Big thanks to everyone here who helped me on my journey to acquiring this piece.
I've wanted an orange Doxa for years, since before I even got into watches. As an avid reader of all sorts of books, but especially ones with fights and explosions, I devoured Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels as a teenager and was always struck by Cussler's loving descriptions of Pitt's faithful Sub300t.
Fast forward to about 2009 and my gateway into the world of mechanical watches was an orange dialled Orient Mako, a purchase most definitely inspired by Pitt.
I'd looked at Doxa's lovingly over the years but never pulled the trigger on one. At first because I couldn't justify the cost, later because they seemed a slightly shaky internet only brand for a while. In the last few years the original owners have taken back the rights to the brand and suddenly they're everywhere, making a purchase feel a lot easier and safer should any problems occur.
The final stumbling block was size. As a slender wristed fellow, my sweet spot is 34-38mm, so the big chunk of steel a Doxa represents felt out of my reach. I've owned many larger watches over the years but always ended up flipping them because I can't get completely comfortable with how the wear.
But recently the stars aligned. I had a bit of ready money in my pocket, a plentiful array of places to buy the watch from and, critically, I discovered the Sub 300.
As a Pitt fan I'd always lusted after the 300t, but the 300 ended up being a much more appealing option. The cases have basically the same diameter and lug to lug lengths, but having a mere 300m WR (as opposed to 1200 on the 300t), the 300 is much slimmer. The stats don't tell you that, as it also has a beautiful domed crystal, rather than the flat one of the 300t. That watch makes up its thickness with a bulging caseback. The 300 omits that and wears beautifully as a result. The other key size difference relates to the bracelet. The 300t has male endlinks which extends the effective lug to lug, the 300 does not and so wears much smaller.
My impressions of the watch so far are overwhelmingly positive. It wears very comfortably for its size and weight. You know it's there, but the lovely Beads of Rice bracelet means it conforms to the wrist effortlessly. The style is eye catchingly unique. You're never going to mistake a Doxa for anything else. Given the fact that most of my collection is deliberately understated, adding a piece that is so unashamedly in your face feels refreshing.
And the there's the orange. It is so so orange. Pictures really don't do that rich share justice and it makes me smile every time I look at it.
The two flies in the ointment are the clasp, which is fine, but a little cheap feeling, and the lume. Having been raised on Seikos I can't help finding it a bit underwhelming, although that oversized hour hand is great and the fact that the orange bezel pip glows is a lovely touch.
TL;DR - it's big and orange and I like it.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've wanted an orange Doxa for years, since before I even got into watches. As an avid reader of all sorts of books, but especially ones with fights and explosions, I devoured Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels as a teenager and was always struck by Cussler's loving descriptions of Pitt's faithful Sub300t.
Fast forward to about 2009 and my gateway into the world of mechanical watches was an orange dialled Orient Mako, a purchase most definitely inspired by Pitt.
I'd looked at Doxa's lovingly over the years but never pulled the trigger on one. At first because I couldn't justify the cost, later because they seemed a slightly shaky internet only brand for a while. In the last few years the original owners have taken back the rights to the brand and suddenly they're everywhere, making a purchase feel a lot easier and safer should any problems occur.
The final stumbling block was size. As a slender wristed fellow, my sweet spot is 34-38mm, so the big chunk of steel a Doxa represents felt out of my reach. I've owned many larger watches over the years but always ended up flipping them because I can't get completely comfortable with how the wear.
But recently the stars aligned. I had a bit of ready money in my pocket, a plentiful array of places to buy the watch from and, critically, I discovered the Sub 300.
As a Pitt fan I'd always lusted after the 300t, but the 300 ended up being a much more appealing option. The cases have basically the same diameter and lug to lug lengths, but having a mere 300m WR (as opposed to 1200 on the 300t), the 300 is much slimmer. The stats don't tell you that, as it also has a beautiful domed crystal, rather than the flat one of the 300t. That watch makes up its thickness with a bulging caseback. The 300 omits that and wears beautifully as a result. The other key size difference relates to the bracelet. The 300t has male endlinks which extends the effective lug to lug, the 300 does not and so wears much smaller.
My impressions of the watch so far are overwhelmingly positive. It wears very comfortably for its size and weight. You know it's there, but the lovely Beads of Rice bracelet means it conforms to the wrist effortlessly. The style is eye catchingly unique. You're never going to mistake a Doxa for anything else. Given the fact that most of my collection is deliberately understated, adding a piece that is so unashamedly in your face feels refreshing.
And the there's the orange. It is so so orange. Pictures really don't do that rich share justice and it makes me smile every time I look at it.
The two flies in the ointment are the clasp, which is fine, but a little cheap feeling, and the lume. Having been raised on Seikos I can't help finding it a bit underwhelming, although that oversized hour hand is great and the fact that the orange bezel pip glows is a lovely touch.
TL;DR - it's big and orange and I like it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
