The word “cult” gets thrown around a lot when discussing Doxa. Their dive watches have a decidedly niche appeal and fans of the brand really love them in a way that sometimes goes beyond casual appreciation. This is a fundamentally good thing for the community whether you’re part of the Doxa cult or not, as inevitably some of that enthusiasm and goodwill spills over into the rest of the hobby. What’s interesting though is that as time passes and Doxa grows, the cult objects have become more mainstream. That’s exemplified perfectly in the new Sub 200T, a more accessible version of the brand’s signature (and perhaps strangest) watch.
The Sub 200T is one of those watches that, once you see it, you’re kind of surprised hadn’t existed until now. The Sub 200T takes the signature case lines and design language of the Sub 300 and shrinks everything down into a more wearable, casual, package. We get the same cushion style case, multi-scale bezel, small dial opening, and even the beads of rice bracelet in a footprint measuring 39mm in diameter and 41.5mm lug to lug (and 10.7mm tall). That’s down from 42.5mm in the Sub 300, so there should be a meaningful difference in how these watches wear.
Beyond the smaller package, Doxa is seemingly trying to cast a wider net in who this watch appeals to by going absolutely full tilt on color options. You can have the Sub 200T in any signature Doxa color you like, plus a new dark green option they’ve dubbed Sea Emerald. And if eight distinct dial colors aren’t enough, Doxa has also added a new option to the table: the choice between an “iconic” or “sunray” dial on the Sharkhunter (black), Professional (orange), Caribbean (navy), Divingstar (yellow), and Aquamarine (turquoise) variants. The “iconic” dial is the familiar matte dial that we’ve always seen Doxa divers, while the new “sunray” option adds a bit of texture.
The new Sub 200T runs on a Sellita SW200 automatic movement with 38 hours of power reserve, a workhorse movement that is more than appropriate for a watch like this. It has 200 meters of water resistance and the same lume treatment as its bigger brother. The retail price is $1,590 on a bracelet, which amounts to a significant discount when compared to the Sub 300 and Sub 300T.
This is a pretty major release from Doxa, further delineating the clear tiers that have emerged in their catalog over the past few years as appreciation for the brand has increased. While it’s “entry level” in terms of price for this design language, it’s hard to think about a dive watch that is so inherently strange as an “entry” product for anyone. Nevertheless, it’s here, and we look forward to getting some hands-on time with one soon. Doxa
