purpose-designed divers’ watch intended for the general public, the first to incorporate a rotating bezel with a no-decompression dive table, and the first to feature an orange dial. (Doxa celebrated the 50th anniversary of this model with a special re-edition in 2017.) The T.Graph extended the SUB concept with the addition of a chronograph function. The modern version distinctive barrel-shaped case measures 43 mm and boasts water resistance of 200 meters. Under a scratch-resistant, non-reflective sapphire crystal the bright orange dial has a bicompax arrangement, with subdials at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock — for 30 chronograph minutes and running seconds, respectively — a date window at 6 o’clock, and black-painted, baton-shaped hands. These hands, along with the triangle insert at the tip of the central chronograph seconds hand and the black-painted applied hour indices, are treated with a beige-colored “Light Old Radium” Super-LumiNova for legibility in the dark.
Like its predecessor of a half-century ago, the watch’s patented, unidirectional rotating bezel combines a dive scale (in minutes) with a no-decompression scale (in meters), enabling the owner to calculate dive times. At 12 o’clock, a Super-LumiNova-filled dot provides orientation for diving. Inside the case, behind a solid steel caseback engraved with a rendering of a sailboat, is a historical movement, the manual-winding Valjoux 7734 (now known as the ETA Valjoux 7734). Carefully preserved by Switzerland’s Jenny family, who have owned the Doxa brand since 1997, and also used in the 13 gold pieces of the T.Graph released earlier this year, these calibers have been revised and updated with Doxa decoration, and feature a 45-hour power reserve.
The Doxa SUB 200 T.Graph in Stainless Steel is securely fastened via screws to the brand’s now-famous “grains of rice” bracelet in 316L stainless steel, which is equipped with a folding clasp with the emblematic Doxa fish symbol and a diver’s extension for those who wish to wear it over a wetsuit. Available for order on September 2 via the Doxa website, it is priced at $4,900.
nice watch